Directory | Portsmouth Abbey School, Rhode Island

After earning her Bachelor of Science and serving as captain of the women’s ice hockey team in 2017, Ms. Martha Findley gained several years of experience in sales. Most recently, she had the opportunity to work as a Recruiting Manager at a recruiting agency. In addition to her professional pursuits, she has coached girls varsity ice hockey at Notre Dame Academy for the past six years.

Sam grew up on the campus of Cardigan Mountain School, a junior boarding school, and graduated from Avon Old Farms School in 2011 before attending Bard College where he graduated with a degree in American Studies. At Bard, Sam played on the men’s lacrosse team and served as a captain for three seasons in addition to serving as the president of the college’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee during his senior year. After graduation he worked for Harlem Lacrosse, a non-profit lacrosse program serving at-risk and under-served middle school students, at a school in Boston. In addition to his role as Director of Athletic & Arts Recruitment and Associate Director of Admission, he coaches boys' varsity lacrosse and lives in St. Aelred’s House with his dog, Goose.

Dr. Brendan McGrail has twenty-eight years of experience in various educational roles, including school leader, administrator, teacher, admission officer, college counselor, advisor, dormitory house counselor, and coach. He began his career in education as an Admission Counselor after earning his B.A. from Holy Cross. He served as the first Director of College Counseling at DeMatha Catholic High School, where he designed and implemented a college-counseling curriculum. He then returned to his alma mater, Phillips Academy Andover, as Senior Associate Dean of Admission. After four years at Andover, Dr. McGrail enrolled in the School Leadership program at Harvard University, where he also studied non-profit leadership at Harvard Business School. Following his studies, he became a Senior Dean and College Counselor at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, CA, later transitioning to the role of Dean of Students, where he helped manage the Upper School and oversaw the advisory program and school discipline, using these opportunities to teach decision-making and judgment. After ten years at Poly as a dean, history teacher, and coach, Dr. McGrail returned to the East Coast as an Upper School Dean and history teacher at Dwight-Englewood School. He also graduated from the Mid-Career Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2022, Dr. McGrail became the Director of Enrollment Management at Portsmouth Abbey, where he resides on campus.

A lifelong Rhode Island resident, Ben graduated from The Wheeler School in 2016 and continued his academic journey at Connecticut College as a member of the class of 2020. He majored in history with a global concentration and served as the Film Coordinator for the Men’s Basketball Program. After graduating, Ben returned to Wheeler as a substitute teacher, covering any and all subjects for teachers absent during the pandemic. In addition, he coached Girls Varsity Soccer and Boys JV Basketball. As a member of the Office of Admission, Ben is excited to showcase all of the amazing things that make the Abbey a top independent school in New England. When he is not in the office he can be found connecting with friends or family, cooking, playing basketball, or re-watching some of his favorite shows and movies such as Seinfeld or Ocean’s Eleven. Ben currently lives on campus as an Assistant Houseparent in St. Aelred’s and coaches Boys JV Basketball.

As a member of Portsmouth Abbey’s Class of 2010, Amelia was excited to join the Office of Admission after graduating from Salve Regina University in May 2014. During her time at the Abbey, she enjoyed giving tours to prospective students and their families. As a Form VI student, she served as head of the Red Key Society, gaining insight into various aspects of the admission process. Amelia hopes her unique perspective as an alumna will benefit future students. In addition to her role as the director of financial aid, Amelia is one of the track and field coaches and serves as the head houseparent in St. Brigid's, where she lives with her husband, Christian, and their children, Pearl and Jay.

Amy Welshman joined Portsmouth Abbey School in September 2023 as the Admissions Coordinator after ten years at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. Her background includes experience in guidance and admissions, where she coordinated state testing, orientation, placement exams, and managed student records. In her current role, Amy is responsible for scheduling and organization within the Office of Admission, handling inquiries, and assisting prospective students and parents with the application process. She lives in Swansea with her husband, Derek, stepdaughter Daelynn, and their pets, Wicket and Anakin.akin.