Campus News

Rhonda Brown began as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in early July. Brown comes to The Haverford School from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and has a long career working at large research institutions, including the University of Notre Dame and Temple University, and small private liberal arts colleges like Albright College and the College of the Holy Cross. 

Thomas Lindberg ’07 has been named the Director of Ice Hockey Program at The Haverford School. Lindberg will be responsible for coordinating the entire program from the middle school to varsity level.

This spring, The Haverford School cross-country program partnered with the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania to raise funds for mental health care for veterans. The team raised more than $4,000 that will help provide services to military veterans and their families who are challenged by mental health issues.

Darren Hengst, the Grace and Mahlon Buck Chair in Performing Arts at The Haverford School, gave a presentation titled “Performing Arts - Empathy, Connection, Communication,” during the annual Best for Boys Speaker Series in May. Hengst discussed how performing arts can bring out the authentic nature of boys and hone their ability to communicate, bridge connections between themselves and others, and build empathy. 

The Upper School gathered to celebrate several members of the School during the annual Honors Day ceremony on June 9. The event was led by Head of Upper School Mark Fifer, and included remarks by Head of School Dr. John Nagl. 

The Haverford School’s Board of Trustees has selected Tyler Casertano to serve as the next Head of School. Tyler, who currently serves as the Assistant Head of School for Advancement and Strategy at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., will begin his tenure on July 1.

The Middle School honored its Form II boys during the annual Middle School Closing Ceremony. The celebration, held with families in attendance at Centennial Hall, marked the boys’ completion of the Middle School program and their rise to the Upper School. 

The Haverford School’s fifth grade was honored during the annual closing ceremony on June 7. Fifth grade boys also received certificates marking their successful completion of the Lower School program, and were celebrated as they transition to sixth grade and the Middle School. 

Kristin Brown’s Digital Art II class used a new state-of-the-art Glowforge laser cutter to create collages of Haverford’s campus. The device utilizes a laser as thin as a piece of hair to cut and engrave designs into various materials. 

Artist, producer, and activist Brandon Michael Nase presented a virtual concert of gospel, jazz, R&B, and musical theater songs for the Michael Stairs Memorial Concert on April 28. Nase also reflected on the creation of his musical web series, “The Gospel According to Broadway,” and of his nonprofit organization, Broadway for Racial Justice.

The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced its award recipients for the 2021 men’s lacrosse season.
Williams first-year attack Pearse Glavin (Newton Square, Pa.) was selected as the Rookie of the Year. 

V Former Mitav Nayak was recognized in The Philadelphia Citizen for his work as a Germination Project Fellow - analyzing the City of Philadelphia's budget. Read more >

Arshay Cooper served as the speaker at the annual Joseph T. Cox Servant Leadership Symposium on May 6. Cooper’s memoir is the basis for A Most Beautiful Thing, a critically acclaimed film about the nation’s first all-Black rowing team.

Fifth former Damian Ferraro received the Union League Good Citizen Award after being nominated by the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale director Jeff Smith. 

Dr. John Pruett ’86 presented “Haverford student to NIH-funded clinician-scientist” at the annual William Edward Gwinn ’86 Memorial Science Lecture on April 22. He talked about his journey into medicine and psychiatry, discussed his research into autism spectrum disorder in infants and toddlers, and shared advice for young scientists.

Shibo Zhou, a fifth former, participated in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) in April. The event is regarded as one of the most prestigious and competitive mathematics competitions in the country.

The Haverford School Diversity Alliance organized two events to mark the National Day of Silence in April, including an Upper School assembly featuring Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart.

The second grade completed the annual Walk for Water service learning project, in partnership with H2O for Life, a nonprofit organization. The boys spent Earth Day carrying gallons of water around the School’s Class of 1975 Field.

After months on Zoom, area children are getting the chance to get out in the fresh air and fields of Wallingford to enjoy "Soccer Saturday." Volunteer coaches from the Union, Haverford School and Strath Haven High School have been assisting.

Read the full story in the Delco Times >

More than 250 middle school students from 29 different schools gathered together virtually on March 11 for The Haverford School’s 13th annual Middle School Diversity Conference.  The featured speaker this year was Nyle Fort, a minister, activist, and scholar based in Newark, N.J.

The Scholastic Writing Awards recognized 21 Haverford School students for outstanding creative writing. Judged locally by the Philadelphia Writing Project, these 21 students earned six Gold Keys, nine Silver Keys, and sixteen Honorable Mentions in the categories of Journalism, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Critical Essay, Personal Essay & Memoir, Poetry, and Short Story.

Tim Dougherty ‘10 joined Dr. Daniel Goduti’s Upper School Environmental Science class on March 3. The class, which just completed a unit on oceans, aquaculture, and offshore drilling, is shifting their focus to global climate change.

When Haverford School hit the court for its first game of the delayed 2021 season, there was no shortage of excitement. But of all the Fords who waited so long for basketball to return, no one felt the same anticipation as Jameel Brown. Read the full story at delcotimes.com >

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the Lower School enjoyed a virtual Special Guest Assembly with Olympic Marathon Runner Mohamed Hrezi. Hrezi competed in the 2016 Olympics and was the flag bearer for Libya at the Parade of Nations.

Henry Fairfax ’99 was the featured speaker at the 2nd annual George “Porgie” Smith ’67 assembly, held virtually on Feb. 22. Head of School Dr. John Nagl began the assembly by celebrating the life and accomplishments of Smith, who was the first Black graduate of The Haverford School.

Two Upper School students, VI former Jack Phelan and IV former Neil Sawhney, were recently selected for the Media Arts Council 2021 High School Student Artists Show, entitled “Together We Rise.”

Grant Ament ’15 was the featured speaker at the first Haverford Alumni: In the Arena series on Feb. 10. During his talk, he reflected on lessons learned at The Haverford School, his time playing for and attending Penn State, and his plans for the future, including launching the Attack Academy app.

Junior Quinn Luong, co-founder of the Pan-Asian Alliance and the co-chair of the Diversity Alliance, was chosen as the Main Line Student of the Week for the week of Feb. 15, 2021. Read the full interview >

V Former Josiah Somani was chosen to take part in the IBM Quantum Computing course, an eight month online class. Somani was one of 5,000 students from around the world.

Collegiate esports operator CSL Esports has announced the appointment of Hung Tran as its new director of marketing. Tran will oversee the company’s marketing strategy for both its tournament properties and its work with over 1,800 college and university partners. Read the full story on esportsobserver.com >

Michelle Burns, Lower School librarian at The Haverford School, was recognized by the Pennsylvania School Library Association (PSLA) for her diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. 

Brendon Jobs, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Haverford School, co-presented at Carney Sandoe’s FORUM/Diversity Conference in January.

Lisa Snyder, Director of Information Services, organized a panel presentation to The Delhi Public School Society. The presentation focused on libraries and library services at independent schools.

Oscar Mestre '77 was elected the 34th President of the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) during the organization's Annual Meeting on Oct. 28. Read the full story and interview in the Winter 2020 issue of GAP Magazine >

Academy Park graduate and track and field coach Ron Hunter was hired as the next director of track and field at The Haverford School this week. Read the story in Delco Times >

The Haverford School has named Mark Fifer as Head of Upper School. Fifer served as the interim Head of Upper School from July to November 2020, with his tenure as Head of Upper School in effect from December 2020. In this role, Fifer oversees the operations of the Upper School division, which includes oversight of the academic program, leading Upper School faculty and staff, and serving as a liaison to other divisions and departments within the School.

Sobriety and second chances have buoyed the once-troubled Haverford School alum and former drug dealer. Read the full story in Main Line Today >

The senior cross country captain was undefeated in the Fords’ shortened Inter-Ac cross country season last fall, going 4-0 against Germantown Academy (twice), Springside Chestnut Hill and Episcopal Academy, with his best time on the season 17:12. Read the full story on PAPrepLive.com >

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of beloved teacher, coach and mentor, Mr. Michael F. Mayock. 

On Dec. 7, Brendon Jobs, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Haverford School, led a discussion about how to model and support boys’ development as upstanders in their communities as part of Haverford’s Best for Boys Speaker Series. 

Eighth grade students Ian Rosenzweig and Connor Simpkins were named a winner and a finalist, respectively, in the Global Oneness Project’s 2020 student photography contest. The theme of the contest was “The Artifacts in Our Lives: Document Your Place on the Planet,” and participants submitted a photograph and a 600-word essay of an artifact. 

Chris Sims, a senior co-captain and third-year starter at defensive back/wide receiver, has been called by Haverford head coach Brian Martin, “The heart and soul of our team." Read the full interview on PAPrepLive.com >

The Haverford School’s Diversity Alliance has organized a number of virtual student-centered dialogues and discussions this fall. As the School shifted extracurricular activities to the virtual world for safety reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diversity Alliance has worked to ensure students have spaces to discuss and debate issues and concerns. 

Two Black-owned breweries, Harris Family Brewery in Harrisburg and Two Locals in Philly, are in the works in Pennsylvania. (A third, Mack Brewing Co., is also percolating in West Philly.) As they raise funds and make plans, both outfits have been making collaboration beers with other local breweries. Read the full story in The Philadelphia Inquirer > 

On Friday, Nov. 13, World Kindness Day, Haverford’s Middle School community gathered virtually for a performance and question and answer session with Haverford alumnus and folk songwriter Chuck Brodsky ’78.

As part of the early signing period for Division I athletes, eight members of the Class of 2021 at The Haverford School have announced their decisions to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Upper School students of Haverford’s Service Board, led by Director of Service Learning Jini Loos, have organized a number of school-wide initiatives this fall, including a mask drive, National Denim Day, and a can drive.