In the New Year, Morris Hills welcomed three new administrators. After Mr. Haraka’s retirement, Mrs. Herman, former MH track coach, took over as the new Athletic Director. Upon Ms. Rivera-Carney’s transition to Morris Knolls, Mrs. Gupta became the new Supervisor of School Counseling. After Mr. Merle worked at MH for over two decades, we welcome a new Assistant Principal, Mr. Dixon.

Mrs. Herman is the new Athletic Director at Morris Hills High School. Growing up surrounded by older brothers and a sport-loving family, athletics has always been a big part of her life. Her early love for sports sparked her interest in athletics as she got older. It led her to become a successful three-sport athlete, doing track and cross country in college. Previously, she taught middle school health and physical education, and before coming to Morris Hills, she was an athletic director at Parsippany Hills High School. Having been a former coach of track and soccer here, she was thrilled when the opportunity opened up. Returning to the Scarlet Knights community is exciting and very special to her as she knows staff and students she has formerly worked with and is getting to know new people. As the Athletic Director, Mrs. Herman finds it most rewarding to plan and prepare for success and see it lived out in the sports games. You can find her at almost all the sports events and she “loves ending her day on the sideline, supporting her students.”

Since Mrs. Gupta was young, she loved connecting with others and empathy came naturally to her. Entering Rutgers, Mrs. Gupta was undecided about what she wanted to do, so she started exploring her options during her sophomore year and thought about becoming a teacher. Upon meeting with a Guidance Counselor who pointed out her intuitive and empathetic nature, Mrs. Gupta was introduced to the option of becoming a counselor. This dive into school counseling led her to take graduate courses as an undergraduate student, sparking her passion for counseling. Mrs. Gupta “took a course and fell in love with it,” so much so that she took her Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and pursued the world of school counseling, graduating from Rutgers in 2012. She previously worked in different schools as a middle school guidance counselor, but she soon fell in love with the environment of working in a high school. Before coming to Morris Hills, Mrs. Gupta worked in Fair Lawn, but when the opportunity to work here opened up, she was ecstatic. Having gone to Rutgers, she was already a “diehard Scarlet Knights fan.” Coming to Morris Hills has been a new and exciting experience for her as everyone was so welcoming – the kindness and pride of the Hills community made her feel at home. In her new role as the Supervisor of School Counseling, she has loved organizing all the different programs and activities for Morris Hills. But her favorite part is working with students, “connecting with them on a different level,” and watching them succeed.

Mr. Dixon is our new assistant principal – and a former Morris Hills student! Growing up, he loved sports, so in college, he pursued football and in his senior year, he made three All-American teams and aimed to play for the NFL, but life had a different plan. His love for sports ultimately led him to become the Athletic Director at Dover High School, where he previously worked. Returning to the school he once called home, he was not nervous and instead felt right at home. Being back felt “familiar like a home-cooked meal.” In his new positions as Assistant Principal and Director of Art and Music, Mr. Dixon is enjoying his new job dynamic. A music lover himself, he likes to immerse himself in different genres of music, recently getting into the beats of the famous Tyler the Creator. His favorite part about his job is “seeing the journey” of students; being able to interact and connect with students is rewarding and when he’s able to see the progress and success, it is an amazing feeling. The biggest thing Mr. Dixon wants his students to know is that if they need anything, he is there for them. It’s clear that his main focus is the students of Morris Hills, and he truly cares about each and every one of them.

Thank you to each of these administrators for all that you do. We are grateful to have you at Morris Hills High School!