The newest member of ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ’s Advancement team., P.J. Andrews, is no stranger to either ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ or prep school life. Last year, PJ started work at ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ as an assistant track coach, dorm parent, and member of the Athletics Department, before becoming a Leadership Annual Giving Officer in July. He brings a wealth of experience to the new roles after working at several other independent boarding schools.
Born and raised in Rhode Island, Andrews matriculated to nearby Springfield College for his undergraduate and graduate degrees and was also part of the school’s track and field team. He fell in love with Western Massachusetts during his college years, and is happy to be back, now living in Ford Hall with his wife, Emily.
In his new role, Andrews will be meeting with alumni and parents on the road, by Zoom, and phone. We sat down with P.J. to ask him a few important questions.
Q: Tell us about your background at independent schools and previous roles you’ve held.
P.J.: It started back in 2016 when I interned at Wilbraham & Monson Academy as a college counselor. I was new to the world of prep schools, and I just threw myself into it. I had a unique opportunity to work with their Director of College Counseling [John Boozang], who is a good mentor of mine still to this day. Then I worked in admissions at Marianapolis Prep School and, focused primarily on domestic boarding students. After Marianapolis, I worked at Suffield Academy as an Assistant Director of Admission. I did take a little bit of a hiatus from boarding schools, but I ultimately missed it and that’s when I came to ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ.
Q: After a lot of work on the Admissions side, are you excited to switch over to an Advancement office?
P.J.: I’m super excited. They do go hand-in-hand in some ways, but there are differences. I think ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ, especially right now, has great momentum coming off another record-breaking year with the annual fund raising $2.8 million, and Reunion this past June with over 600 alumni back on campus. I think things are at a high point here with alumni engagement and giving, and I’m really excited to be in this role.
Q: How much will your familiarity with ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ and the positions you’ve held help you settle into this role?
P.J.: I say this to a lot of people, and as cliché as it sounds, ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ is its own unique community, and I think it really brings out the best in people. So while moving to this side of boarding school is different than anything I’ve done, because of the strong community and involvement that I’ve had previously, and I’ve been welcomed with open arms.
Q: You will be connecting with a lot of alumni, why do you think it’s important that alumni give back to ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ?
P.J.: I’m excited to work with alumni and listen to what inspires them to give back. You read stories about alumni in the Bulletin, in the newsletter, or on the website and sometimes that sparks a memory someone has of a former classmate or teammate, and that inspires other people to join in and give. I think that’s what it’s really about—that and alumni want students to have the same kind of experience they did and want to pay it forward.
Q: How can people get ahold of you?
P.J.: I’ll be reaching out to a lot of people directly, but for anyone who’s interested in reaching out to me first, you can reach me by phone or text at 401-585-5233 and email pandrews@williston.com. I’m looking forward to traveling and having the opportunity to meet with alumni in person, but also by Zoom and phone. I’d just love the opportunity to talk—10 minutes, 30 minutes—to hear why your ±¬×ߺÚÁÏ experience was so special.
Q: And finally; tell us a fun fact about yourself.
P.J.: Something fun? Well, it’s fun for people to hear because if they saw me they would laugh at it, but I’m definitely afraid of cats. Household cats. I’d rather go toe to toe with a lion than a household cat. So, fun for people to laugh at, but not so fun for me!