Vivien Mallick welcomes new students for the 2019-2020 school year.
After working at Andover for over 21 years since she was 21 years old, Vivien Mallick, Director of Admissions Operations, will be leaving for The Bishop’s School in San Diego, Calif., following the 2020-2021 school year. According to Bishop’s website, Mallick will join the institution as the Director of Admissions in the summer of 2021. Mallick described how she will use the experience she accumulated at Andover for her new position.
“I just have learned so much over the last 21-and-a-half years about education, admissions work, independent schools, boarding schools, kids, teenagers, and about parenting. When I started, I was only 21, and, since then, I have had two kids of my own. So, watching students and families move through this school has informed a lot of my parenting as well. But I also feel that it is important to take a risk and get out of my comfort zone, which is advice that I often give to students,” said Ms. Mallick.
According to Mallick, her reason behind departing Andover revolved around her ambition to try something new and gain a new perspective from a different working environment. To Mallick, Bishop’s serves as an excellent opportunity for her to embrace change, as the institution has a similar emphasis on the core values that Andover possesses.
“One of the reasons that I accepted the job was because the core values at the Bishop’s School aligned really well with Andover’s. My new school has a strong commitment to equity, justice, compassion, and service to others. When I was learning more about the school, it felt a lot like what Andover truly values. It made me more comfortable accepting the position because a lot of the values are the same,” said Mallick.
According to Kennedy Ndiaye ’22, a student in Mallick’s advising group and dorm, Bancroft House, she was saddened to hear the news of Mallick’s departure from Andover. Ndiaye believes that Mallick’s presence is irreplaceable within the dorm and the @AndoverAdmissions Instagram account. She recounted the impact Mallick had on her experience at Andover.
“Ms. Mallick is one of the most welcoming people I know, and that meant the world to me as I came to [Andover] as a new Lower. She is a second mom to me at school and I adore her family. She is not only the adult I come to with my problems, but also the first person I run to with any good news,” wrote Ndiaye in an email to The Phillipian.
Although Mallick is looking forward to her career at Bishop’s, she noted that she will bring memories of Andover traditions and working with the Shuman Admission team with her to her new position. According to Mallick, there are aspects of the Andover community that she will miss after her departure.
“I love all of the Andover traditions. The Blue Keys screaming on the corner in September and all of the Andover/Exeter matches. My favorite memories are watching kids graduate every June; I cry every year… My favorite memories are working with Team Shuman and getting into heated arguments with my admissions colleagues around our conference room table when trying to decide [who we should ultimately admit]. They are heated but fun discussions about who should be admitted to this school. Team Shuman is awesome,” said Mallick.
She continued, “I will miss a ton of things. I will miss my advisees, I have some Upper advisees who are the best. I will miss my friends among the faculty and staff. I will miss my kids running about this campus with all the other faculty kids. It’s been a really wonderful community to be a part of.”
