Midland School is excited to welcome Hannah Nelson as our 9th Head of School in July 2024.

I grew up along the shore of Lake Michigan in Evanston, IL. Growing up in the Midwest gave me a love for community, cooking, creativity, and being outdoors. Several summers spent at camp, studying and experiencing different ecosystems, flora and fauna, sparked a lifelong love for nature and teaching.

This passion for education and the outdoors led me around the country, from Philadelphia, PA to Burlington, VT to Madison, WI, and finally to Boulder, CO.

I am currently the Assistant Head of School at Watershed School in Boulder, Colorado, where I have worked for 13 years over two tenures. Prior to Watershed, I served as Science and Sports Teacher at The School in Rose Valley, as a Math and Science Teacher and Trip Leader at Vermont Commons, and completed a Special Education Internship at Williston Central School. At Watershed from 2007-12, I served as Resource Teacher, Math Director/Teacher, Student Services Coordinator, High School Science and Expedition Teacher and High School Team Leader for five years. I left Colorado to teach Math and Biology and to serve as International Baccalaureate Coordinator, eventually becoming Interim Head of High School at Madison Country Day School in Wisconsin. In 2015, I returned to Watershed as a High School Expedition and Science Teacher and have since led in multiple capacities including Dean of Academics, Dean of Students, External Educator Coordinator, Director of Student Support Services, and most recently, Assistant Head of School.

 

I have loved living in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. During this time I met my partner Marty and in 2021 we welcomed our son William to the world. As a family we are outdoor adventurers. I enjoy hiking, cooking, doing yoga, watching William observe and name the world around him, and spending time at our family cabin with Marty, William, and our three dogs.

I have led with an open heart, an open mind, and a sense of curiosity all while staying grounded in the school’s mission and philosophy. I am deeply committed to an education that allows students to find and follow their passions and connect with their community and the natural world. When I think of the schools where I have worked, I have pursued them with intention. I have always looked for schools that had close ties to nature, were deeply committed to experiential education, had courses that connected to the real world, and had communities that cared deeply about every student as a unique and whole human being. Midland’s connection to the environment and emphasis on community gives me so much hope for future generations of learners.

I am thrilled for this opportunity to join the Midland community.