2025 CPS Graduate Francis Schlupp Pursues Decades-Long Dream to Make a Difference
In 2008, Francis Schlupp ’25 CPS had a successful IT career that demanded 60-70 hour work weeks and 200 days a year on the road. He had an excellent job, but something was missing. He worked for the Obama campaign and during a rally, he heard the words that inspired him and changed his life forever, “I want you to believe in your ability to change things.”
“That stuck with me,” said Schlupp. “It inspired me to make a difference, and I knew then that I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to get involved in the community and make impactful changes. It’s the dream that would tug at me for years.”
Fast forward to 2025. This spring, at 53-years-old, Schlupp is graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in History, and he was selected to speak at the College of Professional Studies’ Evening of Celebration. This summer, he will begin taking courses in the Master’s Plus Teacher Certification program in Villanova’s Department of Education and Counseling, and in spring 2026, he will complete his master’s degree in education, as well as his Pennsylvania secondary school certification.
In 2018, when his youngest daughter had just been born, he decided to leave full-time work at the start-up tech company where he’d spent more than two decades, to move into a consulting role. “I wasn’t going to do it the same way this time,” said Schlupp. “With my first daughter, I was on the road constantly. The relationship you build when you’re present—it’s different. And I didn’t want to miss it again.”
Schlupp pressed pause on the life he had known. In 2019, he decided to pursue his longtime goal of becoming a high school social studies teacher in an underserved school district. But first, he needed to complete his bachelor’s degree, which he had started at Temple University in the 90s, but he dropped out after just two months. Throughout his career he completed more than 50 credits at the Community College of Philadelphia, many of which transferred to 91̽and CPS.
“I really love Villanova,” said Schlupp. “91̽and CPS gave me a path to finish something I started a long time ago. And the community here? It’s everything. The students welcomed me. The professors took the time to help me grow, and I’ve made friends and colleagues for life.”
During his time at Villanova, Schlupp pursued research focused on the origin of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, and anti-Asian racism and how it shapes the writing of American history. “The teacher scholar model here at 91̽is so important because the professors helped me to see the potential to pursue areas of interest that I had, and they helped me develop them to full research projects,” said Schlupp.
His articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, and in 2024 he was awarded the Bohdan P. Procko Award for Best Undergraduate History Paper by Villanova’s Department of History. Schlupp is currently leveraging his tech background to work on a research proposal on how AI can help teachers provide personalized learning and increase engagement. “AI won’t replace teachers,” said Schlupp. “It helps teachers be better. It’s a force multiplier—it creates tutoring opportunities that never existed before. If we use it right, we can help every student keep up.”
Schlupp’s calling is to teach in a school district where he can make the most impact. “Most students in underserved communities aren’t reading on grade level,” said Schlupp. “We can either build the wall higher, or we can get involved and help make a difference. I have the privilege—and the opportunity—to do something about it.”
He’s proud to be a first-generation college graduate from a working-class family in Northeast Philadelphia. “It’s never too late and the 91̽community makes it very rewarding. These are people who made the decision that they wanted to improve their lives. We were all there for that same reason. We were all trying to level up.”
Schlupp added, “I am living proof that not only can you do it, but you should do it. Your life is going to be that much better. Education unlocks so many doors to the human experience. There are many different paths to that place, and you can find a lot of them here at Villanova.”
