Malvern Prep Celebrates Newest Wall of Distinction Inductees

On Wednesday, October 29, Malvern Preparatory School inducted two members into the James H. Stewart IV Wall of Distinction during a school-wide ceremony. The Wall of Distinction was unveiled in 2021 and is housed in the St. Augustine Center for Social Impact, a building that provides the space and programming for students to tackle present and future humanitarian challenges.

The award is named to honor the legacy of Mr. Jim Stewart P’86’94 PT Hon, a member of the Wall of Distinction Committee who passed away in August 2020, prior to the announcement of the inaugural class. The award recognizes individuals who provide an extraordinary contribution to both Malvern Prep and the community as a whole. Honorees are wonderful examples of selfless service to others and to the Common Good, which demonstrates the Augustinian values of the Malvern Prep experience.

This year’s inductees were Mr. Lawrence “Larry” DiPaul and Ms. Mary Fischer-Nassib P’08’11’14, both of whom were honored by proud family and friends at the ceremony.

Dr. Sillup welcomed the honorees, their families, friends, and the Malvern Community. “As we honor Larry and Mary, keep in mind that their stories remind us that Malvern is not a temporary experience but a forever proposition, shaping how we love, how we lead, and how we love in this world,” he shared.

Mr. Len DiPaul spoke on behalf of his brother Larry, who passed away in 2014. “Larry spoke about leadership, but Larry was a follower…he followed the Gospel, and he made the Gospel matter,” shared Len. He described his brother as a ‘coach’ who came to Malvern Prep to take the gifts and talents of the people at Malvern and make the world better. Next to speak on behalf of Larry was a former faculty member, friend, and colleague of Larry’s, Mr. John Ostick P’99’07’13. John explained that under Larry’s leadership, Christian Service became essential to the Malvern Prep experience. “He created community, fostered by our Augustinian values. The message he shared with Malvern Prep was to reflect not on what we do in service, but why we do service,” shared Ostick. He shared that when Larry left Malvern Prep in 2004, he was sad to see him go, and he wondered why he had to leave. “The only thing that got me through that was knowing that Larry was a prophet. He had a certain time to be with us, and then he had to go on and serve other areas.”

The second inductee, Mary Fischer-Nassib, is the Co-Founder of Sow Good Now, a non-profit established in 2018 to teach philanthropy through organized youth sports. Sow Good Now works closely with the Malvern Prep Community to run the Caritas Carnival held on campus every spring for 200 children from area elementary schools who would otherwise not be able to enjoy a field trip with their classmates. “It is only through working with you [the students] that I have a place here at Malvern, and I am very proud of that,” shared Fischer-Nassib. She expressed her joy at seeing how the Caritas Carnival has grown every year, “It is living proof that we all have the ability to walk out our Augustinian Values and share the light of God on this campus.” Mary described the Malvern Community as an “Army of Augustinians,” encouraging students to act as a community of one to perform service to better the world, even when it is thankless. 
 

ABOUT THE INDUCTEES

Mr. Lawrence “Larry” DiPaul

Lawrence “Larry” M. DiPaul grew up with his two brothers, Lenny and Vince, and his parents in West Philadelphia and Ardmore, PA. Larry was an outstanding student starting in grade school, which, according to his younger brother Lenny, made for some difficult shoes to follow. Larry is described as being a great big brother, and he, along with his brothers, had wonderful, supportive parents and lived in a great neighborhood growing up.

Larry graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep in 1965 and completed his studies at St. Charles Seminary, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and a Master of Divinity degree. As a former priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Larry served as associate pastor at parishes from the 1970s to the mid-90s.

In 1997, fate brought Larry to Malvern Prep, where, during his tenure (1997-2004), he taught Theology and single-handedly designed and launched our official Christian Service Program, planting the seeds for what it has now become. 

Following his time at Malvern Prep, Larry served as Director of the Romero Center (2004-2007), a retreat and social justice education center in East Camden affiliated with St. Joseph’s Pro-Cathedral. Malvern Prep has maintained a connection and partnership with the Romero Center and its mission thanks to Larry's connection to both institutions.

Larry went on to serve as the Director of the Camden Diocese's Office of Social Justice Ministries from 2007 to 2009. He led the diocese’s efforts to integrate Catholic Social Teaching into the lives of South Jersey Catholics through advocacy, service, and faith formation.

In 2009, his office combined with the Office of Respect Life to form the Office of Life and Justice, with Larry serving as director. Larry worked with clergy, religious, and laity on the call to live in solidarity with all of God’s people, especially the most vulnerable, and promoted a consistent and seamless ethic of life from conception to natural death.

His brother shared that “Larry didn’t bring goodness to Malvern Prep. It was already there. He helped bring it out and cultivate it. The soil at Malvern Prep was fertile; he just planted the seeds for Christian Service work.”

When Lenny was asked how he would describe his brother’s legacy, he shared this: “Larry's journey through life was one of being a prophetic voice in bringing about the reality of God's reign through the seamless garment of social justice for all, the privileged and the underprivileged.”

Larry DiPaul was a tireless advocate for the Catholic Church’s teachings on life and social justice. Unfortunately, he was taken from this world too soon, dying in February 2014. His impact, care, and compassion will be remembered forever.

Mary Fischer-Nassib P’08’11’14

Ms. Mary Fischer-Nassib grew up in Boca Raton, FL, with her parents and was one of 12 children! She has nine brothers and two sisters. Mary attended St. Joan of Arc grade school and graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in 1980. In high school, she was a three-sport athlete, excelling at track, volleyball, and basketball. During her volleyball-playing days at Cardinal Gibbons, Mary played for legendary coach Ms. Louise Crocco. She describes her experience with Coach Crocco as “transformative.” 

 “She taught us more about life and how to believe in ourselves. She taught us to expect to win and to strive to win at all things we did in life,” shares Nassib. When Coach Crocco wanted to start a women’s volleyball team, she was told there were no times for her to practice after school, so Coach Crocco found a way to practice with her teams during lunch. Mary is thankful for having the opportunity to play under Coach Louise Crocco, whose win-loss record ranks fifth in national history and was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. 

Following high school, Mary earned a scholarship to play volleyball at Villanova University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Mary shares that she “always felt a calling to give back.” Starting a family was also a priority, so that came first, but the calling to make an impact through service never left her. She spent so much time at practices and games for her children, making service work difficult to schedule. It was then that she thought, “Why not give back through sports?” She then dedicated her life to philanthropy and learning as much about it as she could. 

“If I can see it, I can be it.” These are words that drive her and her philanthropic work. 

Currently, Mary is the President and Co-Founder of Sow Good Now, a non-profit established in 2018 to teach philanthropy through organized youth sports. Sow Good Now, based in Newtown Square, PA, is an organization that empowers high school and college athletes to use their sports as platforms for philanthropy—sharing their time, talents, treasures, and community ties to benefit underserved youth through what they call the GiveBack model.

Through Sow Good Now, Mary enables young people to make an impact on underserved and underfunded communities through their sport. She shares that “young people who have excelled in their sports feel more confident in that environment, so having those young people use their sport as their platform for service and impact lights a spark and plants the seeds for lifelong philanthropy.” Her advice to us is: “Just get started and bring others with you.”

A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), Mary has decades of experience as a financial consultant and philanthropic specialist, working with generous families and communities. She also serves on multiple nonprofit boards, supporting various causes. Mary’s heart has always been on the court, where she has coached girls’ volleyball—especially CYO teams—for decades. 

Mary is the proud mother of two daughters and three sons. Her sons, Ryan ’08, Carl ’11, and John ’14, are graduates of Malvern Prep. She remains deeply connected to our school community, helping lead the annual Caritas Carnival and other service traditions. For Mary, faith, family, and the game are all part of the same mission: building a bigger, stronger, and more loving team.