What do a former pro cyclist-turned filmmaker, a reverend, an art therapist, and a lawyer who once worked on the Senate Judiciary Committee have in common? They are all new teachers at Holderness School.
We’re excited to welcome six new educators to campus this year, all of whom bring an impressive array of skills and life experiences to their classrooms. Please join us in welcoming them to Holderness!
 
History
Caroline Guzman
 
Our new History Department Chair, Caroline Guzman, comes to us from The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, where she spent six years as a social studies teacher, including four years as Upper School Academic Dean. In addition to teaching classes such as AP World History and Introduction to Law, Guzman coached junior varsity soccer, served as Mock Trial Team Advisor, and Yale Model United Nations Co-Advisor. Her in-class lessons are backed up by real-world experience: Guzman earned a J.D. in Comparative & International Law from The Catholic University of America in 2010, serving as a legal fellow for the United States Coast Guard, a law clerk for the United States Department of Transportation, and a law clerk for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she worked on the nomination and appointment of Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. Guzman holds a Master of Education in Secondary Education Social Studies from The George Washington University.
 
Chaplain, Religious Studies
The Rev. Jay Hutchinson
 
Holderness is proud to welcome the Rev. Jay Hutchinson as its new chaplain. No stranger to independent schools, Rev. Hutchinson spent 23 years as a chaplain, teacher, and coach at Saint Andrew’s School in Middletown, DE. Over the course of his career, he has also taught and tended to the spiritual life of students at Saint Mark’s School, Choate Rosemary Hall, and Canterbury School. Service has also been an important part of Rev. Hutchinson’s life: he served as Coordinator of Community Outreach at Saint Andrew’s School, Director of Community Service at Choate Rosemary Hall, and has personally served on the boards of Heronfield School and Family Help, Inc., a Delaware nonprofit that provides low-cost housing to individuals struggling with homelessness, drug addiction, and abusive relationships. in addition to serving as Chaplain at Holderness, Rev. Hutchinson will teach religious studies and coach boys junior varsity lacrosse. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Amherst College and a Master of Divinity from Harvard University.
 
Visual Arts
René Albee
 
René Alee knows Holderness School well, having spent two weeks on campus as an Artward Bound visiting artist in the spring of 2023 and 2024. This fall, she returns as the school’s new visual arts teacher. In addition to her new role as a teacher, Albee is an art therapist who works with clients through her practice, White Mountain Therapeutic Arts. As an art therapist, Albee employs multiple art mediums to encourage client expression and creativity, using various modalities to facilitate awareness, growth, and change. In addition to her private practice, she has worked as an art therapist clinician for C.R.E.A.T.E! in Manchester, NH and Concord Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Plymouth State University, and an MA in Art Therapy from Lesley University. Albee, her husband Matt, and 8-year-old son Whitaker live in Campton, NH where they own and operate the White Mountain Disc Golf Course.
 
Photo and Digital Arts
Thom Coupe

A New Hampshire native and graduate of Tilton School, Thom Coupe comes to Holderness by way of Los Angeles, where he was deeply immersed in all aspects of the film industry. Most recently, Thom wrote a feature-length screenplay, “DEB,” that has been in development with Invention Studios and Red Hour Films, the television production company founded by Ben Stiller. Coupe also has an extensive background as an athlete and coach. After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology: Exercise Science (where he co-captained the UNH Cycling team) Coupe embarked on a professional cycling career, riding for the Boston Scientific Cycling Team, the MetLife Pro-Am Cycling Team, and BikeReg.com/Cannondale. Following his cycling career, he spent time as an exercise physiologist and coach in Colorado Springs, CO, and founded TLC Training, where he wrote and analyzed customized training, nutrition, and strength programs for athletes. He is currently pursuing his MFA in Filmmaking & Media Arts from Maine Media College in Rockport, Maine.
 
French
Chloë Nolan
 
Our new French teacher, Chloë Nolan, brings to Holderness nine years of experience in the classroom and outdoor education. Chloë has taught at Cardigan Mountain School, Bristol Elementary School, and Building Block Commons in Exeter, NH. She also spent seven years as a fourth-grade teacher at The McGillis School in Salt Lake City, where she taught outdoor and environmental education. In that role, Chloë led environmental field lessons and overnight wilderness trips, designed and taught a backcountry ski basics course, and collaborated with specialists and local organizations to create cross-curricular learning experiences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of New Hampshire.

College Counseling
Chelsea Regan

Holderness students beginning their college search will have a distinct advantage this year thanks to the key insights of the school’s new Associate Director of College Counseling, Chelsea Regan. Formerly Colby College’s Assistant Director of Admissions, Chelsea’s firsthand knowledge of the college admissions process will serve Holderness students well.  A 2017 graduate of Colby College with a dual major in Mathematical Science and Theater and Dance, Chelsea is currently pursuing her MBA from the University of Maine at Orono. With a strong focus on statistics and data, Chelsea brings an analytical approach to helping students understand which schools will fit them best. Chelsea joined our College Counseling office last January and is excited to begin her first full school year at Holderness.
 
French
Louise Jagusch

Another wonderful addition to the French department, Louise Jagusch, brings 36 years of teaching experience to Holderness. Over the course of her career, Louise has taught French at Franklin Middle High School, Wolfeboro Camp School, and Gilford Middle/High School, where she taught French and Spanish for 34 years. While at Gilford High School, Jagusch served as French Club Advisor and implemented an exchange program with a school in Lyon, France. She holds degrees in Broadcasting and Journalism, with a specialization in French, from the University of Maine-Orono. In 1997, she completed a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship at L’Université Cheik Ante Diop in Dakar, Senegal to study Francophone literature and the geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. At Holderness, she will teach French 4 and AP French Language and Culture.