Monica grew up in Beirut and Cairo, attending French and Arabic schools before coming to St. Andrew's her junior year, and graduating in 1984. She earned her BA from Middlebury College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She received an MA and Masters of Philosophy from Columbia University in Comparative Literature, as well as an MA in English from Middlebury's Breadloaf School of English.

Monica has spent her life and career in boarding schools. She returned to St. Andrew’s to teach French and English, and served as Academic Dean. After 16 years at St. Andrew’s, Monica moved to Jordan and worked at King’s Academy for 10 years. She has since returned to the United States, to Deerfield Academy in Massachussetts, where she teaches English.

Monica’s husband, John Austin, St. Andrew’s Class of 1983, taught and worked at St. Andrew’s for many years. He was named Head of School at King’s Academy in Jordan in 2010. He is the current Head of School at Deerfield Academy.

Monica and John have three children, all St. Andreans: Isabel '18, Alexander '21, and Maia '23.