By Cathi Choi

Upper School Dean Jason Honsel announced plans to leave his post as dean after five years at the school in a letter to his sophomore and junior students last weekend. He will leave at the end of the year and begin work next year as a counselor for the Taft School in Connecticut, he wrote in the letter.

Honsel will be replaced by former Upper School Dean Sharon Cuseo. Cuseo left her dean position last year and has been working part-time in the Advancement Office.

“Please know that while I am moving on, I will continue to help Sharon this summer and to support your children as they apply to college over the next two years,” Honsel said in the letter.

Honsel and Cuseo will collaborate in writing recommendation letters for his current junior students. 

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

A reception will be held to introduce Cuseo to parents on May 29 in the Feldman-Horn Gallery.

Honsel decided to move to be closer to his family, who all live on the East Coast. 

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