Meet Our Leadership

Kelly brings a decade of teaching and administrative experience to Hawthorn. Most recently she taught history and theology for four years at Cardinal Kung Academy, a classical Catholic high school in Stamford, CT. She enjoys bringing primary texts to life in her classroom and exposing students to the rich culture, arts, and wisdom of the past. Kelly previously taught international students at the Yale Young Global Scholars program, undergraduates at The University of Chicago, juvenile felons at the Manson Youth Correctional Institute in Cheshire, CT, and young women facing poverty and instability at the Akilah Institute in Kigali, Rwanda. Kelly’s work in the nonprofit sector has focused on start-up organizations in education, mentorship, and public discourse. Kelly holds a B.A. in Humanities from Yale University and an M.A. from The University of Chicago. She lives in Stamford with her husband and children.

Since the school’s founding in 2022, Mr. McGovern has taught middle school boys, directed the Spring and Fall Cross Country Clubs, and led the school’s mentoring program as Director of Mentoring. During the summer, he oversees Hawthorn’s Dangerous Camp for Boys. Mr. McGovern has also served on the school’s Administrative Council since its founding.

Before joining Hawthorn, Mr. McGovern taught in high-performing classical charter schools in the South Bronx. His students, from 3rd to 6th grade, consistently outperformed the district, with pass rates often more than tripling those of neighboring schools. In 2021, he was promoted to Instructional Coach and Character Education Lead. In that role, he focused on developing effective teachers, building strong systems to address student behavior, and fostering supportive relationships with students and families.

Mr. McGovern holds a B.A. in Classics and Literature from Middlebury College. At Middlebury, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was the recipient of the Kellogg Prize for Latin Translation. He spent a year studying literature and theology at Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford and received funding to conduct research at the Bodleian Library. For his original Latin composition, the University of Oxford Latinitas Society awarded him a bursary for travel to the Academia Vivarium Novum in Rome. Mr. McGovern has earned an M.A. in Education from Relay Graduate School of Education and recently completed an M.A. in Character Education from the University of Birmingham. He holds a New York State professional teaching license and is currently completing his School Building Leader licensure. Mr. McGovern lives in Brewster, NY, with his wife and children.