Upper school dean Jason Honsel will leave his post as dean after five years at the school to move closer to his family on the East Coast. He will leave at the end of the year and begin work next year as a college guidance counselor for the Taft School, a boarding school in Connecticut.

Honsel will be replaced by former upper school dean Sharon Cuseo. Cuseo left her dean position last year and has been working as an upper school Admissions Officer. The final decision was made a week or so before Honsel’s announcement through an e-mail to seniors and a letter to his juniors and sophomores.

The decision to leave was easier for Honsel because he knew that Cuseo would be replacing him, Honsel said. The two have been communicating every day since his decision. They have discussed all his students and their parents, and will collaborate in writing recommendation letters for his current junior students.

Cuseo also plans on attending one of Honsel’s dean meetings by the end of the year to “put names with faces,” Cuseo said.

The two will “talk at least once a week,” Honsel said. “I’ll certainly want to know where people are applying early.”

Cuseo left her position as a dean last year to spend more time with her newborn twins.
“I always knew I would come back, and the timing with the girls is right.” Cuseo said. “But we are in a really good situation with them [her daughters] and so, I get to do both.”

A reception will be held to introduce Cuseo to her new students and parents on Friday in the Feldman-Horn Gallery. Honsel said he was not actively looking to leave, but ultimately decided to move to Taft because of his financial situation and to be closer to his family.

“For us it was just really about being closer to family, raising a daughter and also the financial aspect of being able to live on campus,” he said.

Living in Los Angeles and traveling east for the holidays is challenging financially, and at the Taft School, he will be able to live on campus, Honsel said.

“I don’t have any good dirt,” Honsel said. “I loved working here with the students, and I loved the administration, too; they were great. I’ve got nothing. It’s been five awesome years.”