Celso Cardenas

By Natasha Speiss

Upper School Dean Celso Cárdenas will depart from the school after eight years to become the Dean of Students and College Counseling at Avenues The World School.

Cárdenas said he loves that students see his office as a safe space.

“Students have taken my office and made it their own from the moment that I got here,” Cárdenas said. “I recognize how important that is. In high school, I didn’t feel like I had that. I didn’t have adults who I could go to, didn’t have the comfort of an office, so being able to create that and have this space year to year with a new batch of students has been rewarding.”

Cárdenas is the faculty advisor for the LatinX and Hispanic Student Organization (LAHSO), which he helped found at the school in 2016. Cárdenas said working with LAHSO has been a rewarding experience.

“We didn’t have a Latino affinity group when I first got here,” Cárdenas said. “In my first year, given that I was the first Latino dean, students ap-

Derric Chien

By Davis Marks

Math Teacher Derric Chien will leave the school after six years to have more flexibility in his schedule as a tutor and caretaker of family members.

Chien joined the school in 2017 and has taught a wide range of math classes. Chien also serves as a faculty advisor for Asian Students in Action (ASiA).

Chien said students and faculty have had a large impact on him and are what he will miss most about the school.

“My understanding of what it means to be an educator has profoundly changed in such a positive way since I came here,” Chien said. “This transformation would only be possible because of the students and colleagues that have challenged and inspired me. I will miss so much, but I will miss most the little community that I have built up here.”

Chien said his signature bow tie holds personal significance to him and inspires him to give back to his students.

“Bow ties have always represented to me inspiration, respect and admiration,” Chien said. “The two most influential people in my life wore bow ties and

Sara Miranda

So, I got to talking with students and then we were able to start LAHSO. It’s been great to see it grow from what it was seven years ago to what has become one of the eth nic groups that people recognize and has visibility on campus.”

Cárdenas said one of his fond est memories was receiving a poster from a group of students who spent time with him in his office.

“I’m not an emotional person, but I ended up getting teary-eyed as I read messages from students talking about how much it meant for them to have this space,” Cárdenas said. “As educators, we don’t always hear the good. But I have been lucky where students have been able to reach back or formally tell me in some way just how much I meant to them.” mentored me, and my bow ties have always been a token of the deep respect and gratitude I have for those people. I wear the bowties when I teach to remind myself that anything short of my best effort would be an insult to those two people.”

Jasmine Sorgen ’25, who is in Cárdenas’ dean group, said she will miss his comforting presence next year.

“I feel incredibly safe with him knowing I can go to him for help with anything,” Sorgen said.

Sophomore Prefect Ellie Borris ’25 said he is grateful for Chien’s unique teaching style and personality.

“I feel beyond fortunate to be able to call him my teacher and friend,” Borris said. “I have never had so much fun in a classroom before, and he has completely transformed the way that I approach problems both in math and in life. I will miss his constant pestering and passive-aggressive emails, as well as his creative, slightly mean pranks that never fail to put a smile on the faces of everyone in the room. Every day with him is special, and I do not think there is another person on this planet who has helped me grow into a better student and a better person than him.”

By Hannah Shahidi and Zoe Goor

Upper School Dean Sara Miranda will leave the school after three years to become the Executive Director of College Counseling at Chadwick School in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Miranda said her new role will be a hybrid of the work she has done as a college counselor at the school and her prior position in college admissions. She said she cherishes the relationships she has built while working at the school.

“[I will miss] all of my great families and students, and it’s been so fun getting to know people,” Miranda said. “This is an easy place where college counselors, deans, teachers and administrators all work together collaboratively and have a work hard play hard mentality where you get to meet with people by day and be friends with them outside of school and be helpful and supportive of one another’s life endeavors and all of those things.”

Dean Department Head Chris Jones said Miranda has been a valuable member of the dean team.

“For our team, because we tend to be a little bit conversational at times, she’s one of the people who’s able to make sure that we stay on task in a way that I think is so important,” Jones said. “She is always willing to pitch in to do whatever it is, whether it’s getting involved with a presentation to the board, speaking in front of our faculty, talking to students or doing anything that comes up. She’s always willing to say, ‘I can make this work, just give it to me,’ and it’s nice to have that confidence in someone to know you can hand the reins over to.”

Zoe Roth ’24 said she enjoyed spending time with Miranda and becoming close with her.

“She really took the time to get to know me and make an effort with me, which I appreciated,” Roth said. “One time, I ended up going to her office just to ask a simple question. I end up staying for 45 minutes just talking.”