Family legacy at Malvern pushed this sophomore to make a mark in his own way.

As a younger sibling, sophomore Danny Faunce has had to forge his own identity at every stage in his life. He believes Malvern has provided him the opportunity to do just that.

Faunce had a close bond with his older brother Jimmy all throughout his childhood. They were competitive in sports and were particularly serious about their wakeboarding pursuits.

“I remember one time down at the beach, people were literally driving down on the road taking pictures of my brother and I wakeboarding,” Faunce said. “We took that pretty seriously.”

Faunce has another memory involving his siblings, which also includes his sister, that may not be as pleasant to reminisce about.

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“He just has a really great sense of humor, and that makes him easy to talk to. He is a spontaneous type of guy that can just make a joke out of every situation.”

-Andrew Reilly ’20

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“When I was younger, they duct-taped me and then put me on top of a big box TV,” Faunce said. “My hands and feet were taped, and my mouth was taped shut. Then they literally left, and I had to wait until my mom got home, which was about a two hour wait.”

Nevertheless, Faunce insists his siblings have been positively influential in his life.

“Despite all that, I still love my brother and sister,” he added.

Faunce says his grandparents have also been incredibly important figures.

“They’re both really hard workers,” he said. “One was a doctor, and one was a nurse. I’ve kind of always looked up to them, and they definitely help me by example.”

Faunce’s decision to attend Malvern was partially fueled by Jimmy’s enthusiasm about the school.

“He would always come home and tell these awesome stories,” he said. “And then when I shadowed, I saw for myself what he was talking about, and that’s when my interest in the school sparked.”

Faunce says his decision to attend Malvern has been perfect, and the friends he has made have proved he made the right decision. Sophomore Andrew Reilly met Faunce on the squash team freshman year.

“He just has a really great sense of humor, and that makes him easy to talk to,” Reilly said. “He is a spontaneous type of guy that can just make a joke out of every situation.”

Sophomore Spencer Wilson has a slightly different opinion of Faunce’s style of humor.

“I wish he would show me memes that aren’t four years old,” Wilson said. “He’s a funny guy in other areas, but that’s something I would work on if I were him.”

Faunce furthered his foray into aquatics at Malvern and now competes on the varsity diving team. He also played for the freshman football team, plays baseball outside of Malvern, and tried pole vaulting for the first time. Though that last experience was merely a brief stint, Faunce prides himself on being open to new activities.

“I tend to try a lot of different things,” he said. “Even if I don’t end up enjoying it in the end, I think it’s good to at least explore your passions.”

Faunce’s curious nature has sparked an interest in the sciences, and he sees it as a potential future for him.

“I would definitely be open to doing something related to science,” he said. “I’ve always been good at it and actually enjoyed it, so even though I really don’t know what that specific career would be, I’m definitely seriously considering it.”

But Faunce also had to go through some initial challenges at the beginning of his experience at Malvern.

“I was kind of stereotyped when I first came on campus,” he said. “Teachers all knew me as the younger brother of Jimmy, who was known for like screaming at kids to get off of the grass and things like that, so they expected me to be like that. Malvern has been a good place to help me make a name for myself, though.”