Rachel Klein-Ash

Associate Director of College Counseling

Joined Milton in 1996

When Rachel Klein-Ash left her work as a public policy analyst in Washington, D.C. to join us at Milton, that move marked a return to her New England roots. A die-hard Downeaster, Ms. Klein-Ash had called Maine home from age 4 through college (Colby). The longest-serving member of our office, she has made Milton her home, too. And, true to that homing instinct and to the always-present counselor in her, she has also made sure that Milton feels like home for countless students. Ms. Klein-Ash would credit the training she received while earning her master’s in higher education administration at the University of Pennsylvania, but we suspect her ability to read students and coax them to their best selves is part of her DNA.

So many parts of Milton have felt the touch of Ms. Klein-Ash’s spirit. From working as a dorm parent in Robbins House (where she also served as an interim house head), to advising the Jewish Student Union, to teaching a Senior Transitions class in our affective education program, to coordinating this office’s annual spring trip to counsel students at the Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont, Ms. Klein-Ash is an important, caring presence on campus.

Ms. Klein-Ash’s impact does not stop there, of course. For a number of years, she was a lead faculty member on Milton’s boarding staff conference. She served on the selection committee that picked the current executive director of the Mountain School. She has taught classes in our Human Sexuality and Relationships (HS&R) program and has been a vital member of our outreach team charged with making sure that all students are safe and seen. And on several occasions colleagues from other college counseling offices in New England have sought Ms. Klein-Ash’s wisdom, welcoming her to their campuses to evaluate their offices.

When not spinning the many plates in her professional life, Ms. Klein-Ash loves spending time with family and friends, skiing or kayaking, canoeing, paddle-boarding, or dock-sitting by a lake in Maine. We are very fortunate to count Ms. Klein-Ash, her husband (a long-time local public high school counselor in his own right), her two children, and their golden retriever as part of the college counseling and Milton families.

Education

B.A. in government, Colby College
M.Ed. in higher education administration, University of Pennsylvania