“
It’s like when you find that house you
want and you know it’s the one. When I
came back to GMercyU, I felt like I was
back home.
”
ALPHONSO EVANS
Graduate and Professional Studies
Most students count down the hours until the school bell rings
and long for the relaxing days of summer vacation, but for
Alphonso Evans ‘03/’19, education never takes a break.
Raised by his grandparents, Alphonso comes from a family of
education advocates. It was not about the degrees or money, his
grandfather stressed, but how education opens up opportunities
that wouldn’t be available otherwise.
“When I think about the Sisters of Mercy and their focus on
women and children and access to education and making people
understand their self-worth, that is my passion,” Alphonso said.
“Every day is about urban education for me.”
Alphonso took his grandfather’s words to heart and has
dedicated his life to mentoring students, particularly young
men like himself. After graduating from Temple University with
a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Alphonso held
various positions from classroom teacher to academic coach.
At the prompting of his superiors who were eager for him
to move into an administrative role, Alphonso applied to
GMercyU’s Educational Administration Master’s program. It
was a match made in heaven.
“When I think of GMercyU and its emphasis on social justice, it
aligns with my life’s work,” Alphonso said.
The true definition of a lifelong learner, Alphonso’s next step
after earning his master’s degree was to continue onto his
doctorate. He couldn’t imagine studying anywhere else besides
GMercyU. The only problem was that GMercyU was still in
the infancy stages of its new Executive Doctorate in Education
Leadership program. Alphonso enrolled elsewhere and was on
the cusp of completing his coursework when he got the call he’d
been waiting to receive.
“It’s like when you find that house you want and you know it’s
the one. When I came back to GMercyU, I felt like I was back
home,” Alphonso said. “There was a level of accountability.
They’re going to hold me accountable and I can hold them
accountable.”
The close-knit cohort model of GMercyU’s EdD program
enabled Alphonso to challenge himself while writing his
dissertation, titled “Effective Teacher Preparation of White
Female Teachers who Teach Black Male Students in Urban K-8
Schools.” No matter what time of day, Alphonso knew he could
call one of his advisors or even the director of the program for
guidance.
“Alphonso is an educator who cares deeply about students.
As a doctoral student, he modeled the disposition, skills, and
knowledge that we hope to see in school leaders. He is the
leader that schools need to support student achievement at the
highest level,” Director of Doctoral Studies in Education Ray
Bandlow, PhD said.
Alphonso was recently appointed Assistant Superintendent of
Middle Schools for the Chester Community Charter School
Network in Pennsylvania. He plans to continue his mentorship
of young men, which has already helped ensure that six students
successfully graduated from college; four have earned their
master’s degrees.
“I don’t think I can ever repay my grandparents for what they
did or the opportunities I had at Gwynedd Mercy University,”
Alphonso said. “But I can afford someone else the opportunity
and the insight into what else is out there.”
TODAY
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