By Eva Mandelbaum
As White Plains High School has expanded with the addition of East House, it has also expanded its administrative team this year. We are excited to welcome two new administrators to the district: Ms. Shewbarran, Student Activities Advisor and North House Administrator, and Dr. Maguire, East House Administrator. Both new administrators share this excitement in joining the White Plains High School Community and look forward to building meaningful connections with students. I had the opportunity to meet with each of them to learn a bit more about who they are.
Ms. Shewbarran:
Q: What drew you to work at WPHS?
A: There were a lot of different things that drew me to White Plains High School. First, I really love Westchester. I love the surrounding areas, the restaurants, but also, I really loved all of the activities that were offered here and also just the student population just looking at what’s going on with the students and the sports and the clubs so that was really interesting to learn more about and I was also drawn here because everyone was very welcoming. The first time I visited this school I felt very welcomed by everyone. Literally everyone was saying hi and even now, I only know some faces but I’m trying to learn everyone and I love that it’s a large school, but it does feel like a small community because everyone is very supportive.
Q: What do you hope to bring to the WP community?
A: Honestly, I’m a very fun bubbly person so I’m hoping to build on the positive school culture here with some more school spirit, have more cheerful things happening throughout the year, maybe more events around holiday time. Definitely looking to continue to build a positive culture just working with staff members and administration to ensure that our families are happy, our students are happy, and staff members are happy.
Q: Tell us about yourself. What do you enjoy outside of school?
A: I actually am coming from the NYC department of education, I was an AP (assistant Principal) for three years. Two years in Long Island City HS and one year in Harlem, and I transitioned over here. About me: I’m very outgoing as you can see, [and] I can be loud at times. I like to go out on the weekends to just golf, (like top golf type of golfing not actual golf), and I really love hanging out with my family. And I got married this summer.
Q: What were your favorite things when you were in high school?
A: My favorite school subject was history, and I actually began my teaching career with History and special ed teaching. And I really liked History because I thought there was so much more to go in depth with and seeing the world.
Q: What are your favorite places you’ve traveled to?
A: My favorite place is Dubai, and my second favorite is Italy.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job so far?
A: My favorite part of this job is building relationships with students so far. I haven’t met as many students as of yet, but the relationships I’m getting to learn so much more about students in this building and students are getting to know me and I feel like sometimes it’s great to have that mentor figure in your life or someone you can just openly talk to so I really enjoy that students are feeling comfortable and able to just come and talk to me if something’s on their mind.
Q: What are you looking forward to for the 2022-2023 school year?
A: I’m looking forward to getting to know students in this building a lot more. I want students to know who I am. I know I’m brand new, and I know it’s a large school, but I try to build positive relationships, and that’s what I’m looking forward to, to continuously build positive relationships where we can just support our students, ensure they’re succeeding for their future as well.
Q: How can students contact you?
A: They can contact me through email, my email is in the calendar, it’s also on the website, and if you have any questions about student activities as well, I am the person to go to.
Q: For student activities, what will you be overseeing?
A: I’m overseeing the clubs, groups, etc. I'll also lead events. I’ll be working with everyone else [on events] like the senior sunrise. So, I’m the go-to person, Ms. Adamiak is also the go-to person; she’s always in student activities. If I’m not in student activities, I am here (in North House).
Q: Any other thoughts to share with students?
A: I’m just looking forward to a great year here, coming from a school with not a great, positive culture, this building has definitely shown me that people are very supportive in this building. Students are very friendly, helping other students out; students are helping me out because I’m still learning the building.
Dr. Maguire:
Q: What drew you to work at WPHS?
A: What drew me to work at White Plains was that I was looking to make a move to New York. I moved from Massachusetts, [and] I have a lot of family and friends in the area. I really like Westchester County and White Plains. I was really looking to get a role to work more directly with students. So, this position and this school certainly allowed me to do that as well as the level of diversity at this school.
Q: What do you enjoy outside of school?
A: I love to play soccer. I also coached soccer for many, many years so I love to participate in those kinds of activities inside and outside of work. I love to travel a lot. I’ve been fortunate enough with work and personal life to travel all around the world, so I’ve been to China and Costa Rica and all over Europe [and] South America. I’ve been doing a lot of that and traveling with students. That has been a lot of fun so I try to continue to travel as much as I can.
Q: Where’s your favorite place to travel?
A: My favorite city is London. I just love London. I’ve also been Italy a few times. I love Florence and Rome and Venice as well.
Q: What were your favorite things in high school?
A: When I was in high school, I was a soccer player, and I was also a member of the jazz band and so I play the saxophone (mostly alto and tenor). My favorite subject in school was history which got me to become a history teacher.
Q: How long were you a history teacher?
A: I was a history teacher for 10 years before I became an administrator.
Q: What’s your favorite part of your job so far?
Connecting with students. Every single day you’re connecting with new and different students you either haven’t met yet or you made a connection with and trying to support them through their day and their academics and all parts of their school life so that’s the best part of the job.
Q: What are you looking forward to for the 2022-2023 school year?
A: Really just getting to know everybody, navigate the school, learn about as many activities and programs as I can and really just connect with as many students and faculty and families as I possibly can this school year.
Q: How can students reach you?
My door [is] always open. If students ever want to swing by, this is the new East House office, a lot of people don’t know it exists yet and are just finding it, so meandering their way down here even just to say hello, I love, but I’m always out and about all over the building looking for students, connecting with students, making sure
people are in the right place where they need to be, so yeah door is always open. So either personal visit, or email, anytime.
Q: Any other thoughts to share with students?
A: Just that this is their high school. This is their school. They get to make their high school journey what they want to make it, and I think that White Plains High School offers so many different opportunities, activities, programs, even just the courses that they offer. The fact that you can take American Sign Language as a
foreign language, those kinds of things. So, my advice to students is just to really [make the most of] their high school opportunities because this place offers so much.
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