Danielle Figueira, Emily Glore, and Jessica Torcicollo Join GUS Administrative Team
This school year, we are excited to welcome three new members to our administrative team.
Please join us in welcoming Danielle Figueira as director of advancement, Emily Glore as director of admission, and Jessica Torcicollo as director of finance.
“I am beyond excited to have Danielle, Emily, and Jess on our team,” Gretchen Forsyth, Head of School. “They each bring a wealth of experience to their roles and are passionate about what they do, and I can’t wait for the GUS community to meet each of them.”
Danielle Figueira, Director of Advancement
Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m a north shore native and loyal beach goer. I’m a dog mom to Noel and foster mom to infants. I’ve volunteered as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and board member on The Soul Project. I’m passionate about equitable access to education and am an active anti-racist. In my down time, I read thrillers and needlepoint. Please share your recommendations with me!Where were you before GUS?
GUS is my fourth independent school! I’ve worked at The Winsor School, Landmark School and Perkins School for the Blind, always in an advancement capacity. I missed working directly with parents and am energized by that opportunity at GUS.What do you like best about what you do?
I love demystifying philanthropy and leveraging its power to better school communities. Fundraising is a tool to support faculty, students, campus, and community development. Funding can be a challenging topic for some but I take great pride in advocating for an incredible cause like GUS.What does ‘advancement’ mean to you? Why is it important?
Advancement is the act of advancing the school's goals via philanthropy and community building. They work in tandem to fund the present and future of GUS. Without the GUS Fund tuition would be higher, less financial aid available, and each student would incur additional costs throughout the year. I strive to avoid those outcomes and ensure the future needs are funded such as building renovations and faculty development.What are you most excited about in joining GUS?
I see so much potential in GUS. I’m eager to dive into learning the hallmarks of a GUS experience to best represent our community in the world. I’m also hoping to explore the greenhouse and vast outdoor campus.Please share a fun fact about yourself!
Growing up I was a dancer and danced on cruise ships on school vacations as the “hired talent” with my team of 30+ dancers.
Emily Glore, Director of Admission
Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a mom, wife, life-long learner, and Midwesterner. I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, but I have lived in Boston and the North Shore for over a decade. I love spending time with my kiddos, James and Logan. In particular, we spend lots of time at the park, playing in the backyard, and having friends over. One of the many things I appreciate about working in education is that I love learning. In fact, if I had the capacity, I would love to make a career of being in college and mastering a variety of subjects from physical therapy to botany.Where were you before GUS?
I am coming to GUS with a background in teaching. I started my career in a kindergarten classroom in Denver, CO where I completed my first master’s degree in Educational Psychology. I have since spent the last decade as a 1st grade teacher here on the North Shore at the Epstein Hillel School and Shore Country Day School. In addition to teaching, I have always found interest in projects beyond the walls of the classroom - building connections between communities, advocating for sustainability, and continuing my professional growth as a school leader including a master’s degree in Private School Leadership.What inspired your transition from the classroom to admission?
I have cherished the opportunity to teach, and through my time in the classroom, I have developed a passion for experiential education. I know that great education requires connections outside of the classroom, and I am thrilled to be part of an organization that believes in those experiences, too. As the Director of Admission, I get to share GUS’s unique approach to learning with the wider community. Shifting to this admission role means that I have the opportunity to shine a light on GUS’s revolutionary pedagogy and invite families and new students to be part of the incredible learning experience here.What are you most excited about in joining GUS?
When my husband and I initially moved here from Colorado over a decade ago, I had applied for a teaching position at Glen Urquhart. At the time, I wasn’t the right candidate for the position, but I fell in love with the school. I loved that the school was founded on the value of experiential learning, interdisciplinary thinking, and a child-centered approach. I loved the setting of the school’s natural environment, and I loved the way the school fostered curiosity and love of learning. For all those reasons, I took my “failed” interview as a challenge to gain the necessary experience and expertise to join the GUS team. Now that I’m here, I still love the school for all the original reasons I suspected. Moveover, I am proud to be joining a faculty that truly delivers on the mission of the school and an admin team that is dedicated to supporting the faculty and students in every way possible.Please share a fun fact about yourself!
My husband and I met on an airplane!
Jess Torcicollo, Director of Finance
Tell us a little about yourself!
Joining the Glen Urquhart team has brought me back to my roots – I grew up just around the corner from the school and spent my childhood playing in the woods behind campus. After graduating from Governor's Academy, I lived in a variety of places across the country from Washington DC to Burlington, Vermont and finally settled in Utah where I finished school, got married, and started a family. The lockdowns of COVID made the separation from my extended family feel insurmountable, so we moved back to the North Shore in 2020, settling down in Essex. In my free time, I try to get outside as much as possible and love to hike, bike, swim, and rock climb.Where were you before GUS?
Most recently, I owned and operated a small business providing bookkeeping, payroll, HR, and “fractional CFO” services to businesses across the country. I’ve done this work for many different industries including non-profits, but GUS is my first school. Prior to my work in accounting, I was a practicing social worker and the program director of a non-profit organization providing services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I know, “accountant” and “social worker” really don’t end up on the same resume, but here I am.What do you like best about what you do?
Professionally, I love being able to provide a foundation for fiscally responsible decision-making within an organization. Reliable financials and accurate projections can allow an organization to make strategic and sustainable decisions. Personally, I enjoy doing math every day. Each work task is a puzzle that needs to balance and I know when I’ve “solved” it. I also enjoy the HR aspect of the position - the staff are the heart of an organization and I make it my mission to ensure they are cared for how they deserve.What are you most excited about in joining GUS?
I am excited to be a part of this amazing community; I love working around children and find that they bring a mindfulness to my day that I deeply cherish.Please share a fun fact about yourself!
I am passionate about foraging and growing my own food!