Our History

The dream of opportunity and achievement for every young man in Durham began with bold action in the face of need more than twenty years ago. In the 1980s, Kiernan Moylan, a junior at Durham Academy, sought track coaching from a legendary Durham High School coach in exchange for tutoring two of his runners. Both had been offered college scholarships but needed help to qualify academically for admission. The two became fixtures at the Moylan’s kitchen table where it became clear to Kiernan’s parents, Joseph and Ann Carole Moylan, that the young men were unprepared. 

The Moylans were saddened to discover the young men’s home lives were beset with frequent moves, parental unemployment, and unsafe neighborhoods. The two were at risk of slipping through the cracks. Tragically, one would eventually die in gang-related violence. 

Feeling the need to act, Dr. Moylan, a Duke Hospital trauma surgeon, began visiting schools in New York, Boston, and Baltimore. He concluded that an independent school with a long-term commitment to young men throughout their education could bear fruit in Durham. Empowering students with opportunities and support that will help pave the way for a bright and promising future. Thus, Durham Nativity School was opened in the fall of 2001.

Today, Durham Nativity School has been changing the lives of students and families for more than twenty years. Our students have the opportunity to receive a life-changing education, build invaluable skills, attend college, and impact their community as leaders. Durham Nativity School embodies a new future for our region, where all its citizens can participate fully in the economic and social life of the wider community. We are raising up a new generation of leaders who dare to dream.