Whitman welcomed thirteen new teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. The Whitman staff is excited to embrace these new members into the Viking family.

Math: Ms. Xourias

Part-time Algebra Two teacher Linda Xourias grew up in Niagara Falls, NY, and later moved to Bethesda where her kids attended Whitman. She has now lived in Bethesda for 30 years. 

Xourias has an extensive teaching history, working at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School, Newport Mill Middle School, Kingston Middle School and Northwest High School. After 20 years of teaching, she retired for 2 years, ultimately deciding to return to teaching part-time at Whitman this year.

Xourias said she is thrilled to work with all the students this year and looks forward to “attending all plays, musicals and athletic events.”

AP English Language and Composition and Honors Biology: Devon Robb

Born and raised in Arizona, AP Language and Honors Biology teacher Devon Robb moved to the Bethesda area before his sophomore year of high school. He graduated from Poolesville High School and attended the University of Colorado Boulder where he majored in Geology. 

Prior to this school year, Robb student-taught at Rockville High School. Whitman hired Robb to teach AP Lang at Whitman this year, but given his science education background, Robb is also taking on several Honors Biology classes. This is his first year as a high school teacher.

“The Whitman community has been so welcoming,” Robb said. “I’m excited to see how all my students progress and grow.” 

Spanish: Marley Otero

Spanish teacher Marley Otero grew up in Central New Jersey and attended American University in Washington, D.C. After teaching secondary Spanish at the Montgomery County Virtual Academy for the past three years, Otero began teaching at Whitman.

Before teaching at the Virtual Academy, Otero taught at Redland Middle School, Baker Middle School, Farquaad Middle School and White Oak Middle School. Before switching to full-time Health teaching she student-taught at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.

Otero teaches both honors and on-level Spanish classes and will also serve as the Freshman sponsor at Whitman this year. She expressed excitement about getting to know the school community better. 

“I’m just excited to be in person and see people face to face again for the first time in a while,” Otero said. “I’m looking forward to interacting with everybody.” 

Arabic: Sarah Abdalla-Metwally

Sarah Abdalla-Metwally grew up in Cairo, Egypt where she learned French at the French University in Egypt. She then moved to France for a year to finish her certificate in interpretation in France at L’Université Lumière Lyon 2. 

She formerly worked in French colleges as a student advisor and an admissions coordinator. After she moved to the US, Abdalla-Metwally taught French at three different middle schools. 

Abdalla-Metwally said she is looking forward to being the new addition to the World Languages department this school year.

“I love the energy of the department,” Abdalla-Metwally said. “They are awesome and I love my students.” 

Spanish: Israel Gonzalez

Spanish teacher Israel Martinez-Gonzalez grew up in El Salvador where he attended Grade school and later moved to the US for college in 1984. He received degrees from Montgomery College and the University of Maryland before becoming a teacher. Martinez-Gonazalez worked in Special Education at Chevy Chase Elementary School for 15 years before joining Whitman to teach Spanish Three and Four. 

“I’m excited to be here,” Gonzalez said. “I’m excited to share and make a difference to students.”

POE and IED: Don Demember 

Principles of Engineering (POE) and Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) teacher Don Demember is returning to Whitman this school year after retiring in 2022 following 20 years of teaching at Whitman.

Demember grew up in Prince George’s County and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School — a Science and Technology-focused institution. He then attended the University of Maryland as a Marine Biology major. His interest in teaching engineering came about when a previous Whitman principal offered him an opportunity to teach Aerospace Engineering.

Overall, Demember stated he is very excited to be back because he missed many things about Whitman. 

“We’ve got a lot of opportunities here,”  Demember said. “Find your niche and go for it, try new things out.”

Physical Education: Debbie Lillo 

Personal Fitness, Soccer and Leadership Opportunities in Physical Opportunities (LOPES) teacher Debbie Lillo came to Whitman after living and teaching in England for the past 10 years. 

Originally from New York, she later attended the University of Delaware where she got her degree in Physical Education. Lillo is looking forward to her upcoming years at Whitman. 

“I heard a lot of great things about Whitman before coming here and I’m glad to be part of the team,” Lillo said.

Health: Kim Weaver

Honors Health teacher Kim Weaver grew up in Montgomery County where she attended Weller Road Elementary School, Parkland Middle School and Wheaton High School. She graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Elementary and Early Education, and McDaniel University with her Master’s Degree in Physical Education and Athletic Administration. 

Weaver began her teaching career at Sequoia Elementary School in Derwood, MD, and then transferred to Wheaton High School to teach Child Development and coach varsity cheerleading. During her 14 years at Wheaton, she simultaneously studied for her certification to teach Health and Physical Education and her Master’s in Athletic Administration and Physical Education. Weaver then taught a year of PE and Health at Wheaton and also began teaching summer health courses. 

Later, Weaver taught yoga and health at the Virtual Academy until its closing before being placed at B-CC and Whitman for the 2024 school year.

Weaver expressed eagerness to teach here, given her mom is a former Whitman alum.

“It’s fun to be at her alma mater and to be a Viking,” Weaver said. 

Art: Katherine (Kara) Stanton 

Fine Arts Resource teacher Kara Stanton grew up in Bethesda and attended Wood Acres Elementary School and Whitman. Stanton graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a degree in Art Education, then she worked at John F Kennedy High School for seven years before transferring to Richard Montgomery High School. At Richard Montgomery, she was the International Baccalaureate Program art teacher, teaching several courses such as Advanced Painting and Drawing to Ceramics. She applied for the resource teaching position and is now in charge of the Art, Music and Health departments at Whitman. 

“The staff [has] been amazing,” Stanton said. “I think we can look for really big things to happen with the program — they’re doing amazing things.”

Photography: Tan Wesley

Photography teacher Tan Wesley was born and raised in Montgomery County. He attended several schools in Clarksburg and Germantown for high school before attending Montgomery College. After two years at Montgomery College, Wesley transferred to the University of Maryland College Park where he received his Bachelor’s degree. Wesley has experience as a student teacher, but this will be Wesley’s first year as a fully certified teacher. 

“I know all of my students are supposed to be learning under me, but I hope they’ll be able to learn a lot about themselves throughout our time together,” Wesley said. 

Chorus: Zach Tilkens 

Choral Music Director Zach Tilkens taught for five years at Glenallan Elementary School and 10 years at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School before coming to Whitman. Tilkens grew up in College Park, Maryland, attending DeMatha Catholic High School and the Catholic University of America. 

Tilkens said he is most looking forward to the upcoming Chicago trip with the choir this year. 

“We’re really excited to take the choirs to the competition,” Tilkens said. “I’m looking forward to doing the more challenging music here in high school.”

Counseling: Anne Fletcher 

Head of Counseling Department Anne Fletcher previously worked at Sligo Middle School for 13 years and Albert Einstein High School for nine years. She attended the University of Delaware for her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development and George Washington University for her Master’s degree in School Counseling.

Fletcher graduated from Whitman in 1992 and voiced that that was part of why she came to work here. Fletcher also said she wants to make the counseling department a warm and welcoming place for Whitman students.

“I want students to feel like they can come here first when they need something,” Fletcher said. “I 

want them to get the attention they deserve and need.” 

Special Education: Rosel Labitad

Born and raised in the Philippines, Rosel Labitad moved to Maryland to teach at Whitman this year. She came as part of a Filipino cultural exchange program with 41 other educators. Labitad teaches Special Education, Resource and co-teaches for Honors English 12. 

Labitad got her teaching license when she was 20 years old and has taught Filipino language and literature for eight years in Cebu, Philippines.  

Labitad’s decision to come to the U.S. was for professional growth and to better understand the American education system, she stated. Labitat also said the check-ins from staff have been very helpful and that she is enjoying Whitman a lot so far. “I am adjusting to a new place and my family is in the Philippines so I am here on my own,” said Labitad. “But I found a family, a home away from home, and that is something I’m truly grateful for.”