When families are considering Crescent School for their son, the Enrolment Office is often their first introduction to what life at Crescent is like. They are guaranteed to get a warm and enthusiastic welcome from David Shaw, Director of Enrolment and Financial Aid at Crescent.
“When you work in admissions, you are making an incredible difference in the life of a school, but also in the lives of families and boys,” says Shaw, who joined Crescent in 2015.
When Shaw first arrived at Crescent, he was struck by how the Crescent mission, Men of Character from Boys of Promise, was embodied in the daily life of the School.
“I’ve never been to a place where the boys can recite the mission,” says Shaw. “But at Crescent, stop any kid and they’ll tell you the mission. It’s on the wall, it’s on the ground, they quote it in their yearbook comments and they say it at Graduation.”
He was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the Crescent boys who serve as ambassadors for Open House events and visits by prospective families.
“We have some incredible tour guides,” says Shaw. “If you have a company and are looking for some sales reps, we’ve got some boys for you.”
Before coming to Crescent, Shaw worked at Upper Canada College for 17 years, where his roles included teaching math, coaching football and working in the admissions and advancement departments. Prior to that, he taught at Branksome Hall and a public high school in London, Ontario.
He says the opportunity to work at Crescent attracted him because he had always been impressed when he visited the campus.
“It’s a jewel of a place,” says Shaw. “The kids are lovely and there’s a family kind of feeling. That really appealed to me.”
Shaw was also attracted by Headmaster Michael Fellin’s commitment to expanding the student financial aid program and increasing the diversity of the student body. Working with Crescent’s leadership, Shaw is developing relationships with organizations throughout the city such as the 100 Strong Foundation and the African-Canadian Christian Network to help give remarkable boys the opportunity to apply to Crescent.
Education is very important to Shaw’s family. His wife, Kelly, is CEO of Ooka Island Educational Technology, which produces digital games that build literacy skills. Their daughter Sam has just completed her first year (Grade 7) at St. Clement’s School.
One of the things Shaw appreciates about the independent school system is that “there’s a philosophy that school isn’t just from 8:30 to 3:30, that it extends beyond that, and sports and music and drama are just as important as math and science and English. That philosophy really resonates with me.”
Having put in a successful first year at Crescent, Shaw is looking forward to the year when boys he enrolled cross the stage at Graduation.
“I really look forward to hugging a mom or dad at Graduation, when you’ve seen the full arc of their son’s path from meeting and recruiting them, and their impact on the School,” says Shaw. “That is a powerful moment.”
