Not long after DeShawn Lowman started his new job as dean of students at Forwood Elementary School, he noticed that a handful of students felt misunderstood.

“Most of them were missing fatherly role models, and it took a toll on them mentally,” Lowman explains. “They didn’t know that there were other students who felt the same way, and they couldn’t understand why their life was harder than that of their counterparts.”

Despite the challenges of growing into his new leadership role at the K-5 school of 350, Lowman decided to assume the additional responsibility of helping this small group of youngsters.

The 2016 Neumann graduate founded the Fox Brotherhood Club to let them know that they are not alone and that there are people on the school’s staff who are willing to help them.

“I found it very valuable to gather them into a community circle because they can work through issues together, and we can help each other understand life.”

The group of seven 4th and 5th grade boys meet for an hour or more every Friday after school ends. Lowman hopes to expand the group next year.

In April, he brought the club members to Neumann to let them see life on a college campus. They toured the dorms and played basketball in the Mirenda Center.

“I wanted to take them to a place where I was loved,” Lowman recalls. “They enjoyed the experience and now have a foreseeable future. They can picture themselves in a higher education setting. Most would be the first in their families to go to college.”

A criminal justice major, Lowman also earned his master’s degree in education at Neumann 2018 and a doctorate at Wilmington University in 2025. He has worked at Glen Mills School, Ferris School for Boys, Chester Community Charter School, P.S. DuPont, River Rock Academy for Boys, and Forwood Elementary in Wilmington.

As a dean at Forwood, he is engaged in building campus climate and culture, supporting positive student behavior, and providing incentives to do well in the classroom so that all students feel safe and welcome.

A Knight legend on the basketball court, Dr. Lowman’s #32 jersey hangs in the rafters of the Mirenda Center, honoring his outstanding career. He is a member of the recently formed Athletics Advisory Council at Neumann.