Malvern Prep Adds New Assistant Director of Admissions to Support Diversity Initiative

“Seeking oneness of mind and heart in the journey toward God, Malvern strives to build a diverse community in which a caring faculty works with parents and students to instill in everyone a personal responsibility for the common good.” – from the Malvern Preparatory School Mission Statement

Last fall, as part of the School’s Strategic Plan, the Malvern Prep Board of Trustees unanimously approved an initiative to increase the diversity of the student population to 20 percent by the 2019-2020 academic year. The School’s current enrollment includes approximately 7.5 percent students of color.

That aggressive goal, though, is not what drives Pat Williams, Malvern’s new Assistant Director of Admissions & Diversity and a member of the Class of 2003.

“Our mission statement wasn’t written with any quotas in mind,” Williams says. “Diversity is vital to education and growth of humans and followers of Christ. I personally believe Malvern should be more diverse because to be around people with cultural backgrounds, opinions and experiences that differ from our own enhances the learning experience because it challenges us to think critically and fosters a culture of inclusivity.”

In his new role, Williams will be working with the Board and Diversity Oversight Committee and Task Forces to fine tune the diversity initiative; identifying new feeder schools and developing relationships with schools to help encourage applicants of students of color; meeting with prospective students and parents; communicating and mentoring current students of color; developing recruitment and retention strategies; and providing training on cultural sensitivity to faculty and staff.

“In a more immediate sense, Pat’s hire is a direct response of the Strategic Plan and the vote by the Board,” says Malvern Head of School Christian Talbot. “In a broader sense, we hired Pat in order to help us more fully live Malvern Prep’s mission. A more diverse learning community will ensure that our students are better prepared to meet the challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities of a global economy.”

Williams spent four years in the U.S. Air Force and served as an intelligence analyst, Arabic linguist and geo-spatial analyst before earning his MBA from Villanova University with specializations in real estate, finance and strategic management. Most recently, he was a senior investment analyst with Stockton Real Estate Advisors in Philadelphia.

“As a person of color who graduated from Malvern Prep, Pat has special insight into the role and responsibility he has accepted,” says Talbot. “His experiences in the Air Force, his graduate study and his work experience made him a strong candidate. Most importantly, Pat is consumed by Malvern Prep’s Augustinian mission, which was reinforced through his time at Villanova. Pat embodies so much diversity himself and at the same time is quintessentially Malvern.”

Adds Malvern Director of Admissions Sean Kenney, “We are extremely excited to have Pat join the admissions team. His passion and energy for Malvern will certainly help move our overall admissions efforts and, in particular, our diversity initiative, forward. He has a unique understanding of what families are looking for and how we can best serve them through our mission-driven admissions process.”

The hiring of an Assistant Director of Admissions & Diversity is one of the first steps Malvern is taking to reach its goal of a student population that is 20 percent diverse—and that number is simply a benchmark for Malvern’s vision to become a center of excellence in student-centered learning. A more diverse community will enhance the overall learning environment for all students by fostering a culture of inclusivity and creative innovations, explains Talbot. For authentic collaboration, students need to experience a variety of talents and perspectives.

This point is not lost on Malvern’s newest hire.

“Cross-cultural competency is an integral component of student-centered learning, and it is our responsibility as educators to prepare these young men for life beyond Warren Avenue,” Williams says. “It would be neglectful for us as educators not to make every effort to expose these young men to an environment as close to that of the real world as possible.”