Andrew Livingston, Class of 2006
Prior to coming to DVFriends, Andrew Livingston says he was frustrated and felt “stupid" in school. Because of his learning difference, he had difficulty learning to read and with math and was falling behind his peers. He adds, “Delaware Valley Friends put me in an environment with peers with the same challenges as I had and caring teachers who gave me the individualized attention that I needed to grow." Today, Andrew works for NBC Universal in Cyber Security. Andrew works on securing NBC's payment systems utilized in the company's streaming service, the Olympics and in the theme parks. Andrew and his wife Rebecca have a son named Conley who attends preschool at a local quaker school. Andrew is an avid gardener and serves on a local community gardens leadership committee.
Andrew began attending Delaware Valley Friends School in 9th grade and graduated in 2006. While at DVFriends, Andrew enjoyed participating in sports and the arts. He played soccer, basketball, and was captain of the lacrosse team his senior year. Upon graduation, he completed a two-year program at Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography. During his time at Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography, Andrew also took a few business classes, which led to a new career path. Andrew went on to receive a degree in accounting and information systems from Widener University.
When asked about the lasting impact of his DV education, Andrew says that the multisensory approach to teaching at DVFriends helped him to become a better “big picture thinker," able to step back and see broad trends and explore a variety of ways to solve problems better than many of his co-workers. The warmth and kindness of the teachers and overall environment at DVFriends also helped Andrew become more comfortable taking risks and being able to bounce back from mistakes. “DV taught me how to be resilient, which is a critical skill for success in any career," he adds.
Perhaps most importantly, Andrew credits Delaware Valley Friends School with helping him to develop his character. He says that the school's Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship, along with the individual attention and kindness of the teachers had the biggest impact on who he is today.