Elizabeth Thomason--College Counselor

St. Michael Announces New College Counselor for 2020-2021

St. Michael is pleased to announce it has hired Mrs. Elizabeth Thomason to be a full time college counselor at St. Michael,  replacing Dr. Keith Lindley, who has decided to go back into full time teaching elsewhere.  Thomason will begin at St. Michael in August. 

Thomason comes to St. Michael by way of Spring Hill College, where she served as the Assistant Director of Admissions, responsible for recruiting students in Mobile/Baldwin private schools, as well the states of Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Prior to that she served as a Regional Recruiter for the University of Alabama and before that, was the Asst. Director of Admissions at the Art Institute of Houston, TX. 

“We’re very happy to hire someone with Mrs. Thomason’s experience, “ says school principal Faustin Weber. “She’s worked the “other side” of the college admissions process--both at a large public university and a small Catholic college-- and has "insider" knowledge of what these colleges are looking for.  We think her insights will be invaluable for giving our kids the best leg up to compete for admissions and scholarships. Local high school counselors recommend her highly, and my belief is she’ll bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to this important position.” 

“At the same time,” Weber continues,  “we’re sad that Keith is leaving us. He was one of the original faculty members when the school opened in in 2016, and is well-loved and respected by students and faculty alike. A Ph.D in Languages by training, in our first two years, he was a kind of “utility infielder” for our young school, teaching multiple grade levels in our English and Foreign Language departments—wherever we had a need.  Two years later, he began as our school’s first college counselor, on a part time basis.  Earlier this month, he told me he wanted to become a full time classroom teacher again, and with both my blessings and regret, he’s been hired by the Alabama School of Math and Science as a full time language teacher for 2020-21.  We consider him a true co-founder of St. Michael and wish him God’s blessings for the future. We're not saying good-bye totally, though--his wife Suzanne remains on our faculty, and we hope to see him around here often.” 

Thomason, for her part, is excited to begin her work with our students: “ I am so excited to be the college counselor for St. Michael students and their families.  Navigating the college admissions process can be overwhelming, but we will work together to find the right fit for each student. I feel grateful to join this supportive community and look forward to getting to know you all!  “ 

In explaining the expansion of the position from part time to full time, Weber is straight-forward: “Our first senior class last year had 46 graduates. This year we should should have 59. We have 76 juniors and 101 sophomores in the “queue.” To serve them and their families well, to know students deeply enough to advise them and write good letters of recommendation,  we needed this position to grow, if not this coming year, certainly by the next. With Dr. Lindley leaving, the opportunity opened up. “

Mrs. Thomason is married to Matt,  her husband of 10 years. They have two children: Anna, age 6 and Paul, age 4. They are members of St. Paul's Church in Daphne.