Continuing on from the last issue, three more new faculty members share more about their background, their first impressions, and their future hopes for Malvern.

Fr. James Cassidy – Theology

TH: What did you do before you came to Malvern?
JC: After I got out of the navy, I went to college off the GI Bill. I went to to Holy Apostles College up in Connecticut. I joined the Order of St. Augustine around 1973. Since then I’ve taught in many places. I taught at Archbishop Carroll High School in DC. I’ve also taught at a high school in Florida and was on the faculty of St. Thomas University. I’ve also worked in parishes and worked in Peru for a time.

TH: When did you first hear of Malvern?
I first heard of Malvern because, well, I’m and Augustinian and it’s an Augustinian school. I first came here in 1975 to do a retreat and that was the first and last time I’ve been to Malvern before now.

TH: What classes are you teaching?
JC: I’m teaching Church History and Moral Theology.

TH: What was your first impression of Malvern?
JC: My first impression of Malvern was that it was beautiful. Coming from working in inner city, this campus is really something.

Mrs. Korin Folan – Counceling

CB:Where were you born?
KF:I was born in Tampa, Florida. I grew up, I spent 1st grade through 12th grade up near Syracuse NY in a small town called Skaneateles.

CB:Where did you go to college?
KF:I went to the University of Delaware for undergrad and then Wilmington University for graduate school.

CB:What did you study there?
KF:Undergrad, I was a psychology major, and I got master’s in education for school counseling.

CB:Have you worked anywhere else before Malvern?
KF:I have. I spent three years in alternative education. I ran the counseling department in the Delaware/New Castle area. I then went to a private school outside of DC, and I was there for 5 years. In the past year, I was in Nashville. My husband was working at Vanderbilt last year, so I worked in a public school last year. So I’ve done second through twelfth grade when I was at the alternate school. I have done 5 years at the private school in DC. I was in a high school. Last year, i was in a high school as well.

CB:Outside of your professional life, do you have any hobbies?
KF:I really enjoy hanging out with my family, spending a lot of time. A lot of my family lives down in Rehoboth beach, Delaware. So I spend a lot of time down there during the summer on the weekends. I enjoy running, being outside, doing things like that.

CB:Will you be teaching courses, or will you be just counselling?
KF:This year, I will be doing the counselling classes. I have taught Ap Psychology in the past at the private school in DC.

CB:Who will you be counselling?
KF:Ninth and Tenth Grade. I Have the M through P students. There are four [counselors] this year. Mr. Simpsons has some as well. He has some college, and some 9th-10th as well. We’re lucky we have a lot of support here.

CB:What first attracted you to teach at Malvern?
KF:My parents are both from the area, so I knew this school. When my husband took a job at Penn, I started looking and right away there was an opening at Malvern. I actually sent in my resume and everything. I got a call a few days later, so….the name. I knew it was a good school, just from being in the area. My parents being from here, and when I brought the name up to them, they said ”Definitely apply.” So, when I did a Skype interview, Mr. Algeo, Fr. Drennan, Mrs.Lewis, and Mr. Simpson. Just seeing them and getting to know them through that interview, I was really excited about the school and the direction it was heading in.

CB:What are your first impressions of Malvern like after a month?
KF:I love the school. If I could take everything about I loved about my previous experiences and form one school, I think that Malvern would hit a lot of those things I love. The people, students, and staff, have been so friendly and welcoming. I really have enjoyed my first month here.

CB:What are you looking forward to the most at Malvern?
KF:I am really looking forward to being part of the new counseling curriculum, and getting to know all of the students, even the ones outside of M-P, 9th and 10th grade. It’s just the experiences that Malvern offers. I have been helping coach the middle school cross country. I really like that at Malvern, there so much outside of counseling for me to do here to get involved.

Mrs. Lauren Randle – Counseling

CB:Where were you born?
LR:I was born in Cape May, New Jersey. That’s where I grew up and where my parents and family still live.

CB:Where did you go to college?
LR:I went to Georgetown University for my undergraduate degree, and then I went to University of Virginia for my master’s degree.

CB:What did you study there?
LR:At Georgetown, I went there thinking that i was going to be a Government major. [I] switched to American Studies, and then I pursued my graduate degree. I got a masters in education and higher education administration.

CB:Have you worked anywhere else before?
LR:I have. First, I worked in politics on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. She lost, I had to switch gears. I worked in Georgetown University in admissions for several years. Then, I got my masters, and I made a big jump across the globe. I worked in Hong Kong at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong before coming here to Malvern.

CB:How was your time in Hong Kong? What was that like?
LR:That was an adventure. It’s a world away, obviously, so you do feel like you’re on the other side of the planet, but in a weird way, it felt really comfortable. The international school had a great community, so I had wonderful friends, and everybody speaks english there, so it wasn’t that difficult,. But it was an adventure because I got to travel and got to really see foreign place, and exotic lands and people. The students were professionally and personally inspiring, because they would consider colleges all over the globe. It was an adventure, and there were challenges of course, but I don’t regret a second of it.

CB:Outside of your professional life, what are your hobbies?
LR:It feels like all I do right now is….I just bought a house, so all I do is home improvement stuff. that has become a full time job outside of my real job. I love to travel, obviously, that’s kind of what led me to Hong Kong. Travelling is a big part of my life. I enjoy anything at the beach. I grew up in Cape May, which is right on the beach in New Jersey. I love waterski, I love to go on the boat, I love to swim, have my feet in the sand.

CB:Can you tell us something unusual about yourself?
LR:It was pretty weird that I was a professional driver. So when I first started with the presidential campaign, my job was Chelsea Clinton’s driver. They would fly me all across the country, pick her up at the airport, and drive her to the next ever. Then get back on the plane to the next event. So I was driving to states that i have never been to, let alone driven in a car. So I guess it’s weird to say that i was a professional driver.

CB:Who will you be advising at Malvern?
LR:I am the Associate Director of College Counseling. Most of the students I work with are grades 11 and 12. Mostly, during the fall, it’s working with the seniors as they are preparing their college applications. Come Christmas, right after Christmas, the focus will switch to the juniors to get them start thinking about their college application process.

CB:What first attracted you to teach at Malvern?
LR:I decided that I wanted to leave Hong Kong and come closer to home. It was a great experience, but it was far away from home. I was looking in the Philadelphia area. It’s about 2 hours from my family and where i grew up. There was something about it that felt really familiar. When I came to interview and visit Malvern, i thought it was a beautiful campus. It felt like I was on a small college. My younger brother Spencer went to St. Augustine’s and south jersey. He’s the one that told me about an Augustinian education, and he was the first one that taught me the word brotherhood, and what that means. I thought that this could be a welcoming and supportive place.

CB:What are your first impressions after a month?
LR:It’s been a whirlwind! It’s a new job, a new town, a new house, all at once for me. But i like the busy pace. I found the people here, both the staff and the students, both extremely approachable and friendly. there is something so comforting to walk across the campus, where you don’t really know all of the people, and everyone says Good Morning and Hello. It immediately puts a smile on your face. So I feel like I found a very inviting environment here.

CB:What are you looking forward to the most at Malvern?
LR:It’s not really so much what I’m getting out of. I think that I do this job because I love helping students find their best match college. I’m hoping to put more into it than what I get out of it. I want to make sure that I’m giving my best advice and counseling support to the boys. I know the college application process can be really stressful. Helping them find their best match college is what I’m hoping to get out of and put in to this experience.