Meet the Admissions Committee

At Commonwealth, teachers play an important role in the admissions process. After all, they're students’ mentors and guides in the classroom; why shouldn’t that relationship start during the admissions process?

The teachers and staff on our admissions committee know Commonwealth well, drawing on their deep knowledge of our culture and programs to determine the fit between an applicant and our school. You can get to know them (and what they're looking for in applicants) a little better, too.

Admissions Team

Ms. Carrie Healy

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

chealy@commschool.org

I came to Commonwealth because of the surprising (and welcome) combination of high-level intellectual engagement and delightful sense of humor I found here. I was also pleased to find a school in which teachers actively contribute to the admissions process. Our faculty members see it not only as a responsibility but as a privilege to get to know our applicants—your strengths, interests, and hopes—and help you and us determine how you might contribute to the life of the school. There’s a spirit of connectedness at Commonwealth—among students, between teachers and students, among faculty and staff, and between seemingly disparate academic disciplines—that I hope you witness from your very first visit. It’s thrilling for me to see how students from so many different backgrounds come together to create, explore, share, and debate. And it all starts with admissions.

Ms. Natasha Matthews

Associate Director of Admissions

Associate Director of Admissions

nmatthews@commschool.org

I have worked with students and teachers around the world, and I can honestly say that I have yet to encounter a high school as engaging as Commonwealth. This community is curious, creative, kind, and thoughtful, and everyone is a complete joy to be around. I look forward to coming to work each day because I get to share what I love about Commonwealth with prospective families.

Ms. Sasha Himeno-Price

Admissions and Advancement Coordinator

Admissions and Advancement Coordinator

Faculty-Staff Admissions Committee

Mr. Don Conolly

Latin, English, and Humanities Teacher

Latin, English, and Humanities Teacher

dconolly@commschool.org

Commonwealth is the most intellectually stimulating community I’ve belonged to—more so even than college and graduate school. My colleagues have taught me so much and inspired me to explore subjects I never thought I would, from Proust and Nietzsche to indigenous archaeology. The students feed off of this excitement: there’s nothing they love more than to sense vast depth beneath the work that we give them, and their boundless curiosity spurs us to delve deeper and bring back treasures for them to contemplate. I also love how much we at Commonwealth revere the humanities in the belief that all students—future scientists, historians, and artists—should elevate their minds by exploring worlds of ideas, art, and beautiful writing.

Mr. Theo Paul

Math Teacher

Math Teacher

tpaul@commschool.org

One of the treasures sitting on my office shelf is an annotated printout of our advanced geometry book written by a former colleague and gifted to me as a new teacher eighteen years ago. Flipping through the pages is a simple pleasure during the rare free moment. There is no gloss or pretense, just simple perfect math in its purest form. As a new teacher, I stood in awe of my colleagues, many celebrated scholars in their fields. Yet I later realized that every one of them came to Commonwealth for the same reason I did: a need to share our unbridled love for our fields with our students. I marvel at the curiosity and intellectual vibrancy of our small community and, like so many other Commonwealth teachers, it is for this reason that I have chosen to make my life at the school.

Mr. Rob Sherry

Math and Economics Teacher

Math and Economics Teacher

rsherry@commschool.org

When people learn that I teach math at a high school, they shake their heads and say, "what a hard job that must be." They don't know Commonwealth! Here I have the opportunity to interact with kids who are eager to learn, work with students who relish the challenge of things that may not come easily to them, and share in their enthusiasm for new concepts and clever problems. We talk about math and other subjects, the arts, the city, and social justice. At Commonwealth, we value spending time together: listening, reflecting on what we hear, and learning from each other. In admissions, I love meeting new families, helping them learn about us, and seeing if we are a good match.

Ms. Mónica Schilder

Spanish Teacher

Spanish Teacher

mschilder@commschool.org

When I came to Commonwealth for my own day visit, I was nervous at first. But once I entered the building, I was welcomed by the warmest people who made me feel at ease and eager to learn more about this special place. With the years, my admiration for this community has only grown. I am so honored to work among the most supportive, caring, and thoughtful people and to learn from them every day. Teaching at Commonwealth is a privilege. Students never cease to amaze me with their curiosity and strong work ethic; I am most impressed, though, by their willingness to always be their genuine selves. I consider myself lucky to have found Commonwealth, a place that has become my home away from my native Perú. I am thrilled to be able to share what I love about this unique school with prospective students and families.

Ms. Rikita Tyson

English Teacher

English Teacher

rtyson@commschool.org

When I had my own day visit at Commonwealth—during the job interview process—the place immediately felt like somewhere I wanted to stay: I met teachers who were passionate about their work and always thinking about how to do that work better, as well as bright, curious students who made me feel welcome in their classroom (even though I was a stranger teaching them unfamiliar material!). My first impression of Commonwealth has only strengthened with time, now that those expert, passionate teachers are my colleagues and I teach those curious students every day. Everyone here—students and faculty alike—is engaged in the process of learning as a process of discovery, not just the memorization of the "right" answers and facts. I joined admissions because I'd love to share this wonderful community with students and families who would appreciate it as much as I do!

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