Employee Directory

Kaila Warner-Haakmat

• Upper School Counselor
• 718-836-9800
• Email
• Dyker Heights
• Upper School

“I believe in seeing each student as their own person, with their own pace and story. My hope is that by meeting them exactly where they are, they come to trust that they have what it takes to move through hard moments, and come out stronger on the other side.” Kaila Warner-Haakmat joined Poly Prep as the Middle School Counselor in 2021 and returned as an Upper School Counselor in 2026. A graduate of a Brooklyn independent school herself, she brings a personal understanding of the student experience to her work supporting mental health and wellbeing. She is a clinical social worker whose background includes supporting students in community-based programs and independent schools, as well as working as a therapist with adolescents and their families. Before entering education, she worked with court-involved students, an experience that deepened her commitment to people impacted by inequity. Kaila earned her B.S. in clinical human services, with a minor in Black American studies, from the University of Delaware, and her Master of Clinical Social Work from Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work. She wants every student to feel valued and truly heard, and works to help each person build the tools and confidence to grow into their fullest self. Outside of school, Kaila loves spending quality time with loved ones, reading a good book at the beach, and traveling to new places.