Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors is delighted to introduce you to The Mitchell Family: Brian, Joann, Ben and their pup, Beau. Life for the Mitchells is filled with love, laughter and beautiful music.
Brian grew up in the Overbrook Park section of Philadelphia and went to Robert E. Lamberton Elementary School. He spent his younger years there, then moved to Havertown with his parents, his brother David and his sister, Debbie. Brian went to Haverford High School, where he was a pitcher and played 2nd base on the baseball team. “Back in my day, you maybe played one sport,” Brian said. “The rest of the time, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends in the neighborhood and working a part-time job.”
After graduating high school, Brian studied Computer Science at Drexel University. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1990, then continued his education to earn several higher-level degrees—an M.E. in Computer and Telecommunication Engineering from Widener University in 1995, an M.S. in Computer Science in 1997, and finally a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2002, both from Drexel University.
Today, Brian is a Professor and Researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Drexel University’s College of Computing & Informatics (CCI). “Specifically, I create and teach courses in systems (microprocessors, networks, cloud computing, etc) and software engineering/software architecture,” Brian explained. “I do research investigating cybersecurity issues in cloud systems.” He further explained that his research group develops novel sensing tooling and targeted artificial intelligence algorithms to detect and react to various attacks targeted against cloud computing environments.
“Before moving to Drexel full-time, I worked as a Distinguished Engineer. In that role, I was responsible for advancing a large technical community at a Fortune 15 company,” Brian said. “I also worked on setting the technical product direction for Digital products as the Chief Digital Enterprise Architect.” Brian added that his career has been gratifying, especially at Drexel, where he has the opportunity to educate and mentor students. Brian
explained, “Working closely with gifted students and exposing them to research is very fulfilling. It’s amazing to watch when students are surprised by what they can accomplish.”
Joann was born and raised in the Haverford Township section of Ardmore, where she lived with her parents and brother, John. She attended Chestnutwold Elementary and Haverford Middle School and graduated from Haverford High School, where she played flute and piccolo as a member of the marching band, concert band and jazz band.
Joann’s love for music continued after graduation when she was accepted to Immaculata University to study music. “I knew I really enjoyed music, teaching others and working with the elderly,” she explained. “My bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Music Therapy as a Flute Major encompassed all three of my passions.” Joann then furthered her education by earning a Masters degree in Music from Immaculata.
After Joann received her undergraduate degree, she worked for Little Sisters of the Poor in West Philadelphia as an Activities Director. She directed their music activities and handbell choir and facilitated music therapy sessions. When she earned her Master’s degree, she accepted a position as the Music Director at Merion Mercy Academy, where she worked until she had her son, Ben. After Ben was born, Joann stayed home to care for him,
teaching private flute lessons out of her home, assisting part-time in teaching music and directing a flute ensemble for Haverford Middle School.
“Currently, I am a private music teacher for The Episcopal Academy, assistant band instructor for the lower school, a woodwind specialist at Cardinal O’Hara High School and I teach privately in my home,” Joann explained. “I also have a private client at Dunwoody Village, where I assist her with shopping needs and recreational activities.”
If you’re following along and thinking you know how Joann and Brian met, the answer is NOT Haverford High School, it was at another one of Delaware County’s legendary landmarks: WAWA! Joann described the encounter. “I was coming out of WAWA with some treats and going back to a friend’s apartment. Brian and his friends had their apartment door open, so we said hello.” Brian added that he and his friends knew a few of Joann’s friends, so the two struck up a conversation and hit it off right there and then.
Brian and Joann dated for about five years and got engaged on Steel Pier in Atlantic City. “We got married in June of 1992 in Brian’s parents’ backyard in Havertown,” Joann said. “My parents both passed away when I was in college, so we didn’t have a lot of money for a wedding.” They wanted to put their savings toward buying a home, so the newlyweds opted for a modest honeymoon in Virginia Beach.
They bought a home on Parkview Rd in Upper Darby that needed some fixing up. “Brian is very handy, so he built a deck that overlooked Cobbs Creek Golf Course,” recalled Joann. “Then he tore down all the interior walls, updated the electrical and put up new drywall and paint.” Other renovation projects included a cedar room on the third floor and a powder room on the first floor. “We made a lot of friends from the neighborhood, and my sister Debbie lived around the corner, so we had a lot of parties and family gatherings,” Brian said.
Eventually, Joann and Brian decided to look for a larger home with a nice backyard. They said that they had a hard time finding one because, at that time, it was a seller’s market, and properties were selling very quickly. “We really lucked out when Brian stumbled upon a For Sale by Owner home in the Greene Countrie neighborhood,” said Joann. “It was a little more than we wanted to spend, but it was worth it. We love it here.”
Their happy home got a little happier a few years later when Joann and Brian welcomed their son, Benjamin (Ben), to the family. Ben went to St. David’s Preschool, Culbertson Elementary, Paxon Hollow Middle School and graduated from Marple Newtown High School (MNHS). He is currently studying business analytics and supply chain management at Penn State Abington. Since his father is a professor at Drexel University, Ben is contemplating transferring to Drexel, but he might stay where he is or go to Penn State’s main campus.
“Ben loves baseball,” Brian said. “He’s a pitcher who started playing at Newtown Edgmont Little League (NELL) when he was five years old.” After Ben graduated from NELL, he played at MNHS and at Deck Dogs in Edgemont. Today, Ben is on the baseball team at Penn State Abington and is also playing for Egg Harbor Twp. Men’s League team, The Eagles, where he has 11 innings pitched to start the season with 0 ERA.
In addition to baseball, Ben is also a talented musician. He plays multiple instruments and was a featured soloist in the MNHS competition jazz band. He was also selected to represent his school in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) regional band. Ben has also been known to perform at open mic venues with Joann from time to time.
Ben is enjoying his time off from school this summer by playing baseball while working as a camp counselor for the Margate, NJ, Recreational Center. He also works odd jobs such as delivering pizza, washing cars and cutting lawns in Margate. Ben enjoys hanging out with his friends on the beach, going to the gym, and working out.
When not working, Joann and Brian lend their time and talents to feed their passions and help others in the community. When Ben was younger, Brian spent over a decade volunteering at NELL, serving on the board and coaching baseball. He also coached baseball for two years in the Broomall Newtown Babe Ruth league.
“I currently spend my time volunteering over the summer mentoring students in Drexel’s research scholars summer program,” Brian explained. “I regularly peer-review papers for conferences and journals and participate on graduate and PhD committees.” In addition, Brian is an active participant in supporting Upsilon Pi Epsilon (the Computer Science Honor Society).
“A few years ago, I worked for Seniors Helping Seniors, where I provided companionship coupled with music therapy to shut-in elders,” Joann said. “I met a lot of great people like Jane Williams from Drexel Hill. Jane had Dementia, and my organization thought she would be a good match due to our common interest in music.” Joann and Jane hit it right off immediately.
Jane was a singer in her church choir, so we sang many hymns together. Jane also played the piano, so Joann would sit her at her piano and prompt her to play classical music and songs she knew from her past. “We both had a unique sense of humor and always laughed during the visits. When I played flute solos, my strongest device, it would touch Jane’s heart, making her cry,” Joann fondly remembered. “It definitely touched the emotional part of her brain, which evoked many memories of her past. Music is such a powerful tool. It triggers all the parts of our brain!” Joann said that although Jane passed away, she is still friends with her niece, Jen.
Joann and Brian may have seemingly drastic differences in their careers, but creativity is one common thread. Joann said, “Many STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers need creativity just as much as the more analytical skills traditionally taught.” That is where music and the arts play a significant role. Joann said, “There’s so much hustle and bustle in today’s society that the arts are forgotten and electronics take precedence. Music encompasses all facets of the brain and can assist with STEM learning subjects.”
Back at home, the Mitchells enjoy taking walks in the neighborhood with their dog, Beau. He’s a hound-boxer mix that they adopted from Providence Animal Center. They also said that they have the best neighbors and have made many lifelong friends. Joann, Brian and Ben are also members of Newtown Square Presbyterian Church. Joann has played flute for services and participated in the handbell choir, and Ben enjoyed being involved with their youth group.
Thank you, Joann, Brian and Ben, for sharing your heartfelt story with our Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors. Your commitment to your family and giving back to others is impressive and inspirational.
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