Meet Preston Swei, a Sixth Former, varsity soccer player, and Signet Society member.
Swei transitioned to Haverford in sixth grade, and he immediately noticed the different atmosphere. “The biggest difference between my school and The Haverford School would be the all-boys environment,” Swei said. “I feel it was a space where people are more vulnerable, which was something I was not familiar with.”
Furthermore, he was used to having around 30 people in each of his classes, but that number dropped to 20 at Haverford. Although Swei had a shy personality, he was able to talk to and meet a lot of new people, allowing him to make friendships that have lasted for seven years.
“The community at Haverford is definitely one that brings you in,” Swei said, “which made it much easier for me to meet others and be a part of the brotherhood here.”
Swei felt another big transition between the middle and upper school. “The upper school feels more like a unified collective student body compared to the middle school, where it was mostly just independent grades,” Swei said.
“Time management played a huge role in my junior year because of the difficulty of the classes. I made sure that I knew what had to be done and by when.”
Preston Swei ’25
In his Fifth Form year, known as the most difficult year, Swei took U.S. History*—a course notorious as among the hardest classes. Among its challenges were reading quizzes at the start of every class. Swei made sure to always set out some time to review the night before class.
“I made a schedule on my phone to follow,” Swei said.
These time management skills ensured that he was on top of his work.
“Time management played a huge role in my junior year because of the difficulty of the classes,” Swei said. “I made sure that I knew what had to be done and by when.”
Swei has maintained his good grades while playing on the varsity soccer team.“We lost seventeen seniors last season, and there was a big gap that we needed to fill,” Swei said.
Still, the team overcame the adversity and finished the season 8-1-1, beating EA to win the Inter-Ac title.
“Being a center back kind of forced me to be a leader” Swei admitted. “I didn’t really consider myself a leader before, especially with my shy demeanor, but I picked up the position.”
The soccer team won against EA during EA Day, securing the Sweater.
“Preston is incredibly coachable—he absorbs the small details and implements them to gain an edge and perform at his best. As a leader, he may not be the loudest voice on the field or in huddles, but he leads by example every day, both on and off the pitch,” Head Coach Mr. Keith Cappo said.
Being a part of the Signet Society has helped Swei improve himself and the people around him. It has helped him get accustomed to talking to people more freely. It represents the challenges, experiences, and lessons learned that have shaped him at his time at Haverford.
Reflecting on his time here, Swei encourages younger students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things.
“Something I wish I had heard when I was a freshman was that my time in the upper school is meant to have uncomfortable moments. I believe that the only way you can waste your time at Haverford is by staying in your comfort zone, not trying new things,” Swei said. “This would have not only gotten me more involved with the community, but also might have given me an interest in an area that I would have never previously predicted.”
