APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS
Claudia McGuigan Appointed Associate Dean of Faculty
Serena Oh Castellano Appointed New Director of College Advising Office
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MCGUIGAN , an inaugural Walter J. Crain fellow, was appointed associate dean of faculty, effective immediately. This latest responsibility continues to build out her Hotchkiss résumé, which includes teaching math, serving as associate director of faculty recruitment, interviewing student applicants for admissions, coaching girls cross country, and being a member of the dorm team in Coy. “I am incredibly grateful to be afforded this opportunity to serve as associate dean of faculty,” says McGuigan. “It has been a privilege to work alongside such incredible colleagues, and I’m looking forward to deepening my bonds and relationships with the talented and passionate Hotchkiss faculty. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Hotchkiss School community. I have learned so much in my short time here—it’s truly been humbling.” While relatively new to Hotchkiss, McGuigan is not new to the boarding school world. Before moving to Lakeville, McGuigan taught languages at Westminster School where she also co-advised the student newspaper, served as faculty advisor to multiple affinity groups and clubs, and was a dorm parent. Previously, she taught at Watkinson School and Kingswood Oxford School. Prior to her teaching career, McGuigan was a merchandise planner at ASOS. As a Walter J. Crain Fellow, McGuigan will begin coursework for her master’s degree in independent school leadership at the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, next summer. She will also complete her M.B.A. at the University of Connecticut this year. She holds a B.A. in French and Spanish as well as marketing from the University of Northumbria. She also studied at the Université de Bourgogne, majoring in Modern Language in Business. She lives with her husband, Ryan, and their five children in Millerton, NY. H
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M AGA ZINE
ERENA OH CASTELL ANO
will join Hotchkiss as director of college advising on July 1, as Rick Hazelton P’19,’22, who has led the College Advising Office for the last 16 years, begins an exciting new role with the School as the director of the Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking (CGUIT). Oh Castellano brings a great depth of experience and enthusiasm to her new role, having held leadership positions in admission, financial aid, and college counseling throughout her career in education. She comes to Hotchkiss most recently from the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City where she has been director of college counseling since 2008. Prior to this, she served as an associate director of college advising at St. Paul’s School, at Wellesley College as both an associate director of admission and earlier in her career as the associate director of financial aid, and at Princeton University as an associate director of admission. She holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and a master’s in higher education administration from Stanford University. “Hotchkiss is a school I have admired for a long time as both an admission professional and a college counselor,” says Oh Castellano. “I am thrilled to be joining this wonderful community where we live together and actively learn from one another. A college advisor has the distinct privilege of learning each student’s individual story at a pivotal point in a young person’s life. The fact that I get to continue the work that I love in a community that values excellence and generosity is truly a gift.” This summer, Oh Castellano will move to Lakeville with her husband and their children. H
“The fact that I get to continue the work that I love in a community that values excellence and generosity is truly a gift.”
