9 minute read
The DiFrancesco Family
Reconnecting in Marple
by Holly Stupak
Photos by Crissy Everhart Photography www.CrissyEverhart.com
This month we are pleased to introduce you to the DiFrancesco Family: Melissa, Ben and their three children. After moving away from the area for college, neither Ben nor Melissa imagined they’d move back to the area. But since moving back to Broomall in 2015, they’ve come to realize just how important family and community are and they appreciate more than ever all that Marple has to offer… even if we don’t have a Chick-Fil-A!
Ben grew up in Newtown Square with two younger sisters. He went to Culbertson Elementary, Paxon Hollow Middle School and eventually Marple Newtown High School (MNHS). His family still lives in the area including his parents and grandmother who is 102 years old. When Ben was at MNHS he was part of the Marching Band, where he played the trombone and saxophone. He also sang in the choir and ran track. After high school Ben chose the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to further his education and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 2009 in Aerospace Engineering. During his time there Ben was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity and took advantage of all that the city of Atlanta had to offer like restaurants, museums and theaters.
After college Ben worked as a software engineer at Boeing. He also spent a few years as a developer for a small publishing company before eventually starting his own company called ScopeLift. ScopeLift is a software engineering consultancy company that combines a passion for high quality engineering and a keen understanding of business strategy.
Ben loves the technical aspects of his work, but what is especially satisfying is mentoring and supporting his employees. “Helping my employees achieve their goals and progress in their careers has been the most rewarding aspect of running a small business,” he added. Running his own company out of his home has other benefits, too. He’s able to spend much more time with his family. “That was part of the reason why I wanted to do this in the first place,” he explained. “It allows me much more flexibility.”
Ben’s wife Melissa also went to MNHS. Her parents emigrated from Taiwan in the 1980s and decided to raise Melissa and her two siblings here in Broomall while her father taught engineering at Villanova University. Melissa attended Russell Elementary, Paxon Hollow Middle School and graduated from MNHS 2003, a year before Ben.
(L-R): Ben, Max and Anna DiFrancesco
She was also in the high school Marching Band and played the flute and piano. Melissa’s interest in international studies led her across the country to the University of Southern California (USC) where she pursued a degree in International Relations and Chinese. During college Melissa worked in the admissions office, which gave her the opportunity to interact with prospective students and their parents. “I also became a very enthusiastic Trojans fan,” she said. “Especially football!” Another highlight of her college years was a semester abroad in Taiwan. “This experience really impacted my perspective and opened up my world,” said Melissa. “It definitely changed the trajectory of my career.”
It was during their college years that Melissa and Ben started dating seriously. The couple had been longtime friends since their MNHS band days and even attended each other’s proms. But they didn’t actually start dating until Melissa’s senior year of college when they dated long-distance. When Melissa was about to graduate from USC, she began looking at graduate schools and received full funding to attend Georgia Tech. With Ben about to start his senior year there, the timing was perfect for her to join him in Atlanta and earn her Masters in International Relations.
After earning her graduate degree, Melissa worked at the University of Pennsylvania for over 10 years. She supported East Asian studies programs in various roles and also worked at the office of Penn Global, encouraging students to participate in eye-opening study abroad programs. Now she works remotely as a Talent Acquisition Partner for a global faith-based humanitarian non-profit. “I love connecting talented individuals with mission-focused career opportunities,” said Melissa. “And being able to do meaningful work in a remote environment allows me to support my family’s busy schedule.”
Back when Melissa and Ben were both Georgia Tech students, they started a tradition on Valentine’s Day: an affordable date at Chick-Fil-A. To this day, they’ve kept the tradition going. So, when Ben proposed to Melissa in Atlanta in 2010, he made sure to do it on the Georgia Tech campus with Chick-Fil-A in hand. On their wedding day, they even served Chick-Fil-A as appetizers and the Chick-Fil-A cow made a surprise appearance!
Melissa and Ben DiFrancesco with the Chick-Fil-A cow on their wedding day
Photo courtesy of Melissa and Ben DiFrancesco
After their wedding the couple spent a week in Costa Rica and a second week in Honduras where they volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. In their early married life they purchased a home in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia and enjoyed the young professional life there. As members of the St. Francis Xavier Church in Fairmount, they made lifelong friends in its young adult group the Secular Oratory.
In 2015 the DiFrancescos moved out of the city. At that time they were expecting their second child and were looking for more of a suburban life. They found a home that was in close proximity to both of their families, in fact, just a convenient three minute drive from Melissa’s mom and dad.
“Being back in Marple has been a blessing and we are grateful for our parents and for our St. Pius X community," added Melissa.
Ben and Melissa have three children: Benedict (Ben), Anna and Maximillian (Max). Ben is an earnest and curious eight-yearold. A third grader at St. Aloysius Academy in Bryn Mawr, his parents say he’s smart and competitive and participates in his school’s karate, LEGO robotics and music programs. He already won a bronze medal in his first karate tournament and started playing the trumpet this year. Outside of school, Ben plays soccer for the Marple Newtown Soccer Association (MNSA) and takes piano lessons.
Seven-year-old Anna is a first grader at St. Pius X. Her mom and dad say she's sweet and caring and at school she’s known as the “little mom” of her class. Anna also enjoys adding to her ever-growing collection of stuffed animals. This past fall was her first year playing soccer for MNSA, which she loved, and she also started taking piano lessons like her big brother. “Anna is energetic and determined. And she loves to keep up with her older brother,” said Melissa. “The two of them love playing Pokemon and Minecraft together.”
The DiFrancesco Family
The youngest DiFrancesco, four-year-old Max, is silly and funny with a great sense of humor. A preschooler at St. Pius X, he enjoys dancing and listening to music. Max can often be found with his well loved dinosaur Squishmallow named Squishy.
Melissa and Ben said that they love their home in the safe, quiet and supportive Broomall community. “Our neighbors really watch out for each other,” said Melissa. “We feel comfortable letting the kids play outside and we are grateful to have so many nice families nearby.”
During the pandemic, the DiFrancescos gained a new appreciation for the outdoors. They took lots of hikes and nature walks in the area, eventually doing longer trips. After a trip to Berkeley Springs, a small mountain town in West Virginia, they fell in love with the area and purchased a small cabin there. “Now we visit regularly and love exploring the woods and fishing at Cacapon State Park,” said Melissa.
Their family also loves the Jersey shore, especially Ocean City, where Ben’s parents own a home. Their annual trip there includes the beach, playing arcade games on the boardwalk, eating ice cream and crabbing and fishing. Although they’ve yet to do any international travel as a family of five, they hope to get to Taiwan in the next year to visit Melissa’s extended family and teach the kids a little bit of Mandarin.
What is central to the DiFrancesco’s life is their Catholic faith and they are active members in the St. Pius X Parish. Ben and Melissa strive to maintain schedules that reflect their philosophy and work together to instill the importance of faith and family in their kids. “Although we both love our respective careers, we view our role as parents as God’s primary calling in our lives and strive to make family our priority,” said Ben. The DiFrancescos have found Marple to be the perfect place to live out their life philosophy. “It’s great to live in a place we both have a strong connection with,” said Melissa. "Now that we're the parents raising our family here, we have a new appreciation for having been raised in such a wonderful community.” Sounds like the only thing missing here in Marple is a Chick-Fil-A!
Do you know a Marple family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.
