You might know them separately as your teachers, but pay attention, and you’ll see that many of Choate’s most beloved faculty members work at the same place as their spouses. The School has played a key role in bringing several matches together in addition to welcoming even more existing couples. Here are five of Choate’s many power couples.
Ms. Julie Oxborough-Yankus & Mr. Tom Yankus ’52
Well-known on campus for both their individual roles and loving marriage, Ms. Julie Oxborough-Yankus and her husband, the now-retired former Dean of Students Mr. Tom Yankus, met at Choate in Mr. Yankus’s office on February 13, 1986. They began their relationship a few years later. For both Mr. Yankus and Ms. Oxborough, having their spouse’s support in both their personal and professional lives was an immense blessing. “It was about knowing that there was someone here that always had your back and watches out for you. It was always good to know that there was someone you could trust,” Ms. Oxborough said. “One time, someone was really unfair to me, and Tom goes, ‘Stop it! She is an amazing teacher, and she works her butt off.’”
Ms. Megan Shea & Mr. Cyrus Cook
Similarly, Ms. Megan Shea and Mr. Cyrus Cook, both English teachers, met and began their relationship at Choate. Ms. Shea mentioned how her and Mr. Cook’s lives were intricately interwoven because of their shared roles as English teachers and, for six years, third-form deans. At that time, their daily routine consisted of walking back and forth together in a line from Nichols (their home) to Memorial House (their offices) to Humanities (their classrooms) to the dining hall. Upon reflecting on their “lifestyle choice” of working in the same place, Ms. Shea said, “Our personalities complement each other: he was reasonable when I was emotional, reflective when I was impulsive, and patient when I was anxious.” Though Mr. Cook retired in 2020, she said, “While I still bring the job home, he is now a sounding board, freed of the daily responsibilities, whose perspective helps me with my roles here.”
Ms. Michelle Dennehy & Mr. Pat Dennehy
Beyond its role as unintentional matchmaker, Choate has also become home to many faculty couples who were already in their relationships taking up positions here. Director of Residential Life and Associate Dean of Students Mr. Pat Dennehy and Sixth Form Deans’ Assistant Ms. Michelle Dennehy met 25 years ago at Phillips Exeter Academy’s summer hockey school and had worked together at Holderness School in Plymouth, N.H., for seven years before coming to Choate. Regarding his favorite part about working with his wife, Mr. Dennehy said, “I think having the opportunity to eat meals together during the day is a benefit. Michelle is my closest friend, so it is always nice to have that person around and especially during challenging moments. I am especially fortunate now since we both work in the same office [the Student Activities Center] — I don’t think I would change a thing about it.”
Ms. Claire Minneman & Mr. Jesse Minneman
Ms. Claire Minneman, a college counselor, and Mr. Jesse Minneman, an HPRSS teacher, also met, worked together, and eventually got married at another boarding school, the Kent School, before assuming their positions at Choate. Ms. Minneman enjoys how the similarity of their jobs allows them to understand the demands and intensity of boarding-school life, while the lack of overlap in their respective busier times of the year also fosters a balance in their relationship. Outside of the office and the classroom, Mr. and Ms. Minneman have been able to create some special moments out of the overlap between their personal and professional lives. Ms. Minneman said, “When Mr. Minneman proposed, he was living in a large boys’ dorm, and the school newspaper ran a cartoon showing him down on one knee, with his bubble saying, ‘Ms. Lerchen, will you please get me out of North Dorm?’”
Ms. Grace McGee & Mr. Morgan Harris
Director of Academic Technology and HPRSS teacher Mr. Morgan Harris and Senior Associate Director of Admission Ms. Grace McGee also worked together long before their joint arrival at Choate in 2015. They first met at their alma mater, Washington and Lee University, where they worked together before moving to Avon Old Farms, another boarding school. Since their move to campus, Ms. McGee and Mr. Harris have also welcomed both of their kids — Walter and Elaine, aged three and one — to their family. One of Mr. Harris’s favorite memories from the fall was the time he would spend with their kids on the outdoor basketball court, waiting for Ms. McGee, who is the head coach of Varsity Field Hockey, to walk back from practice. He loves seeing their kids’ faces light up when they see their mom after a long day apart. Additionally, even though the pair’s jobs don’t have much day-to-day overlap, Mr. Harris said, “Recently, on Mondays, we have made a little tradition of getting takeout from the Eatery and eating it by the pond by her office — of having a nice retreat in the middle of the day.”
The next time you see your teachers with their partners, give them a friendly wave and ask, “How did you meet?” Their answers might just knock you off your feet.
