VP Abrams in PBJ’s “Future of Private Schools”

Stephen Abrams

Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment

St. Joseph’s Prep. 

“Table of Experts: the future of private schools”

Philadelphia Business Journal, March 20-26, 2026

A visionary educational leader, Stephen Abrams has a deep history with driving institutional enrollment, long-term fiscal health, and community culture through data-driven strategy and cross-functional leadership. His expertise lies in navigating institutional risk, optimizing financial aid structures, and spearheading strategic growth initiatives that broaden student access while fostering diverse, high-performing academic environments.

Prior to his tenure at the Prep, Stephen spent seven years at Loyola Blakefield (Towson, MD), most recently as their Chief Enrollment Officer and Director of Community Engagement. There, he achieved record-breaking enrollment and application numbers while significantly increasing student diversity and net tuition revenue. His career is marked by a unique blend of administrative expertise and classroom experience, having served as Dean of Student Achievement at Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys and held key roles at Greenspring Montessori and McDonogh School, his alma mater.

Professionally, he has been active with the National Association of Independent Schools, Co-Chairs the East Coast Province’s Admissions Professionals network, and serves on the Board of Trustees for two institutions in the Baltimore area.

As someone new to St. Joseph’s Prep, what has been your impression of the school over your first year?

The Prep is undeniably a special place. I think what allows the Prep to sit at the pinnacle of secondary education is the way in which we care for our students while holding them to high expectations, academic or otherwise. There is a shared understanding here among the adults on campus that our role goes far beyond teaching content. As mentors, guides, and co-laborers, we seek to help the young men at the Prep discover interests and passions that will shape who they become in college and long after they graduate.

Families, at times, may shy away from the Prep because of our location, the distance from their homes, and our high standards for personal excellence. In many ways, however, those things are what make the Prep so special and I love the unabashed pride that the Prep community takes in those unique qualities. Students who choose the Prep are seeking a shared experience that they know they will not receive elsewhere. 

Personally, I feel fortunate to be a part of a community that chose North Philadelphia as its home to solidify its thread in the rich tapestry of Philadelphia.Throughout our history, there have been many opportunities to leave Philadelphia, yet the Prep remains committed to our community and will celebrate 175 years in Philadelphia next year.

Can a 500-year-old pedagogical framework solve the modern crisis of attention facing adolescents?

I am not sure it’s fair to think that the Prep or Jesuit education alone can solve the modern erosion of deep thinking brought on by the “reel” culture that has been established. However, I do believe that there is a framework within Jesuit education that is a great place to begin the conversation: the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. At its core, Ignatian education prioritizes depth of learning over the mere breadth of information. It insists that each educational encounter begins with a student’s personal context, ensuring that learning is an integrated experience rather than a series of fragmented moments. Anchoring the curriculum here empowers educators to create spaces for intellectual curiosity and sometimes friction. In a world of instant gratification, this framework intentionally slows the pulse inquiry allowing for students to wrestle with, and reflect on, big thoughts and ideas. 

It is not that the Ignatian approach to teaching and learning is inimitable either; but as an institution that is intentional about the development of adolescents, especially young men, our blended expertise in both areas make us uniquely positioned to help our students reclaim their cognitive sovereignty. 

At a time when young men seem to be particularly struggling, and each passing generation is told they are not prepared for the challenges in front of them, how does a school like St. Joseph’s Prep ensure each student is ready for an ever evolving world?

Content expertise, adolescent development, and a mastery of boys' education are the three pillars that we lean into every day at the Prep. If we are going to ask our students to begin a journey towards a relentless pursuit of curiosity and ambition, we must create an environment that serves as an incubator for safe, yet challenging, exploration that pushes students beyond the boundaries of comfort and into the fullness of potential.

As educators, we know that boys need a space that offers Control, Approval, Security, Affinity, and Affiliation. In creating an environment that is built on our Jesuit faith, but fueled by a fervent desire to ensure boys are ready to meet the current societal moment, by definition we will create an ecosystem that treats young men as potential to be unlocked, not problems to be managed. 

Therefore, students at the Prep are given agency in their learning (control), earned acknowledgment from their myriad of pursuits (approval), trusted adults who know them by more than name and face (security), and spaces to build community and belonging (affinity and affiliation). Once we have established this structure for our students, they know they can explore freely without fear of failure or ostracisation. 

Why should you hire a St. Joseph’s Prep graduate?

A Prep graduate is someone who personifies empathy and conviction. As a Catholic, Jesuit institution, it is ultimately our desire to send young men out into the world who have an unyielding and principled nature about themselves. It is not by mistake that Prep graduates can be found leading various sectors of society. Through intentional efforts such as our Ignatian Community Service program, our students develop an awareness to the needs and context of others and yet an anchoring that does not allow them to sway with the winds of popular opinion.  Prep graduates are certainly able to tout their Dean’s List and Cum Laude statuses, but, in a Prep graduate you are also getting more than an academic achiever. You are getting someone who has been given the space to think deeply about the complexities of his time and rather than competing for recognition he is looking to contribute to a solution.