Michelle Marriott began her new role as Whitefield’s director of admissions on Friday, July 1, bringing a strong range of experience to the role. In addition to being a Lower School teacher at Whitefield since 2002, Marriott has served as the PreK4 - second-grade curriculum coordinator and been a member of the instructional leadership team. She has been a Christian Schools International coordinator and the Lower School admissions coordinator for many years, working closely with prospective students during the Lower School admissions process.
Marriott has a B.A. from Furman University, a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University, and a master's level teaching certificate from Mercer University. She began her career in the business field as a consultant and financial analyst, but soon realized God was leading her into the field of education. She has a tremendous passion for Whitefield, not only because of her professional experience here, but because she has seen the impact of Whitefield’s mission on her own children, Barlow and Sarah, who graduated in 2011 and 2014, respectively.
Marriott brings a deeply-rooted understanding of what makes Whitefield unique to her position and promises to follow closely behind the footsteps of Linda Simpson, our previous director of admissions, who has served Whitefield faithfully for 18.5 years and decided it was time to hand over the reins to another. Over the summer, Marriott and Simpson are working closely together through the transition.
Whitefield cannot adequately express the gratitude owed to Simpson, who began her career at Whitefield
as a volunteer in the Academic Enrichment Center and quickly assumed the role of leading admissions. She was a key player in starting the Lower School and has diligently maintained rigorous standards of admission to ensure a community of families committed to the Whitefield mission statement. Whitefield parent after Whitefield parent could share the impact she has had on their families, but here are just a few words on her behalf from volunteers that worked closely with her in admissions:
“Linda has been a mentor and friend since our family joined the Whitefield community over six years ago,” said Lynn Sumlin. “From the beginning, Linda helped us to understand the mission of Whitefield and what makes our community special. As I began to work more closely with her in the admissions department, I truly understood her level of dedication and love for Whitefield. Linda has not only the face of Whitefield from an admission perspective, but she worked tirelessly behind the scenes in so many ways. I believe that Linda has created a legacy here that we can continue to follow by emphasizing Whitefield’s mission in all we do.“
“Linda has such a special way of making every family feel welcome and at home,” agreed Suna Kantor. “She was the first person we met at Whitefield, and we knew right away that this was the only place for our family. She has always gone out of her way to connect new families within the Whitefield community, making the transition to a new school easy. She is such a big part of what makes our community so special. She has touched many lives and is a true blessing.”
Thank you, Linda Simpson, for the thousands of steps you have walked across our campus, reflecting the love and heart of Whitefield to prospective families, and for the hundreds of incredible families you have brought into our community. May God richly bless you and your family for your service.