The Power of Invitation

Jeff Mancabelli believes in the power of invitation. If half of life is about showing up and being present, then the other half is about being welcomed in — whether that is to a conversation, classroom, or opportunity — and bringing as many other people along with you in the process. Mancabelli does both with an encouraging warmth. “Much of my personality revolves around welcoming others and truly getting to know them,” Mancabelli says as he reflects on a career that has ultimately led him to Collegiate, where he serves as the new Head of School. “This deep sense of connection has profoundly shaped who I am and continues to inspire my journey.”

Mancabelli’s career began, back in 1991, when a mentor of his invited him into the field of education, encouraging him to apply as a Residential Prefect to Georgetown Preparatory School. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Scranton, Mancabelli moved to Washington, D.C. During the day, Mancabelli worked in employee relations for Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). At night, shortly after he clocked out at NCIS, he took care of 25 freshmen in the international boarding program at Georgetown Preparatory. As a Residential Prefect, he had to wear the many hats of an educator — the instructor, the disciplinarian, the father, the advisor, the friend, the counselor. He learned the importance of connection in education and the importance of being invited to connect with students. 

A year later, in 1992, he became a full-time educator when he was invited to apply to the position of Assistant Dean of the Resident School at Georgetown Preparatory. His duty became fully engrossing himself in the daily currents of education. “My life became intertwined with the ebb and flow of the school and its students,” Mancabelli explains. “A significant part of my interactions involved inviting students to share their stories and experiences, while also being open to being welcomed into their lives.”

After serving eight years at Georgetown Preparatory — his final post as Dean of the Resident School, a position he held for five years — he was invited to explore St. John’s College High School. In 1999, Mancabelli accepted the post of Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs/ Middle School Head. Similar to his immersion in all things Collegiate — its history, its traditions, its core values, its people — Mancabelli, having been welcomed in by St. John’s leaders, became engrossed in the history and culture of the school. Mancabelli has an enthusiasm for the history of institutions, and he leans on the foundation of schools to continue fulfilling the mission and growing the educational atmosphere.

In 2010, Mancabelli became the president of St. John’s and, one year later, completed a comprehensive campus master plan and began laying the groundwork for the first of two capital campaigns. With more than three decades of this kind of plan-specific experience in education, Mancabelli brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Collegiate that will set the School up for future success, especially when putting our Strategic Plan into action. “In just a few short months, Jeff has exhibited love of the Collegiate community and great respect for the School’s history and core values,” says Brandt Surgner, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “He’s not only a proven leader in independent school education, but even more importantly he understands that building and maintaining strong relationships throughout a school community is the foundational fabric of a successful institution. For Jeff, everyone is known, everyone has a name, and everyone is valued.”

Serving as president at St. John’s for the last decade, Mancabelli wasn’t looking for work when an old friend invited him to discover Collegiate by way of a conversation with alumna Susie Benson ’62. The two sat across from each other as Benson reveled in her memories of the institution that shaped her. “She was telling me these stories as if they happened yesterday,” Mancabelli recalls. “One of the things that I remember her talking about was the joy and excitement of her time at Collegiate. She spoke about the relationships she made as a young girl in 2nd Grade that she still holds to this day. The longevity of those connections speak volumes to the community she grew up in.

“I was so moved with her stories of what this community is — and what her memories were — that after three hours of speaking with her I applied to Collegiate because I wanted to be part of this community.”

In his first year as Collegiate’s Head of School, the 18th leader in a line of great leaders, Mancabelli is embracing the School’s history while also anticipating what is next for Collegiate’s future. “Collegiate has thrived for 109 years because we have embraced the core values upon which our institution was founded in 1915,” he says. “Our strength is rooted in our mission. To sustain our success, it is crucial that we make decisions through the lens of that mission. I am truly honored to be the next steward of this incredible community.”

He speaks deliberately and without patent hurry, always at great pains, in his delivery, to get across a simple message. It’s fulfilling the  mission of the School that matters, it’s embracing the values and traditions that have upheld us since the School was founded.

Fulfilling that mission involves knowing each student, each faculty member, and each family individually. His educational ethos hasn’t changed since he began his career in teaching. The fact that Collegiate shares the same approach to education — that every student is known and cared for as an individual — is what excites him about joining the Cougar community. “Seeing that personal interaction between teacher and student is special,” he says. “There’s a phrase I use regularly, which is that students need to be noticed, named, and known. If there’s one thing that you can say unequivocally about Collegiate it’s that when you walk around this campus, and you talk to anyone who works here, you realize that the students are known very well and deeply cared for. At Collegiate you’re known as an individual and you’re supported by the community.”

One of the first people Mancabelli came to know when he was hired as Head of School, in May 2023, was Upper School librarian and archivist Ben Lamb. It was a connection that opened the door to Collegiate’s rich history. In their initial conversations together, Mancabelli learned about Collegiate’s five core values and their rootedness in every aspect of school life. Since Collegiate’s founding, the core values, which were codified in 1993 and became a formal part of the School’s character, have been ingrained in all facets of the institution’s being. If you spend any time talking to Mancabelli, you quickly realize that honor, love of learning, excellence, respect, and community are deeply rooted in him, too. These aren’t just words to him; they are the foundation of the School, a philosophy of character that allows Collegiate to fulfill its mission.

“These values are embodied by the students who walk these halls  every day,” he says. “From the moment they step on campus until the day they receive their diplomas, our faculty and staff not only teach these values but exemplify them in everything they do.”

To both embrace the core values of the School and get to know each student, Mancabelli is spending time in each division, beginning in the Lower School, which he says is one of the best places to see the love of learning in action. On the coffee table  in his office, Mancabelli has stacked a tall pile of children’s books that he plans on reading to Lower Schoolers. His favorite book to read so far has been Frank and Bert, by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros, about two friends who learn that friendship is more important than winning. His face becomes a full, bright smile talking about his Lower School readings. One of his intentions for the year is to highlight the joy he sees in every aspect of school life and recognize all the great work by the faculty and staff, reinforcing a love of learning.

The School’s greatest strength is understanding the needs of each student and responding to those needs. It starts with the small interactions. This is the path forward: attuning ourselves to the little moments of connection while simultaneously expanding on the School’s history. Invitations in education come in many forms — whether it’s teachers welcoming students into the learning environment or fostering meaningful interactions between the Head of School and a class of Lower Schoolers. Both create sparks of joy, connection, and discovery.

Towards the end of the first day of school, a Senior, as she was driving home on North Mooreland Road, rolled down her window to ask Mancabelli how his first day went. “There was no better way to end my day,” Mancabelli says. It was yet another form of invitation — one of welcoming Mancabelli to Collegiate. A student’s education is built on moments of invitation. “The students at Collegiate embrace these opportunities with confidence,” Mancabelli says of the interaction. He’s equally as excited to be part of this community, getting to know everyone’s own unique and distinct story. “I gladly accept that invitation. There’s so many great things

that we can do together here.”