After serving the Masters community for nine and 12 years respectively, Shelly Kaye and Miguel Segovia, will be saying farewell at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Kaye was a dean for seven years, currently serving the Class of 2022, while this is Segovia’s first year in the position with the Class of 2023. 

The Class of 2023 will welcome their third dean in four years, English teacher Darren Wood, for the upcoming school year. Additionally, Spanish teacher Victoria Jansen will become the Class of 2025 dean, and Robert Fish, dean of global studies, will serve as the permanent freshman class dean. 

Dean of Students Jeff Carnevale said that when there is an opening for a new dean, interested applicants go through an interview process with him, Head of School Peter Newcomb, Dean of Faculty Sam Savage, and Associate Head for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Roland Davis. 

“I felt like [the Class of 2023] has been through a lot of transitions already, so I was hopeful that I could provide stability and continuity having been an advisor in the class,” Wood said.

Wood’s advisee, Maddy Israel ‘23, said that his kindness and inclusiveness will make him an effective class dean. 

“I think he’s coming in at a very pivotal time in our lives, and I really think he is going to step up to the task. He always makes sure that every person has a voice and is represented,” she said.

Wood said he looks forward to taking on a different role in the community and feels one of his strengths is his interest in helping students in moments of difficulty. 

“The opportunity to be a class dean and to counsel and help students and families through difficult moments was exciting to me,” he said.

While Wood has not been able to witness students’ growth from ninth to twelfth grade in the same way as most deans, he said that a lot of maturing happens in senior year. 

The pandemic began in the spring of the Class of 2023’s freshman year, and as the students enter their final year of high school, Wood said that he would like the class to acknowledge that challenge.

 “I’m hoping that I can help the class make meaning of that experience in ways that it feels productive and generative, ” he said. 

Wood said that another one of his goals is to sustain and support the work around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that occurs on campus as it is a meaningful part of his teaching.

Carnevale said that within the team of class deans there are “conversations about how to support students, how to build advisor curriculum, create community within a class and those are the things we’re looking for in a strong class dean.”

Jansen’s advisee, Matthew Vanwright ‘25, said that her kindness, patience, and open-mind make Jansen a supportive advisor. Vanwright also said that Jansen is very involved in the Masters community, whether it be on the court coaching, or in the classroom. 

“Community is very important to me; knowing you have people who love and welcome you as you are makes life easier. I want to help create a foundation of belonging and community so that my students can face the chaos of junior and senior year with a clear support system in place,” Jansen said.

Carnevale noted how both Wood and Jansen bring the necessary qualities in order to be successful class deans.

“I think they’re both really passionate about students, very student-centered and want to provide a really rich experience for students and be a support,” Carnevale said.