Mrs. Michelle Dennehy, Ms. Gail Desrosier, Ms. Megan Radigan, and Ms. Kristin Thoelen (left to right) are the unsung heroes supporting the deans.
By Chelsea Branch ’25
As the keepers of our schedules and masters of SISO, the Deans’ Assistants are Choate’s unsung heroes. We all recognize their friendly faces, but few of us know much more beyond that.
Ms. Kristin Thoelen
Every year, Ms. Kristin Thoelen, the third-form Deans’ Assistant, faces the Herculean task of keeping over 150 incoming freshmen organized. However, she loves connecting with the diverse student body. “I just like getting to know the kids, like where everyone’s from, [their] different backgrounds and different cultures,” she said.
Born and raised in Wallingford, Ms. Thoelen is naturally fond of her hometown. “I love it,” she said. “There’s a lot of good places to eat and restaurants and things to do.” As an only child, she spent a lot of time hanging out with her many cousins during her younger years. She treasures her large family and the time she spends with them during school breaks.
When she’s not in her office, Ms. Thoelen is all over the world. She recently traveled to Aruba for a second time. “It’s like paradise there,” she said. “The weather’s great. The water is super clear.” The next place on her bucket list is Hawaii.
If Ms. Thoelen is not flying across the globe, she’s driving to a concert venue for a taste of live music. Her music taste is diverse, but her top artists at the moment are Carrie Underwood and Daughtry.
Freshmen, the next time you need to sign out for the weekend, be sure to ask Ms. Thoelen about her traveling adventures or for some song recommendations.
Ms. Gail Desrosier
For the next three years, the Class of 2026 will be working alongside Ms. Gail Desrosier. In her first year as a deans’ assistant, Ms. Desrosier worked with the Class of 2020, whose graduation coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic. “They left for spring break, and we never saw them again,” she recalled. “It was really sad.”
Though nothing can make up for the valuable time she lost with those students, Ms. Desrosier is thrilled to have watched the Class of 2023 have a proper Choate send-off and is excited to witness the Class of 2026 flourish right before her eyes.
Ms. Desrosier grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Connecticut when she married, raising her four children here as a stay-at-home mother for many years. Although all of her birds (children) have left the nest, she still sees them quite often.
Beyond her office in the Student Activities Center, Ms. Desrosier is an avid cinephile. “I just watched The Holdovers the other night,” she shared. “That was entertaining.” She also enjoyed Barbie and Top Gun, but her all-time favorite film is Slumdog Millionaire. Though it has been a while since she was last in a theater, Ms. Desrosier prefers watching movies live in the cinema over using streaming platforms.
“I’ve been very happy working here. I feel blessed to be in this office because we get to see the kids so much,” Mrs. Derosier said.
Mrs. Michelle Dennehy
Prior to her role as the Fifth-form Deans’ Assistant, Mrs. Michelle Dennehy was a stay-at-home mother to her two children with Director of Residential Life Mr. Pat Dennehy. “I met Mr. Dennehy, we got married, had kids, and I just wanted to be home with them,” she shared.
Fitness has always been an important part of Mrs. Dennehy’s life. She studied athletic training in college and loves practicing yoga whenever she has the time. Nowadays, she stays in touch with her sporty side by watching her students dominate on the fields, rinks, and courts. She especially loves Deerfield Day and all of the fun traditions that come with it.
Mrs. Dennehy can sometimes be seen walking around campus with her dog, Nala. She loves exploring trails with her pup, and, when the weather permits, enjoying Connecticut’s beautiful lakes and oceans. “I just like being outside,” she said.
When she’s not having fun in the sun, Mrs. Dennehy is enjoying a good read. Over the summer, she finished Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus in only three days. Though her job prevents her from reading quite as often during the school year, she always makes sure to find the perfect book to keep her busy during breaks.
The next time you stop by her office to grab something sweet from her famous basket of candy, sit down and chat for a while!
Ms. Megan Radigan
The senior class is enjoying a bittersweet final year alongside their deans’ assistant, Ms. Megan Radigan, who grew up in Mattituck, New York with her parents and two brothers.
In her adult years, she began working and living all over the globe. Japan, Switzerland, America, and the Czech Republic are just a few of the countries she has called home. Given her love for learning about different cultures, the offer to work at a school like Choate was especially appealing to her because “I knew I wanted to work in an international environment,” she said.
Choate’s sixth-formers are not Ms. Radigan’s only students. She also works as a dance teacher and has been dancing for nearly 30 years. In fact, her role as a choreographer and judge for dance competitions introduced her to her love of traveling. Now, she teaches contemporary, lyrical, strength and conditioning, turns and leaps, and stretch classes at a number of studios.
Ms. Radigan faced a similar plight to Ms. Desrosier when she became a deans’ assistant just one month before the pandemic hit.
“I was with the freshmen, and then four to six weeks later, we went remote,” she said. After persisting with the Class of 2020 through the unusual period, she went on to work with the Class of 2021, and now enjoys working with the Class of 2024.
Quoting her mother, Ms. Radigan said, “Food is love.” Much of her free time is spent cooking, as she finds the practice both relaxing and rewarding. Maybe if you’re lucky, she’ll share a recipe with you!
