Meet the Admission Team
To reach any member of our admission team, call 831.655.9356 or email admission@santacatalina.org.
Jamie Buffington
Browne '85
Director of Admission
Favorite spot on campus: Yellow Parlor
Favorite Catalina tradition: Ring Week
Bio:
Jamie first came to Santa Catalina as a Lower and Middle School student. When her family moved out of the area in 1983, she switched from being a day student in the Upper School to being a boarding student, and she graduated in 1985. After working at Beautiful! food company and Levi Strauss, she returned to her alma mater in 2009 as the Director of Admission. She met her husband, Chris, through a Santa Catalina classmate in her senior year, and the couple have been married since 1991. They have an adult son and daughter; their daughter is also a graduate of the Lower and Middle and Upper Schools. Jamie enjoys getting outdoors—paddle boarding, skiing, hiking—and loves to sing and dance. She lives on campus with husband and their cat named Shadow.
Stephanie Hill
Associate Director of Admission
Favorite spot on campus: Alumnae Garden
Favorite Catalina tradition: Big Sister/Little Sister
Regions covered: All boarding west of the Mississippi
Bio:
Stephanie joined Santa Catalina’s admissions team in 2019. She is no stranger to boarding and all-girls environments: She grew up on a boarding school campus in Wisconsin, and worked at all-girls schools in Ohio and Maryland before coming to Monterey. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her dog Payton. She is a resident faculty member in Thompson Dorm.
Sarah Kline
Associate Director of Admission
Favorite spot on campus: The Alumnae Garden (and organic garden)
Favorite Catalina tradition: B. R.E.A.L. performance clubs show
Regions covered: Local/day, all boarding east of the Mississippi
Bio:
Sarah joined Catalina in 2018 following a professional journey that has included working in admissions at several boarding schools and in higher education. She most recently worked for The Enrollment Management Association, known for the SSAT. As a resident faculty member, she lives on campus with her husband, Matt, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief, and their youngest daughter, who attends Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School; Sarah's step-daughter attends college in Maryland. The Klines lived in England, Turkey, Washington, and Maryland before returning to Monterey, the city where they met. Sarah, an Indiana native, loves spending time in nature and loves to be in, on, or near the water. As a family, the Klines enjoy hiking, camping, crafts, puzzles, and movie nights.
Ala Milani '87
Associate Director of Admission
Favorite spot on campus: St. Francis of Assisi garden
Favorite Catalina tradition: Ring Week
Regions covered: International markets, local/day
Bio:
Ala gets to work with all students who are joining the Santa Catalina community. Born in France of Italian parents, she attended a bilingual school until third grade, when her family moved to the U.S. After living in Michigan and San Diego, they settled in Monterey, and Ala began her own relationship with Catalina, starting in eighth grade and graduating in 1987. She returned to work at her alma mater in 2008, having previously worked in Seattle and at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Not surprisingly, she loves being outdoors as much as possible, and on weekends you’ll find her and her daughter, a Catalina student, at Carmel Beach or on one of the beautiful trails. They have two rescue dogs, Myla and Zooey; two rescue Lionhead bunnies, RuRu and Dora; and an aquarium with two giant Oscar fish and a suckermouth catfish that does all the cleaning.
Helen Young
Admission Office Coordinator
Favorite spot on campus: The Hacienda Courtyard
Favorite Catalina tradition: Father-Daughter Weekend
Bio:
Helen joined Santa Catalina’s admission office in 2019. The Monterey native enjoys hiking, running, horseback riding, going to the beach, crafting, and spending time with her two children. As the office coordinator, she loves interacting with prospective students and their families.