Moorestown Friends Honors Alum Who Makes a Difference

Heather McKay was honored with the Moorestown Friends School Young Alumni Award on May 1 at the school’s annual Dinner Among Friends. McKay graduated from the school in 2000.

McKay is at the forefront of research and scholarly work in the areas of work-readiness initiatives and access to education, particularly for those who are economically and educationally disadvantaged.

McKay’s former history teacher, Judy van Tijn, presented her with the award.

McKay’s desire to make an impact on people’s lives originated at MFS.

“Moorestown Friends School taught me that I could be a vehicle of change,” McKay said. “My teachers were worldly and smart and showed the real picture of what the world was like – how change can happen and how I could be an effective change maker.”

For her senior project, McKay worked with Sen. Diane Allen’s office. She spoke with many of Allen’s constituents, and listed it as a “seminal career experience” during the dinner.

“It was then that I first saw what income inequality looks like and how detrimental it can be to families,” McKay said. “So I began to think about solutions.”

She earned a B.A. with a double major in political science and history at Bryn Mawr College and two master’s degrees from Rutgers in global affairs and history. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in global affairs at Rutgers.

McKay is the founding Director of the Education and Employment Research Center (EERC) at Rutgers University.

EERC conducts research and evaluations on education and work-readiness programs and policies.

Areas of expertise for the EERC include state and federal workforce development systems, online learning, community colleges and college completion, workplace literacy, and more.

“Access to education and a living wage are routes out of poverty for million of Americans,” McKay said. “My research and policy work emerge out of that belief. We work hard to make sure people understand how to make change and educate policymakers on what works so it can be replicated and scaled.”

During her four years at Moorestown Friends, McKay was a member of the Agenda Committee for Upper School Meeting for Business, and served as the Student Leadership Chair for the Middle States Accreditation Committee.

She was a member of the varsity girls soccer and girls lacrosse teams and competed nationally in sailing.

The Moorestown Friends School Young Alumni Award is given to graduates who, on or before their 15th high school reunion, have distinguished themselves through meritorious achievement in the early years of their careers.

Award recipients demonstrate commitment to the values and spirit of Moorestown Friends School after graduation by pursuing challenges and upholding the Quaker values of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.

“Moorestown Friends and my teachers, coaches, and friends played a really important role in the work I chose to do and the way that I chose to do it,” McKay said.

The attached image of Heather McKay was provided by the Moorestown Friends School.