​Bringing Passion and Purpose to the Classroom

By Katya Ellenis, a junior at Mount St. Dominic Academy

The Mount St. Dominic Academy English Department has gained a remarkable new addition with English teacher Mrs. Nicole Colello-Kim, who grew up in Hackettstown and now resides in Caldwell! Stepping into the classroom with the same passion her mother brought to teaching, Mrs. Colello-Kim joins Mount St. Dominic’s English department ready to inspire. With a deep love for literature and a dedication to sparking curiosity, she brings fresh enthusiasm to every lesson, making her a perfect fit for the Mount community.

Even from a young age, Mrs. Colello-Kim knew she wanted to help students strive in the classroom. She said that since she knew she wanted her career to revolve around children, she often “played teacher” as a child. After completing high school and earning her diploma, she went on to earn her undergraduate B.A. degree from The College of New Jersey, following in many members of her family’s footsteps. “TCNJ, ranked #1 in top public schools and in Regional Universities North, is a highly prestigious institution and a good teaching school,” she explained. After this, she pursued her Master's Degree at William Paterson University, with a concentration in English. With this degree in hand, she went on to become a high school English teacher.

After teaching high school for several years, Ms. Colello-Kim took a step back from the classroom to focus on raising her children—a choice that has filled her life with joy and adventure. With two boys, ages seven and nine, she’s kept on her toes by their many interests and activities. From soccer to basketball to baseball, she’s always actively engaged in their lives, embracing the energy and excitement of each new season.

While she really enjoyed her time with her family, as the boys got older, she felt it was time to re-enter the workplace. Soon after, she went to work in a preschool but missed the high school setting. Living in Caldwell, she saw an ad for a position at the Mount, applied, and was hired!
As she continues her journey with the Mount, she looks forward to becoming involved with the school’s Dance Team and Key Club. “Mrs. Colello-Kim jumped in with both feet this summer, immersing herself in the prep work needed for classroom success,” said Mr. Robert DeCarlo, the Chair of the Mount's English Department. “This included attending an AP Summer Institute on AP English Language and Composition to prepare to teach that course.”

Mrs. Colello-Kim’s transition to the Mount has been quite positive. A student favorite, Ava Lawdanski 25’ says, “She is a really fun and great teacher. She finds creative ways to teach us the lessons in the classroom.”

About Mount St. Dominic Academy: MSDA, established by the Sisters of St. Dominic, is an independent, Catholic college preparatory school dedicated to the education of young women from a variety of ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. Located in the heart of bucolic Caldwell, New Jersey, the Mount has been empowering young women in the Dominican tradition since 1892. Mount St. Dominic Academy is a proud member of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools, the National Catholic Educational Association, and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Mount is also a recipient of the 2024 College Board AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for its outstanding achievement in fostering high female representation in both AP Computer Science A (CSA) and AP Computer Science Principles (CSP), and earned “Gold with Access” on the 2024 College Board AP School Honor Roll, the 2023 Best of Essex Gold Medal in the "Best in Private School” category, and has been named a Niche A+ 2024 Best School, a distinction achieved by only 2.5% of schools in the country. Visit the Mount for more information.

(NOTE: Junior Katya Ellenis is a member of the Mount’s Journalism class. As part of the coursework, some of the articles written in that class are being published in the media, showcasing the students’ journalistic skills and providing real-world writing experience.)