Bradley Schwimmer ’01

Alumni Voices

Bradley Schwimmer ’01

Beaver Reflections:
I graduated from Beaver in 2001 and loved it. My experience there was very empowering. I had constant support from the faculty, administration, and my peers, which made my time at Beaver so amazing. Through the culture present there, I was really able to develop into the young man I left Beaver as. Looking back, one of the most profound experiences was with Jen Yolles. I really spent the first couple years at Beaver in my shell because I had a significant stutter. Obviously, the students around me were not phased by this and didn’t really care. However, I felt as if everyone was just noticing that. The one experience that helped me with this was doing theater improv with Jen Yolles. She saw me doing some skit at one point during orientation and recommended that I try out for the play. I was very hesitant because as someone who had a stutter, it seemed to be a recipe for disaster. However, with her support, coaching, and compassion, I auditioned and did not stutter. I think that was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. From that moment on, I did the improv plays, the musicals, fall plays, etc.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After graduating from Beaver, I went to Connecticut College where I studied psychology and sociology. I played squash there which was an amazing experience that was also influenced by Beaver because I played during my high school years. Immediately after college, I worked for a soccer organization. I helped run camps, tournaments, and events. Soon after, I realized that I needed some form of direction in my life so I went back to school and received my doctorate in psychology. Now, I am a psychologist and run the psychology side of clinics with medical patients at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Maryland. I work with kids that have chronic medical issues and side-by-side with the medical physician to help adjust to having that condition. As a matter of fact, I use the story about Jen Yolles with my patients to really show that with the right support anything can be possible. With Covid, I have definitely become more busy in the most positive way because I get to help these kids through a pandemic. Since the start of Covid, I have really focused more on advocacy. I am on a work group with people from other hospitals to try to get insurance to approve telehealth. Overall, it is amazing that for my job, I get to help others. I would not trade it for anything!

“Beaver personally helped me find my own voice which was something I was struggling with before I enrolled there.”
– Bradley Schwimmer ’01

Advice to Beaver students:
Take the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone. It takes courage, strength, and heart but the result is more powerful than anyone could ever imagine.

Beaver Country Day School admits qualified students of any race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethnicity to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, handicap status, national origin or ethinicity in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs or policies.