Reilly Dugery ’15: Sarah Baker, current dean of the Class of 2013, will replace Jackson Collins as the form dean for the class of 2014 following his departure at the end of the school year. The decision to appoint Baker as the dean of the class was made by Geoffrey Wagg after consulting with Ham Clark, Dr. Hall, and parents of the rising senior class.
Collins agreed that Baker, who currently teaches 37 juniors, made the most sense given her familiarity with the class. She is also able to offer the vital quality of knowing the ins and outs of senior year as the current dean of the Class of 2013. “We are committed to ensuring that the seniors in the class of 2014 will have as productive and joyful a senior year as did the classes that came before them. Senior year is such a special time, and it is important to get it right,” stressed Baker.
Collins has been offered a job at The Shipley School as Associate Head of Student Life and Dean of Upper School students. “I am excited to face a new challenge, have greater responsibility and be a leader of the Shipley Upper School” said Collins of his new position. Despite his enthusiasm over the new prospect, Collins looks back on his time as Dean of the Class of 2014 fondly. Collins is happy to have been a part of their journey through Upper School. In particular he said he enjoyed getting to know such a great group of students and watching them grow into the young men and women they are now. “The class has so much personality and talent,” said Collins. “I am sad that I am going to miss out on finishing their senior year with them, but I know they are in good hands.”
One of the Class Of 2014’s most notable characteristics, Collins said, has been its resilience. “During the class’ freshman and sophomore year, we did not do well in Spirit Week,” said Collins, referencing the competitions between classes in the week leading up to EA/Haverford/Agnes Irwin Weekend. “But this year, we made so much progress in Spirit Week and school spirit. We came in a very close second place, and I am so proud of them.” Collins predicts they will do even better next year, and has no doubt they will be great leaders for the entire school.
As for Baker, she is excited to take over the class of 2014. “I currently have the pleasure of teaching about forty juniors in my American Literature classes, said Baker, “and from this small sample I’ve come to understand the tremendous talent that this class possesses. I’ve been absolutely wowed by the joy they take in their education and their overall experience at Episcopal.”
A student who preferred to remain anonymous, said “At first I was really nervous that Ms. Baker would be taking over and upset that Mr. Collins would leave us right before our senior year. But I am excited that that Ms. Baker will make a great dean of our class. She seems like she knows what she is doing, and wants to get to know us as individuals even though she will only be our dean for one year. That means a lot to me.”
When asked what she is most excited about her new position, Baker said “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to guide the Class of 2014 in their senior year and to learn with them and from them. It will be a privilege to continue to discover what makes them such a genuinely happy and authentically engaged class and to help them to preserve and nourish this spirit.”