Mike Meehan '03

Mike Meehan ‘03 truly understands what it means to make the most out of your time here at Malvern. It is a special place and he has continued to be involved with Malvern since his graduation day.

Meehan grew up in West Chester and began his schooling in the West Chester public schools. Prior to his entrance into high school, his parents saw the beauty in Malvern, and they were the initial driving force behind him attending Malvern Prep. “They kind of saw it before I did and helped to steer me in that direction. From there, I had great conversations with Gamp Pellegrini and Paul Hornsleth, and it didn’t take me long to see that Malvern was a great fit for me,” he shared. He quickly immersed himself into the Malvern experience by playing football, swimming, and playing the piano at various occasions and school events.

One of his favorite memories from Malvern was a swimming memory. “I think my best memory is junior year swim season, beating Germantown Academy. Germantown Academy at that time...had a real powerhouse team. I think they won the Inter-Ac every year from the mid-70s through the early 2000s. They had a few superstar swimmers who won their individual events, but our team took second, third, and fourth in those events, and that’s how we won the meet. It was the epitome of a true team effort.”

Following his four years at Malvern, Meehan continued his education at Princeton University and played football there as well. He was a three-year starter as a defensive lineman, winning an Ivy League Championship in his senior season. Upon his graduation in 2007, he enrolled directly into the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova University. He’s been working as a transactional attorney ever since - first at Blank Rome LLP in Philadelphia for four years, and currently at Fox Rothschild LLP in Chester County since 2014.

Throughout all of that time, he has remained connected to Malvern. Meehan joined the Alumni Board in 2012 and now serves as the
Alumni Board President. “The Board is a nice way to stay engaged with a place where I have formed such great connections. Malvern is where I feel the most plugged into a network, and a lot of my closest friends I’ve stayed in touch with are from Malvern. It’s great to get back on campus, it’s great to see it evolve, and see the teachers that you had. It’s great to network. It’s great to meet people, help Malvern, and share a common connection. That’s the drive for me,” he said.

As the current Alumni Board President, he has a lot of initiatives to keep fellow alums connected to Malvern for the next three years of his term. “My main goal over the next three years is to find different ways for alums to be engaged without just hitting their wallet every time. One of the best ways that I know to do that is through student engagement. There’s not a Malvern alum that I know that wouldn’t
have lunch with a student, or review a resume, or take the time to talk to a student about getting into their industry or going to their
school,” he said.

The Alumni Board, in tandem with the Counseling team, is working now on a project to connect students with Malvern alums who
attended their “wish list” schools. Those alums could take the students to a sporting event, or on a tour, or make themselves available to provide advice on the college institution. “That sounding board aspect works both ways - it’s great engagement for the student
and parents, and it’s great for the alums. I think it will be helpful on the Admissions side, too, for prospective parents and students to see that resource in action. The alums love it too. And now you have alums back and engaged and they’re jumping on calls and jumping in on career night and things like that. You have to find a number of ways for people to give back and stay engaged,” he shared.

Alumni engagement, continuity, and alumni culture were a few of the most important facets Meehan was looking for when he was part of the Executive Search Committee in the recent Head of School search. As an alumni liaison, he did not take this commitment lightly. He knew how important it was for a Head of School to balance the school’s history with its future. “Being on the search committee was a good experience. Patrick and I have discussed alumni engagement and he understands how important it is. He knows it’s important for a Head of School to engage with alums who are 5, 10, 30, 40 years out. He hasn’t had to do that much in his current role and he seems excited to have the chance to do that now. As alums, we need to meet him halfway and welcome that discussion,” Meehan said.

When asked what advice he would share with the Class of 2022 before they officially become Malvern alums, he said, “I would tell
them I’ve gotten a lot of personal benefit out of staying involved. If Malvern was a good place for you or contributed something to your
life, then stay connected to it. Come back to athletic events, become a Class Agent, organize a reunion. It doesn’t end at graduation, and the investments you make in this place will come back to you ten-fold.”