Mr. Michael Abbatiello
Mr. Michael Abbatiello is the new Associate Technical Director for the Arts Department. Mr. Abbatiello holds a BFA in Media and Performance with Choreography from The Ohio State University. Prior to coming to Choate, Mr. Abbatiello worked as the Lighting Designer and Technical Director for Middlebury College’s Dance Department. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the Choate community while reconnecting with my stage roots and working to create magic,” he said.
Mr. Chris Aguiar
Mr. Chris Aguiar ’11 is a new biology teacher, House Mentor in Woodhouse (with his two cats), and assistant coach for Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer. Because of how impactful his time as a student at Choate was, Mr. Aguiar is excited to return as a teacher. He said, “The people that I got to meet were the heart of my Choate experience.” Mr. Aguiar hopes to prepare his students to be “well-rounded learners to take the next step after Choate.”
Mr. Benson Bernard
Mr. Benson Bernard is a new physics and chemistry teacher. Before coming to Choate, Mr. Bernard worked at the Xavier High School, an all-boys Jesuit institution, in Manhattan, an experience that he described as “very different” from Choate. He is most excited to engage in the “holistic education for a student,” emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and the application of knowledge acquired in class to the real world. Outside the classroom, Mr. Bernard does dorm duty in Edsall House.
Ms. Daisy Braddy
Ms. Daisy Braddy has been working at Choate since 2021 in Human Resources but recently became an official faculty member. Ms. Braddy attended Bentley University, where she studied business management. She is now an admission officer after seeing student tour guides during the summer and connecting with them. She is looking forward to getting to know students and serving as a mentor to student: “I am very excited to be a bigger part of Choate’s community!”
Ms. Nicole Brothers
Ms. Nicole Brothers is a new addition to the Andrew Mellon Library staff. Before Choate, she lived in Qatar, where she worked at a Texas A&M University branch campus. She shared that the most inviting aspect of working at Choate was being able to engage with a culturally diverse school community. Ms. Brothers encouraged all students to ask questions and seek help from the librarian team. She said, “Even if you are feeling awkward or uncomfortable, absolutely bother the librarians.”
Ms. Donna Canada-Smith
Ms. Donna Canada-Smith is a new French and Spanish teacher, assistant coach for Girls’ Junior Varsity Volleyball, and House Mentor in Nichols. Before Choate, she taught at Millbrook School in New York and a day school in California. “I hope that curiosity and excitement transpire in my classroom and inspire at least one or hopefully many students to pursue similar studies or at least enjoy their time here learning languages,” she said.
Ms. Christina Cicero
Ms. Christina Cicero is a new member of the Choate Counseling team. She attended Central Connecticut State University and Radford University. Prior to Choate, Ms. Cicero served as a school therapist and as a supervisor at a therapeutic day school. Excited to make an impact on the Choate community, Ms. Cicero said, “I hope to be here as a support for students and staff. I hope my personality and overall spirit is a great fit for some of the students.”
Ms. Molly Dullea
Ms. Molly Dullea is a new math teacher coming to Choate from St. George’s School in Rhode Island, where she has taught for the past nine years. In addition to her role in the Math Department, she is a House Mentor in Mead and will be coaching Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball and Girls’ Junior Varsity Lacrosse. Ms. Dullea lives on campus with her wife and children. She hopes to not only enhance students’ lives inside the classroom, but also to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion at Choate.
Dr. Maria Ghiggia
Hailing from Argentina, new Spanish teacher Dr. Maria Ghiggia is excited about the academic rigor and multifaceted approach to learning at Choate. What initially drew Dr. Ghiggia to Choate was the overwhelming sense of community and belonging, and she hopes to instill that same sense of spirit in her students. She teaches Spanish 350 and 400 and finds immersing oneself in culture an integral part of learning a language. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys running, biking, and reading.
Mrs. Stephanie Gold
A member of the Archives staff since 2015, Mrs. Stephanie Gold became an official member of the faculty this summer as a Special Collections Librarian. As an archivist, Mrs. Gold manages Choate’s anthology of alumni works. For her, the most rewarding part of her job is sharing her passion for history. She said, “If I can help [students] say ‘this is cool’ and just slowly open them up to the world of primary sources that are available to them — that’s the impact I want to make.”
Dr. Sarah Hancock
Dr. Sarah Hancock is an English teacher and an assistant coach to the Girls’ Varsity Water Polo team. Dr. Hancock came to Choate after finishing her PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, where she also taught writing, literature, and art history classes. Her dissertation was entitled “The Social Life of Flowers: Women and Ornament in Eighteenth-Century Britain.” She said, “I am excited to work with students who are so passionate and motivated to learn and grow.”
Mr. Matt Kelsey
Mr. Matt Kelsey is a new digital art teacher. Before Choate, Mr. Kelsey taught filmmaking at Betsy Ross Art Magnet School in New Haven, Connecticut. He lives off-campus with his daughter and two pets, Annie and Paisley. Outside of class, he spends his free time building LEGO sets, listening to music, gaming, and enjoying the outdoors. Mr. Kelsey looks forward to empowering the filmmaking community at Choate as well as fostering equity and inclusion within the community.
Ms. Lisa Kimball
Ms. Lisa Kimball is a new Associate Director of Counseling. Ms. Kimball was drawn to Choate because of the strong sense of community and unique setting of a boarding school. She hopes to have a positive impact on students by supporting them in all their endeavors and encouraging them to grow a stronger sense of self. Ms. Kimball is looking forward to seeing students do what they love outside of the classroom and attending performances, games, and productions.
Ms. Charlotte Peterson
Hailing from New York, Ms. Charlotte Peterson is a new member of the Admission Office. After years of working in admissions at both colleges and high schools, she decided to become an admission officer at Choate. Here, she is involved in the Gold Key tour guide program and is a House Mentor in Bernhard. She enjoys the strong sense of community at Choate, saying, “Everyone is just grateful for one another, and I really appreciate the culture of gratitude.”
Mr. ShaCor Privott
A graduate of Central Connecticut State University and the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. ShaCor Privott returned to Choate this year as the new Assistant Director of Admission after having coached football in 2017. As an Assistant Director of Admission and House Mentor in Spencer, Mr. Privott is most excited to meet students who are passionate about all aspects of Choate life. A football, basketball, rugby, and track and field athlete, Mr. Privott enjoys working out and watching sports.
Dr. Shyla Saltzman
Dr. Shyla Saltzman is a new English teacher. Prior to joining Choate, Dr. Saltzman attended Williams College. She then worked at Capital Community College as an English professor. She chose to work at Choate because of the welcoming feeling she received from the community during her initial visit. “I hope to help students become more confident as writers and more insightful and compassionate as readers,” Dr. Saltzman said.
Mx. Athira Sanal
Mx. Athira Sanal brings their expertise to the Math Department at Choate, where they teach Linear Algebra and Calculus AB. They were drawn to the diverse student body and the strong sense of community at Choate. “My goal and reason for why I became a teacher is to increase diversity in STEM. That’s something I worked towards at every institution,” they said. Mx. Sanal looks forward to watching their students’ post-Choate journeys both within and beyond STEM.
Mr. Rob Sanders
Mr. Rob Sanders is a new math teacher. Outside of the classroom, he is as a coach for Boys’ Varsity Ice Hockey as well as a Strength Coach in the weight room. Prior to his arrival at Choate, he taught in New York at Archbishop Stepinac High School and Trinity-Pawling School. “I think Choate holds their students to a very high standard, and I think that I’m able to hold kids to a standard and push them to be the best versions of themselves,” Mr. Sanders said.
Ms. Kit Stone
Ms. Kit Stone is a new chemistry teacher and House Mentor in Memorial House. She is also an assistant volleyball coach for the girls’ varsity team in the fall and the boys’ varsity team in the spring. “I was drawn to how progressive this school is, with students being leaders on all kinds of issues,” Ms. Stone said. In general, she wishes for her students “to see science as a potential future endeavor for themselves, and not just a class they have to get through.”
