Director of Admissions Departs the Academy

After fourteen years of discovering future Exonians and guiding Exeter Admissions, Director of Admissions Michael Gary has announced that he will leave the Academy at the end of the academic year. Effective July 1, 2016, Gary will serve as the head of Friends Select School, a well-known Quaker school in Philadelphia, PA. The Academy has already begun the search process for a new Director of Admissions.“I want to lead an independent school that can make a difference in a major city and I found it,” Gary said. “Along with its rich history, it is a school that champions social justice,” which has served as a paragon of Gary’s tenure at the Academy.Gary expressed excitement for his new position and also fondness for his time at Exeter, in a job which he said “has made me a better educator. I will miss it.”Many students and admissions officers will miss Gary for his hard work, affability and compassion.

“Mr. Gary is always ready with a smile or a kind word and his laugh is often heard booming through Bissell House.”

“I have known Mr. Gary for 14 out of my 16 years here at Exeter. [His] tenure here was joyful and welcoming,” Admissions Visit Facilitator Deborah Waleryszak said. “Nothing makes him happier than to see the reception rooms in Bissell House filled with applicants and their families. Even during the most difficult of days, and there have been plenty, he is all heart.”Indeed, under Gary’s tenure, Exeter’s applicant yield “has consistently grown,” according to Waleryszak. She believes it is by no means coincidental and added “More than anything, Mr. Gary demonstrates respect… respect for the applicant, respect for the families, respect for the process, respect for all.”Gary himself attended boarding school, and after a successful career in marketing, he switched professional spheres to become an admissions officer. Gary worked at two other boarding schools before beginning at Exeter in 2002, and he quickly became an essential part of the Academy community and experience.During his time in the Admissions office, Gary said he has done his best to put “people before process [and] to always exhibit genuine care for families considering the Academy as an option.”That mission was clear to students who knew him well. “Mr. Gary has been a source of joy for the admissions team for a long time,” Head Tour Guide and senior Cesar Zamudio said. “My first interaction with Mr. Gary was when I was accepted as a new lower. He is constantly smiling, and his charm permeates the room and everyone instantly becomes happier.” Zamudio added that the admissions team is losing a “leader and an integral part to our school.”Fellow Head Tour Guide and senior Chris Lee, who met Gary even before he had begun the application process, echoed Zamudio’s sentiments. “I remember his kind and friendly demeanor, and, despite the fact he shakes your hand for like 25 seconds, he eliminated the cold and harsh preconceptions I had about Exeter,” Lee said. “The admissions team will miss a leader whose energy was contagious and made people feel like Exeter is a place they could actually call home.”While some recall most vividly their first interaction with Gary, others appreciate him for his consistent friendliness, warmth and reasoning.“With his infectious laugh and always-visible smile, he manages to make the admissions office, a place which can seem stressful to perspective students, feel homey and welcoming,” Head Tour Guide and senior Holly MacAlpine said. “Mr. Gary somehow manages to combine this positivity and openness with focus and perspective. When we first met as a group of Head Tour Guides last spring, Mr. Gary managed to balance his congratulations and celebration with careful words regarding the importance of our work and the trust he placed in us.”Senior and Head Tour Guide Meghan Tanguay added, “For me, what is memorable about having known him is in the everyday [interactions]. Mr. Gary is always ready with a smile or a kind word and his laugh is often heard booming through Bissell House.”Owing to Gary’s successful tenure, Zamudio believes that, whoever fills his shoes, will have no hard time building off the success Gary initiated.“Admissions is what keeps our school thriving by admitting students who can take an Exeter education and combine knowledge and goodness,” Zamudio said. “Mr. Gary has been the leader behind that success, but I know whoever takes the position, will be successful because of Mr. Gary’s legacy of friendliness and action.”Students and colleagues alike said that they appreciated not only his talent in directing and managing the Admissions Department, but also his cheerful contributions to campus life and the community.“It has been my great privilege and honor to have worked with Mr. Gary,” Waleryszak said. “In my lifetime, I have known few who follow their heart and soul as much as he does. Though we haven’t always seen eye to eye, I know that his door and mind are always open. I will miss the sound of his shoes brushing at the front door each morning, his boisterous laughter, his precious dog Cable, his family, his magnanimous presence.”