With the start of a new school year rapidly approaching, it’s time for us to say goodbye to summer and hello to a new group of Holderness School faculty members. They’re sure to make a big, positive impact on the Holderness community, from the classrooms to the playing fields and everywhere in between.

Meghan Aronson
College Counseling, English

We're very excited to welcome Meghan Aronson to campus as our new assistant director of College Counseling. Meghan joins us after spending the last eight years at New Hampton School, where she worked as an English teacher, director of the school's Writing Center, and co-director of the Teaching Fellowship Program. Prior to her time at New Hampton, Meghan spent seven years at Brandeis University, where she was associate director of Academic Services for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

In addition to her duties in the College Counseling office at Holderness, Meghan–who holds bachelor's degrees in English and Music from Gettysburg College and a master's degree in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth College–will teach one advanced English seminar at Holderness, The Mindful Writer.

Meghan is also certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid, a Level 1 Certified Yoga Instructor, and will coach yoga in the spring. She lives off campus in Holderness with her husband, Seth Aronson ’04, and children Ellie and Noah. 

Sam Bonauto
Honors Physics, AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism

Newton's First Law of Motion states that an object in motion will stay in motion unless otherwise acted upon by an outside force. It's a principle that Sam Bonauto, our new physics teacher, knows all too well. Why? To reach his new home at Holderness this summer, he biked thousands of miles across the country from Washington State.

But Sam, who graduated from Bowdoin College last spring with bachelor's degrees in Physics and Government and Legal Studies, is no stranger to outdoor adventure. At Bowdoin, he captained the Varsity Sailing Team to a 9th in the nation ranking, competed in Ironman Wisconsin in 2024, and completed the Race to Alaska, a 750-mile sailing race from Washington State to Alaska.

At Holderness, Sam will teach physics, coach Boys JV Soccer and Introduction to Snow Sports, and live in Niles dormitory.

Breann Bourelle
English and Capstone

Breann comes to Holderness from Los Angeles, California, where she spent five years at Fusion Academy, an independent school that provides one-on-one, personalized learning tailored to a wide range of student needs.

Breann, who holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Dayton, spent three years teaching English at Fusion Academy–and serving as the English department head–before becoming the school's Director of Student Development. Most recently, Breann worked as lead grant proposal writer at Critical Innovations, a Los Angeles-based medical research and development company.

At Holderness, Breann will teach English and senior Capstone classes, serve as student publications coordinator, and live in Connell dormitory.

Owen Carpino
Spanish

A 13-year veteran of independent schools, Owen is sure to bring a wealth of valuable experience to campus. He joins us from Cardigan Mountain School, where he spent 10 years (interspersed with three years at Pingree School in Massachusetts) teaching Spanish and coaching numerous sports, including ice hockey and lacrosse.

A 2012 graduate of Norwich University, Owen captained the school's ice hockey team, which reached the NCAA Final Four in three of his four years on the team and won the national championship in 2010.

At Holderness, Owen will coach Boys Varsity Ice Hockey and Girls JV Lacrosse and live in Hoit dormitory.

Hayden Keene
English

Hayden joins our English department after spending the last year as a teaching fellow at Sun Valley Community School in Sun Valley, Idaho. In her role at Sun Valley Community School–a day and boarding school known for its outdoor programs–Hayden developed curriculum, taught classes, worked as a residential advisor, and co-led numerous outdoor trips.

Hayden is a 2023 graduate of Bowdoin College, where she earned her bachelor's degrees in Environmental Studies and Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies. While in college, Hayden–who is also a certified Wilderness First Responder–served as an officer of the Bowdoin Outing Club and was responsible for planning campus events and leading outdoor trips.

At Holderness, Hayden will teach English, coach cross country and Nordic skiing, and live in Graham dormitory.