From the Head of School

by Tyler Casertano

When Annie and I first told Mac, our now seven-year-old, that we would be moving to the Philadelphia suburbs so I could take a new job at The Haverford School, he burst into tears, telling me between sobs that this job would be boring and that I should say no. (Note: it has not been boring.) A few months later, Mac began his Haverford career by walking into the year’s Opening Ceremony hand in hand with two Form VI students. On the way home from school that day, Mac said, “Daddy, I love Haverford.”

Such is the power of tradition, community, and mentorship.

On that day, thanks to a tradition that unites our youngest and oldest students and teaches them that they are part of something larger than themselves, Mac and his classmates experienced their first moment of mentorship at The Haverford School. I watched with pride as the Form VI boys tended to their kindergarten mentees on the Class of 1975 Field, assuaging their fears, playing games, giving high fives. Many were crouched down so they could look eye to eye at their kindergarten buddies, meeting those boys where they were to create connections and trust. For a new Head of School, these interactions served as a powerful indicator of the culture of mentorship at The Haverford School.

Soon after the classes of 2022 and 2034 walked together onto Sabol Field, Sixth Former and Student Body President Mitav Nayak and I talked with the students and faculty about the virtue of the year, “Support.” I defined support as “giving yourself to others to make them better,” and encouraged them to approach each day with that mindset of support.

Over the course of the year, I have come to realize that what is so special about Haverford, what is so central to the strength of our community, is not the level of support that we give to our closest friends, but rather, is the level of support we give to those who might not be our closest friends; those who came before us, are coming behind us, or are simply in a slightly different circle. The way we treat those we might not know well is ultimately what drives the health of our community.

And that is what I saw on the Class of 1975 Field that morning; boys giving themselves to others — others who before that day, they hadn’t known, but were connected to through their allegiance to this institution and the virtues that unite us.

Since that day, I have seen this culture of mentorship and support flourish. I have observed alumni provide career support to other alumni — and to our current students — despite not directly knowing them. I have seen faculty members go out of their way to provide support for a student and his family, even though the boy was no longer in that teacher’s class. I have witnessed faculty members offer their time, wisdom, and coaching to younger faculty members, despite the increased demands of teaching during a pandemic. Every day I see powerful moments of older students reaching down to younger students, even though they are years apart.

And I have benefitted immensely from the support and mentorship of others; from current and former members of the Board of Trustees, who routinely go out of their way to support Annie and me; from the Leadership Team, which does outstanding work for our community every day; from my predecessors, who are always there to pick up the phone and share their insights; from other school heads, such as Sally Keidel P ’24 at Agnes Irwin and Marisa Porges at Baldwin, who have provided generous support throughout my first year; from countless other alumni, and current and former families, who have gone out of their way to connect with me and provide their support; and last but certainly not least, from the boys at Haverford, who have been such a source of guidance, support, and joy during my first year.

I could not be more grateful for our culture of mentorship, and excited to work together to enhance and extend it in the months and years to come.

Tyler Casertano, Head of School