As an attendance agent at The School at Marygrove (TSM), Stephen Maiseloff wears a lot of different hats, but the one that stands out the most is his drive and passion to help the school’s students succeed.

The School at Marygrove, located on the former Marygrove College campus on McNichols, offers students a curriculum focused on social justice and engineering, enabling them to identify and solve complex problems and to actively participate in the creation of a more just and equitable future. When the first class of students graduates in May 2023, every graduate will be prepared to pursue their passions and succeed in any personal and professional endeavors.

Maiseloff’s job is to ensure that every student has access to the resources needed so that they can reach these goals. Prior to joining TSM, Maiseloff earned his BA in psychology before investigating a career in education in his late 20s. He started as a para-pro in DPSCD before transitioning to a substitute teaching role, a full-time teaching role and now to the administration side as the school’s attendance agent.

“My role as attendance agent is 1/3 case worker, 1/3 school improvement representative and 1/3 intervention or parent support to connect them to resources,” said Maiseloff. “My role is to watch the data to make sure students don’t miss a lot of school, and to find ways to improve that. We talk and connect to students about transportation and finding solutions. I try to be a connector. Student to student, parent to parent, parent to resource. It is 100% all for the kids.”

Outside of his role at TSM, Maiseloff’s legacy in the McNichols neighborhood extends to his parents, a social worker and a special education teacher, and grandparents, who were instrumental in building up the community surrounding the Marygrove campus.

“My grandfather was a developer, and his business was on McNichols down the street. When he was 18, he figured out a way to build homes and he got a truck and partners and convinced his dad to sell their laundry houses,” said Maiseloff. “They built 400 bungalow homes in the area. Just being able to witness this project reminds me of him. My grandmother taught at Bagley down the street for 32 years. Approaching it [this role] from different angles, I think of him. I think of both of them.”

The School at Marygrove is one of six DPSCD Examination High Schools and plans to add a grade every year. Principal Lisa Williams said that the goal is to have The School at Marygrove be a transformative experience for students, and the community, from birth to post high school graduation with a curriculum and extracurricular activates centering on social justice and giving back.

“The School at Marygrove has been growing with a K-2 program, an early childhood center and the high school. We are proud to be a part of the Marygrove campus,” said Williams. “My motto is that we are empowering minds to impact our communities. Our school’s programs and clubs are centered on these ideals.”

Maiseloff added that he is proud of all that the students at TSM have accomplished so far and looks forward to seeing what will come in the future.

“I want to see our kids doing what they want to be doing and staying in touch,” said Maiseloff. “I want them to do great things in Detroit, but I want the world to be shocked on how much is produced out of those beautiful, gothic buildings at Marygrove.”

For more information on The School at Marygrove and how to apply, please visit detroitk12.org/marygrove.