Head of School

Joy McGrath ’92 is St. Andrew’s fifth head of school, bringing decades of institutional leadership, strategic insight, and a deep belief in the transformative power of education. Raised in a farm family in nearby Smyrna, Delaware, Joy’s life was shaped by substantial need-based scholarships to St. Andrew’s and Harvard—experiences that instilled in her a conviction that great schools are places of human flourishing and transformation.

Before returning to St. Andrew’s in 2021, Joy spent fifteen years at Yale University, where she guided key areas of university-wide strategy, operations, and advancement. As chief of staff to the president of Yale, she led strategic planning, coordinated major institutional initiatives, and oversaw executive operations. In earlier roles, she helped steward Yale’s resources through the 2008 financial crisis and served as the university’s first director of development for Yale College.

Joy began her career at St. Andrew’s, teaching English, advising students, living in the boys’ dorms, and later serving as director of advancement. As head of school, she leads with a focus on moral formation, intellectual curiosity, joyful community, and robust financial aid. She also serves on the board of The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS). Joy is married to her St. Andrew’s classmate, Ty Jones ’92.