Alumni News

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This is the place to read about the many accomplishments of those that walked the halls of Horace Greeley High School.
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Forbes Magazine List: 30 Under 30 "Art & Style"

Anna ZhangHorace Greeley High School alum Anna Zhang (2019) recently made the December 2020 Forbes.com 30 Under 30 list in the Art & Style category. The photographer, designer, and creative director is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in computing and the arts at Yale University. As a photographer, she has shot ads for internationally renowned brands including Keds and Fujifilm. Her work has also been featured in publications like Glamour, Vice and Porter.

In 2019, she designed Brightlove, a mobile game that encourages players to be kind and to take action, rather than be bystanders. She served as the creative director in collaboration with Google Play as part of its Change the Game initiative to make the gaming industry more inclusive. The game has over 10,000 downloads and is currently being showcased at the National Museum of American History.

In addition, Zhang is the founder and creative director of Pulse Spikes, a nonprofit media company for and by youth. To date, it has published over 100 stories and reached more than 200,000 readers in 190+ countries, in addition to garnering 15 million+ impressions on social media.

(source: https://www.forbes.com/profile/anna-zhang/)


2021 Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence & 2020 Alaska Teacher of the Year

Amy GallawayCongratulations AMY GALLAWAY (1987), recipient of the NEA Foundation's "2021 Horace Mann Award For Teaching Excellence". She teaches social studies at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, and this honor comes after being named the "2020 Alaska Teacher of the Year" in October 2019.

October 26, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC - The NEA Foundation announced that Amy Gallaway is one of only five educators receiving one of public education’s highest honors, the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. The award recognizes educators for their diligence and dedication to students, colleagues, community, and their profession.

“These educators represent the best in public education through their passion for making a difference,” said Sara A. Sneed, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation. “Their schools and stories may be unique, but their dedication to educational excellence fulfills a shared commitment to keep the promise of public education. In ordinary times and amid the challenging circumstances we face today, educators are an enduring force for serving the whole child and building vibrant communities.”

“Today’s educators are facing challenges they never could have envisioned,” said Marita Zuraitis, president and CEO of Horace Mann, a financial services company that has served educators for 75 years. “We value the investment all educators make to teach their students especially during these difficult times. They are the heart of their communities and we are proud to recognize the exceptional contributions and achievements of the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence recipients.”

Source: neaalaska.org

October 25, 2019
JUNEAU - Amy Gallaway has been named the "2020 Alaska Teacher of the Year", Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson announced in a surprise ceremony at West Valley High School.

The Alaska Teacher of the Year is the state’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year, and serves as a member of Commissioner Johnson’s Teacher Advisory Council.

“Amy Gallaway is an example of the kind of creative, learning-focused educator that makes school meaningful for students,” said Commissioner Johnson. “Ms. Gallaway’s commitment to helping students become confident future leaders through authentic, engaging learning experiences is admirable. Today’s high school students are tomorrow’s leaders, and Amy goes above and beyond to bring real-world relevance and rigor to the table for every student she serves.”

Amy Gallaway started her Alaskan career in 1993 as an archeologist in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, but it was her seasonal job as a teacher’s aide in Glennallen School that changed her life. She left archeology and earned her teacher certification from the University of Alaska in 1999, and took her first teaching job in Nuiqsut, an Inupiaq village on the Colville River. It was there, through the passion of her students and their desire to build a strong community that she discovered civic education as her calling, a way to empower not just students but also the whole community.

In 2002, Ms. Gallaway started working for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She currently works at West Valley High School where she teaches history, government, and career education to 9-12 grade students. Because she believes learning should be empowering, relevant, and community oriented, she is a teacher mentor for the national “We the People” civics program, which emphasizes critical thinking and culminates with a simulated congressional hearing with community judges. 

Ms. Gallaway holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

“Amy has an amazing super-power to ignite the passion for civic action in students and community members,” said Danielle Riha, 2019 Alaska State Teacher of the Year and finalist for 2019 National Teacher of the Year. “She connects students to real-life learning outside of the classroom, teaching them that they have a voice, rights, and responsibilities as citizens of the United States of America.”

Source: education.alaska.gov


Bronx Lacrosse: Greeley alumn’s efforts to empower students in the classroom & on the field
Inside Chappaqua Magazine / August 29, 2018 / Amy Kelley

Dan LeventhalDAN LEVENTHAL (2010) loves lacrosse. He played it in high school and continued on at Tufts University, where he won a national championship and majored in sociology. Now, he’s brought his favorite sport to the South Bronx, where he says it has the power to change the lives of local kids for the better, both on the playing field and in the classroom.

Leventhal spent some time in Israel after graduating from college and from there, he joined Teach for America and was assigned to The Highbridge Green School, a middle school in the South Bronx. He just finished his third year there teaching math to eighth graders.

[UPDATE: Dan is now working full-time as the Executive Director of Bronx Lacrosse. They are currently partnered with two schools - Highbridge Green and Rafael Herndandez Dual Language Magnet - and has recently hired his first two employees. While at Greeley, Dan played lacrosse (of course) and said the rigor of HGHS greatly prepared him for college-level courses and helped set him up for future success. "I relate well to kids and enjoy helping them reach their full potential--specifically children from very under-served populations," he responded when asked why he wanted to become a teacher.]

In 2015, Leventhal decided to start a lacrosse program at the school, and he launched it in the spring of 2016, at Highbridge Green, a school he says is located in the poorest congressional district in America.

“The kids all love lacrosse,” Leventhal said. “In the South Bronx, everyone’s playing basketball. It gives them uniqueness and a chance to differentiate themselves. It’s a fast-paced sport, combining basketball, football and soccer,” Leventhal added.

“These kids have so much going on at home,” he added. “This gives them a release.” And that’s what Leventhal’s aim is: to help the lacrosse scholars, as they are called, deal with their lives successfully.

And Leventhal said so far, outcomes of program participation have shown positive results, including better attendance, punctuality and higher achievement in various markers of reading and math learning on average when Bronx Lacrosse scholars are compared with other students at Highbridge Green. In order to participate in the program, a certain grade point average is required, Leventhal said. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” the principal of The Highbridge Green School has said of the achievements of the Bronx Lacrosse scholars.

Last spring and fall, a girls’ program was added at The Highbridge Green School and there’s also a Bronx Lacrosse program now at another local middle school.

While lacrosse is a spring sport, Bronx Lacrosse has the student athletes training in the fall also, Leventhal said, and even during the summer. “What we’ve done this summer is gotten our kids scholarships at different lacrosse camps. It’s a great opportunity for them,” he said, adding that next year Bronx Lacrosse will be looking for even more camp opportunities and also aiming to find sponsors to help foot the bill for the kids to go on fall trips to play lacrosse with teams from other programs. Bronx Lacrosse has already traveled to Connecticut and to Chappaqua.

“It is a lacrosse organization, but the mission is to keep kids out of the streets and create positive outcomes,” Leventhal said. “It’s an organization that aims to empower youth in the classroom and on the field.” To that end, Bronx Lacrosse has two full-time program coordinators besides Leventhal.

Anyone interested in the initiative can watch Highbridge: A Bronx Lacrosse Story on YouTube and check out the program’s website at bronxlacrosse.org.

This past year, besides growing his organization and teaching math,  Leventhal played in the World Lacrosse Championship as a midfielder for Israel’s team, which placed 7th of 45. “Some of our games were on ESPN so it was exciting for the kids to watch me,” Leventhal said. “And make fun of me.”

Most funding for the program currently comes from money distributed from each school’s principal as well as from NYC’s after-school program, Leventhal said, but as he transitions to full-time with Bronx Lacrosse he will be focusing on developing other fundraising sources.

Of his latest plans, Leventhal said “Fundraising is a major priority. We’re going to have a big fundraiser, probably next spring.” Leventhal said his desire to give back is motivated in part by his upbringing in Chappaqua. “I had a lot of opportunity growing up,” he said. “My parents always got me whatever I needed for sports. That’s our goal here–to make these things accessible to these kids.”


Greeley alumni part of record-setting rocket launch attempt
The Examiner News / July 20, 2018 / Martin Wilbur

Headshot of David Shimer in suit and tieThis has been an exhilarating summer for ADAM KATZ (2017) and KEITH CORSO (2017).

The two friends from Chappaqua and Horace Greeley High School graduates are members of a team called Operation Space, a group of about 45 college students from 30 colleges and universities who hope to break the world record for altitude reached by a student-launched rocket.

Since late May, Katz and Corso have been working with aerospace and mechanical engineering students who are working alongside business, marketing and development majors to finance, build and launch an 11-foot, two-stage rocket to reach 150,000 feet. The current student rocket record is 144,000 feet.

Katz said he is part of the services development team, which is responsible for reaching out to companies and organizations for financial support, sponsorships and partnerships to meet the fundraising goal of about $20,000 to fund the project.

Before the end of next month when the students return to school, Operation Space members will need to complete the project. “What makes our project unique is that the timeline is around three months, so the work on this project is being done remotely so it’s done with a huge amount of collaboration,” said Katz, who is entering his sophomore year as a business analytics student at MIT. “The other thing is we’re not backed by a specific institution,” he added. “There’s a lot of things going against us in this project and really if we’re going to be successful we’re going to be beating the odds that we can put a group of 40 students from across the country together, have one vision, one goal in mind to achieve that goal with hard work.”

Since the students involved in Operation Space are scattered and work remotely, connected by the team messaging platform Slack, they will meet for one week starting Aug. 1 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville for the rocket build, said Corso, a rising sophomore who is attending Northeastern University and is also part of the project’s business team.

While there are plenty of logistical challenges, a major advantage is that each student has resources at the college or universities at their disposal, Corso said. Furthermore, there are aerospace companies and organizations that have been contacted and enjoy helping the next generation of explorers and entrepreneurs. “It’s pretty neat having these institutions like Spacex, like NASA, and the small businesses, delis, pizzerias that are pitching in to give us opportunities,” Corso said. “We’re getting help from all these different organizations and it’s really neat.” What was also unexpected was having already been acquainted with some of the Operation Space project members. About 10 of the students attended an undergraduate tech summit in Silicon Valley earlier this year, he said.

Katz said a key component that the students still had to decide is a place for the rocket launch. One possibility is Spaceport America, an FAA-licensed spaceport in the desert of Sierra County, N.M. Another possibility is an offshore carrier, he said. A launch is anticipated around Aug. 15.

Katz and Corso said they’ve been excited to contribute in a tangible way to a project that is outside their course of study and collaborate with some of their brightest and most capable peers. “For me, it’s something that’s pretty different, it’s to collaborate with people who are very different, who have very different communications, etc.,” Corso said. “Diving into teams like this allows me to really hone in on my skills on a personal level.”

The project has also helped with time management skills, Katz said. Virtually all the students involved have full-time summer jobs and/or internships during the working day. They each carve out time in the evenings and weekends to communicate and work with their team members.

Katz said he is looking forward to meeting all the other students from Operation Space at Vanderbilt.

“Everyone is unique in their own way and we’ll have that extra special interest and watching all of us work together with this one goal and one vision, I’m really excited for this outcome and to watch all of our hard work be put in place,” he said.


 2017 Truman Scholar

Headshot of David Shimer in suit and tie DAVID SHIMER (2014) was one of 62 college juniors named a 2017 Harry S. Truman Scholar, one of the country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships. Scholars were chosen based on their academic success and leadership accomplishments, as well as their likelihood of succeeding in public service. The application process included several rounds of applications and interviews. Each scholar will receive a substantial scholarship toward graduate school, the expectation being that they then enter the public sphere.

“For someone like me who wants to spend his life in public service, the Truman is a dream come true,” Shimer said. “It’s a real honor to have been chosen, and I’m grateful for the preparedness Greeley gave me.”

The 2017 Truman Scholars will gather on May 23rd for a leadership development program at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and receive their awards in a special ceremony at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, on May 28, 2017.

David majors in history at Yale University with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. He first developed a passion for the region while at Greeley, where he wrote an original Cold War thesis under professor John Gaddis that was later published in the West Point Undergraduate Historical Review (pg. 67).

At Yale, he is the Editor in Chief of the Yale Daily News, the nation’s oldest college daily newspaper. David previously interned for Hillary Clinton’s campaign policy team and then served as the youngest member of her general election debate preparations team. He intends to complete his BA and MA in History in May 2018, and then to pursue a joint JD and MA in International Affairs.

While at Greeley, David was equally as busy. He was the valedictorian of his class, editor-in-chief of The Quake, captain of the debate team, president of Renaissance E.M.S., co-founder and CEO of TeenAgency (a local employment service for high school students), and student council treasurer.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was created by Congress in 1975 as the nation’s living memorial to President Harry S. Truman.  


Thesis published

Headshot of David Shimer in suit and tieDAVID SHIMER (2014) had his thesis--Fidelity or Fury? A Study of East German, Hungarian, and Polish Loyalty to the Soviet Union During the Early Cold War--published in the Spring 2015 edition of The West Point Undergraduate Historical Review (p. 67).

“I was inspired to research Eastern European military disloyalty toward the Soviet Union during the summer of 2012,” David explained. “My thesis was the culmination of three years of research involving interviews in Budapest and Washington, conversations with former soldiers and public servants, and the guidance of countless mentors, including Greeley teachers Mr. Houser (retired, now a professor at Grand Valley State University) and Mr. Zambernardi.”

David Shimer is a freshman studying history at Yale University, where he is heavily involved as an associate editor for The Yale Politic, an associate beat reporter for the Yale Daily News, and as an associate editor for The Yale Historical Review, where he screens 10-15 research papers per issue before extensively editing one with its author and a Yale professor. He also is a policy intern with Hillary For America and searches for potential investments and helps pitch stocks to the largest independent undergraduate investment fund in the United States as a macro analyst with the Yale Student Investment Group. In addition, David was an admissions officer and staff instructor with the Yale Young Global Scholars, an intensive two-week program for high school students from around the world, where he taught two seminars, led daily discussion sections, guided students through college level capstone projects, and helped them become college-ready.

While at Greeley, David was equally as busy. He was editor-in-chief of The Quake, captain of the debate team, president of Renaissance E.M.S., co-founder and CEO of TeenAgency (a local employment service for high school students,) student council treasurer, and valedictorian.

“This [thesis] paper would not have been possible without the support of Greeley and its faculty,” David said.


Greeley alumnus authors $66,028 grant to run SafeTeen Coalition program

Alex Gu in pruple and white verticle striped shirt outside in frond of a tree
ALEX GU (2011) is a senior biology major with a business administration and history double minor at St. Bonaventure University. During his years at SBU, he has participated in many clubs and organizations, including the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), its on-campus Emergency Medical Services agency. Alex assumed various roles while with MERT, becoming Chief his junior year. He also is a member of the Allegany-Cattaraugus County Child Health Safety Team, which was established to review all child fatality cases in the two counties and provide recommendations to avoid future incidents. An aspiring physician, Alex will start medical school in August 2015 at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC.  He enjoys reading up on current events and can never refuse a game of pick-up basketball.

As chief of MERT, Alex worked with Allegany Rescue and EMS Inc. to author the $66,028 grant proposal from State Farm to create a safety program for local school students called SafeTeen Coalition. As founder and director of the SafeTEEN Coalition, he is responsible for the overall success and implementation of the program at school districts in Cattaraugus County in Western New York.

The SafeTEEN Coalition is a community outreach, injury prevention initiative for high school students and elementary students. “Unintentional injuries are the number one reason youth visit the emergency room,” Alex explained. “As a certified Emergency Medical Technician in NYS, I saw a variety of preventable calls involving young people. I created the SafeTEEN Coalition to teach youth in my college community about various safety issues and reduce the number of visits to the Emergency Room.” To do this, the SafeTEEN Coalition involves a mentoring model where they train high school students to teach elementary school students about safety and injury prevention. These seminars discuss issues like transportation, bullying, and Internet safety. Alex recruited students from St. Bonaventure University and local high schools to join the organization's leadership team and event planning committee.

On March 27, the coalition held its inaugural seminar at Allegany-Limestone Elementary School. The seminar consisted of “Safety Town,” a life-sized cardboard community, to help students learn basic safety rules including seatbelt usage, proper crosswalk techniques, obeying traffic signs and respecting the rules of the road. Three additional seminars, with a focus on Internet safety and bullying, are scheduled for this spring at Allegany-Limestone Elementary along with a safety fair and drunk driving simulator at Allegany-Limestone High School.

“After a successful year, we are excited to expand the program to the nearby elementary schools in Portville, Hinsdale, and Olean, and at Archbishop Walsh,” Alex said.

While at Greeley, Alex was on the football team, involved in student government, and was a member of Model UN. “Greeley provided a nurturing environment in order for me develop my interests and goals,” Alex stated. “I learned so much from the incredible faculty and staff.” Due to his interest in the sciences and medicine, Alex also volunteered frequently at Northern Westchester Hospital.
 


Capital One Academic All-America of the Year - Division I, Men's Basketball

Headshot of Matthew Townsend in mint green v-neck sweaterYale  University senior MATTHEW TOWNSEND (2011) was one of only five individuals named the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year for Division I Men’s Basketball as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CSIDA). He is the first from the Ivy League to win this award.

Matt earned third team Capital One Academic All-America® honors last year and is one of 30 candidates for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award®. He has led the Bulldogs to a 19-8 record this year and an 8-2 mark in the Ivy League. Townsend has started 24 of 25 games for Yale, averaging 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He is leading the Ivy League in field goal shooting at 54.7 percent. He has played in 105 games in his Bulldogs’ career and started 63 games.

Off the court, Townsend serves as the co-coordinator of Yale's Bringing Relief Every Day (BRED) program, which is part of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project. He collects leftover bread and baked goods from Yale's dining halls once a week and delivers them to two New Haven halfway houses. In the summer of 2013, Townsend volunteered as a camp counselor at Camp Oasis, a week-long summer sleep-away camp for kids with inflammatory bowel disease and volunteered for 10 weeks in the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department, assisting the anesthesiology team. In the summer of 2012, Townsend volunteered in Yale-New Haven Hospital's emergency department, playing games with young patients and their families.
 


2nd Rhodes Scholar in three years for Greeley

Matthew Townsend wearing blue cap and gouwn speaking at graduationMATTHEW TOWNSEND (2011) was among the 32 American students selected as a 2015 Rhodes Scholar.

The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. They attract hundreds of top student applicants and this year Matt stood out from the 877 students nominated by 305 colleges and universities nationwide. Scholars are chosen in a two-stage process not only for their outstanding scholarly achievement but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead. (see below: Brett Rosenberg (2008) was selected in 2012.)

Currently a senior at Yale University, Matt is a molecular, cellular and developmental biology major who has maintained a 4.0 grade point average through six semesters. He has earned numerous accolades for his work in the classroom, including being one of only eight juniors elected to the Yale Phi Beta Kappa Society. He is also a two-year starter on the Yale varsity basketball team, where he received an award for being the top defensive player, and has served as a volunteer, shift-leader, and then co-coordinator of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project's Bringing Relief Every Day project. 

While at Greeley, it’s safe to say that Matt pretty much did it all…

In the classroom
Matt played bass in the orchestra and served as orchestra president his senior year. He was the valedictorian of his class and received several book/departmental awards along the way: The Princeton University Award (for top academic standing, intellectual leadership, strong character, and a spirit of service), The Rensselaer Medal Award (Science), The Oberlin College Book Award (English), The Columbia University Book Award (Social Studies), The Harvey Polcek Award (Counseling), and a Language Department Award (Spanish).

Extracurricular activities
During his freshman and sophomore years he was a member of Silent Earth (environmental club) and in 2011 participated in the senior musical "The Wedding Singer," which he described as one of his coolest experiences. Matt also was one of two student executives for the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, and in his senior year they implemented the First Annual Chappaqua Spelling Bee, raising over $10,000 for the scholarship fund.

Matt also excelled in athletics as a four-year starter and two-year captain of the varsity basketball team. He holds the school records for career points (1,516) and rebounds (1,021) and was awarded the Con Edison Irwin "Red" Klein Memorial Scholarship as the top Student-Athlete in Westchester County (2011); named Greeley scholar-athlete of the year (2011); Most Valuable Player (2009-11); All-Section (2008-11); All-State (2010-11).

Through the years, Matt has complemented his work in medical sciences with deep interests in  the psychology of health, the history of disease, and the social networks that affect health. He has a particular interest in the socio-cultural, environmental and biological roots of obesity-related diseases. "Ideally, I see myself in academic medicine, where I could make a difference at several levels: by clinically treating patients, by researching the trends of, and risk factors for nutrition-related disease, by teaching future leaders, and by advising policymakers on how best to modify our social, medical, and legal structures to mitigate this burden," Matt explained. "One of my role models is Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF who has helped lead the charge against sugar in the American diet."

When asked how his time at Greeley prepared him for Yale as well as this next step in his academic career, Matt responded with the following:

"I couldn't have asked for a better place than Greeley to learn and grow as a person. I'm incredibly grateful to all of the teachers, coaches and friends in Chappaqua who inspired and supported me. In sixth grade, Ms. Goldshore taught me to go beyond what's required; in eleventh, Dr. Prignano galvanized my love of science; Coach Fernandes continues to be one of my greatest mentors. There are many more. It's the energy and passion all of them bring to school every day that make Greeley the amazing place it is. The group of peers and friends I made at Greeley had a huge impact on me, too. This extraordinary community pushed me to try to be a good person and to do good in the world."

Matt will begin the 2015 school year at Oxford University in England, where he plans to pursue master degrees in medical anthropology (MSc) and public policy (MPP). The medical anthropology course offers a coordinated learning program in both biological and social anthropological approaches to health and illness. It provides the necessary basis for future anthropological research and an excellent cross-cultural grounding for those aiming to pursue a career in global health, clinical medicine or other health-related fields. The Master of Public Policy (MPP) course enables students to develop analytical and critical skills relevant for understanding the challenges of public policy and its implementation. It also equips them with skills that are essential for effective policy delivery.
 


Co-salutatorians at Greeley. . .Co-valedictorians at Darthmouth
The Journal News / June 6, 2014 / Gary Stern

ETHAN PROTNOY (2010) and EZRA TOBACK (2010) were only co-salutatorians when they graduated from Chappaqua's highly regarded Horace Greeley High. So the pair upped the ante at Dartmouth College in 2014, graduating as two of the Ivy League school's five valedictorians. The two one-time Little League teammates left Dartmouth with 4.0 GPAs.

"It's very cool," Toback said. "Being there with Ethan made the whole thing much more memorable and meaningful." When they were both inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society in the fall, it occurred to each of them that they could be sharing a commencement stage once again. They found out last week that, sure enough, they were getting co-top billing this time around. "I was delighted to share the honor with Ezra, someone I had the opportunity to grow up with, after we shared a similar honor in high school," Portnoy said. "I don't think it's a coincidence. It is definitely a testament to the foundation we received at Horace Greeley and the Chappaqua school district."

Greeley Assistant Principal Michele Glenn, who was "class principal" for the Class of 2010, was tickled by the pair's unusual second double-honor. "It's crazy — so wild," she said "They could not have been more different in personality when they were at Greeley, and yet they were so similar academically. Ezra was more visible and outgoing. Ethan was incredibly thoughtful and respectful. They worked very, very hard and deserved what they earned, both here and, I'm sure, at Dartmouth." Portnoy and Toback have the sparkling academic resumes you would expect of Dartmouth's best. They will soon be going their own ways.

Headshot of Ethan Portany weaing a black suite, white shirt, and purple tie.Portnoy, 22, majored in economics, with a minor in Spanish, and was co-president of both the Dartmouth Investment and Philanthropy Program and the Philanthropic All-American Rush Program. He started futon-rental and bed-rental companies on campus and found the time to intern at Morgan Stanley. His academic interests include financial markets, international trade, managerial economics and business strategy. "For me, Dartmouth is defined by its strong sense of community and passionate student body," Portnoy said. "Dartmouth students’ enthusiasm for everything they do — from academic studies to extracurricular interest s— has always impressed me. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend four years at such a special place." He will move to Boston to work as a private equity analyst for Bain Capital. 

Headshot of Ezra Tobak wearing a black sweater.Toback, 21, majored in Asian and Middle Eastern studies and Asian and Middle Eastern languages and literatures. He received research grants to Tokyo in 2012 and 2013 and translated portions of an 1836 Japanese city guidebook. He will soon leave to study at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan, before applying to doctorate programs in East Asian studies and anthropology. His other academic interests include history, visual culture studies, urban studies, religion studies, literary theory and geography, singing, reading early 20th-century novels and works of socio-cultural criticism and baseball. "Here at Dartmouth I've encountered the most formative intellectual forces of my life," Toback said. "I know that this school's students and faculty will continue to shape me going forward."

Glenn wasn't surprised to hear of their career choices. "It sounds like they have both chosen paths aligned with who they are as individuals," she said.

Oddly enough, a third Dartmouth valedictorian also studied in Chappaqua. Portnoy said that he learned that Natalie Salmanowitz of Menlo Park, Calif., attended Douglas Grafflin Elementary School for a few years before leaving town. Since Portnoy went to Roaring Brook Elementary and Toback went to Westorchard Elementary, all three of Chappaqua's elementary schools were represented in Dartmouth's valedictorian class.
 


Teacher, former student team up to write Broadway's newest hit musical

Frank Cerruzi and Blake HarrisFor the past three years, BLAKE HARRIS (2001) has been collaborating with his former teacher Frank Cerruzi, who specializes in teaching creative writing and drama at Greeley. The duo wrote the book and lyrics for an original show entitled WikiMusical, which recently became an Official Selection of the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Frank describes WikiMusical as “a hilarious new musical satire of the technological age--it explores the ways in which our obsession with the virtual world has affected our ability to live in the real one. It tells the epic tale of two estranged brothers, Peter and Kurt Oglesby, who return to their childhood home for Christmas Eve and, through a series of mysterious events, are magically zapped inside the Internet.”

But getting back to reality isn’t as simple as clicking on the right hyperlink; the brothers must put aside their differences and come to terms with their pasts in order to save the future. Along the way, they will need to rely on help from allies like the cuddly kittens (who may or may not have created the Internet,) a cowardly emoticon (who is searching for his long lost love, Princess LOL,) and an omniscient narrator (who may or may not be Morgan Freeman.) While the story is populated by a bizarre cast of characters and seeks to create a magical alternate reality before your eyes, at its heart the piece is really about brotherhood and what it means to be truthful, both to others and to ourselves.

At its core, WikiMusical is a quintessential quest story, inspired by such classics as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth, and by Broadway shows like Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon. Just add a dash of Tron and a sprinkling of Super Mario Bros. and you have a good idea of the style and tone of the show.

A fully-staged production of WikiMusical will make its world premiere in July at the Pearl Theatre Company Performance Space in Manhattan during the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Sometimes referred to as the “Sundance of musical theater,” the festival offers young artists and aspiring writers a unique opportunity to have their work staged and performed in front of a larger audience. Featuring twelve original songs composed by Trent Jeffords, including “Imagine the Future,” “Mean Is the New Nice,” and “The Blogger’s Ballad,” you simply must experience for yourself what The New York Times described as, “Could be either awesome. . .or not, but on paper it’s just the kind of quirky project that seems to embrace the mission of this annual event, which aims to introduce new shows, new perspectives and new blood into the musical theater canon.”

Can the brothers reconcile their differences and defeat the evil Spam King? There is only one way to find out. WikiMusical opens July 18th and will run for a minimum of five performances through July 26th.
 


Award-winning Composer

Laurence O'Keefe with a microphone speaking to an audience.LAURENCE O'KEEFE (1987) is a composer and lyricist for Broadway musicals. Best known for his work on Bat Boy: The Musical and musical adaptation of Legally Blonde, Larry returned to HGHS on March 2, 2014 to discuss his latest project, Heathers: The Musical, which opens in NYC at the end of March 2014.

Larry was joined by Director Andy Fickman, and cast members Barrett Weed, Rachel Flynn and Dan Domenich, to detail the process of mounting a new production. They then previewed numbers from the new show, and students from Greeley returned the favor by presenting a stage number from their April 2014 senior musical production of “Legally Blonde.”

In 2007, Larry received Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his work on Legally Blonde, and in 2001, Bat Boy received eight Drama Desk Award nominations, including nods for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics; won two Richard Rodgers Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award for music and lyrics; and won both the Lucille Lortel Award and the Outer Critics' Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical.He also received the 2004 Ed Kleban Award, the highest honor for lyricists given in the U.S.

Larry is a graduate of Harvard College, where he studied anthropology and wrote humor for the Harvard Lampoon and sang with the Harvard Krokodiloes. He got his start in musical theater through Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals, performing in the Pudding's drag burlesques, composing two others (notably Suede Expectations, book by Mo Rocca), and penning one libretto (Romancing the Throne). He later studied composition and film scoring at Berklee College of Music and the University of Southern California.
 


 First Cameraman

Arun Chaudhary in a suite behind a video cameraMany presidents have had official White House photographers, but ARUN CHAUDHARY (1993) claims the honor of being the first official White House videographer, a position created for him at the beginning of the Obama administration.

Chaudhary traveled extensively with the President, capturing public events and behind-the-scenes moments as well as producing and packaging presidential tapings for the Internet and broadcast television. He is the creator and architect of “West Wing Week,” the first-ever online video diary of the White House. During his tenure, he wrote, produced, shot and edited over 63 episodes of West Wing Week, documenting the President through his rigorous weekly agenda. He also directed many tapings of the Weekly Address.

His first book, First Cameraman: Documenting the Obama Presidency in Real Time, was published in August 2012 by Times Books, and it chronicles his time capturing behind-the-scenes moments from the early months of the 2008 campaign through the first 2½ years of the Obama administration.

Chaudhary was a key member of Barack Obama’s New Media team during the 2008 campaign. As the New Media Road Director, Chaudhary oversaw the team responsible for capturing the day-to-day life of the future president in video and stills. He and his team set a new standard in documenting history, delivering crucial images to the public from the road in real time.

He is currently the Senior Vice President of Communications at Revolution Messaging and a fellow at George Washington University.

While at Greeley, Arun was an AP Scholar, Model UN participant, theater tech, and recipient of the Michael Goldberg scholarship, which helped defray some of the cost of his undergraduate education at Cornell. He enjoyed playing JV soccer and performing with the concert and jazz bands in addition to editing Grelley’s humor magazine, Esnesnon.

In a September interview with NewCastleNOW, Arun said, “History and social studies were my favorite subjects...And my favorite class was EHAP, taught by Mr. Houser. He also taught me how to play the board game Diplomacy, which was a great example of making education a narrative, something I think about in my work in politics.” Arun went on to say, “I think Greeley's emphasis on processes of thought rather than technical knowledge served me well. As a filmmaker, I never fall into the trap of thinking too much about the equipment, just what I want to do...People who knew me in high school would be much less surprised by what I ended up doing than those who knew me in college.”

Before joining the Obama team, Chaudhary worked in film in New York and was an adjunct professor in the NYU Graduate Film Department. He received his MFA in Filmmaking from NYU and his BA in Film Theory from Cornell University.Chaudhary has been profiled by the New York Times, the BBC, National Journal, Politico, Fortune, and many political websites. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and son.


Teach For America

Senior photo of Jason Raylesberg.JASON RAYLESBERG (2008) will join Teach For America starting in September 2012. Jason is perusing a double-major in English and Music at Columbia University and he was chosen from over 46,000 applicants.

While at Greeley, he taught saxophone lessons to students at Mount Vernon Elementary School, and at Columbia he co-founded Musical Mentors Collaborative, Inc., an organization that pairs Columbia students with over 30 underprivileged elementary school students. 

You can read more about Jason in the January 20, 2012 edition of NewCastleNOW.org.


Forbes Magazine List: "30 Under 30 in Technology"

Nicholas Allegra holding an iPhone with a cracked screen.NICHOLAS ALLEGRA (2010) was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of “30 under 30 in Technology” in August 2011.

On leave from Brown University, Nicholas is the creator of the web sites JailbreakMe 2 and Jailbreak 3, two hacks for Apple devices that allow users to gain root access to the operating system, allowing iOS users to download additional applications, extensions, and themes that are unavailable through the official Apple App Store.

Motivated by the challenge of figuring out how to circumvent Apple’s increasingly challenging security measures, his abilities have landed him an internship with Apple.

You can read more about Nicholas in the August 1, 2011 edition of Forbes Magazine.


Student-Athlete Is Drafted

Matthew Wilko, number 6, Tufts University.MATTHEW WITKO (2006) was the 17th overall pick selected by Major League Lacrosse’s expansion team, The Ohio Machine, in the third round of the supplemental draft. He also was the 51st overall pick drafted by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Shamrocks of the North American Lacrosse League for its inaugural season of indoor box lacrosse.

While playing for the Greeley Youth Lacrosse Association (GYLA), Matt earned Academic All-American, All-Section and All-League honors. He also was a member of the Hudson Valley Empire State Games bronze medal team in 2005. In addition to lacrosse, Matt also was a star running back in football and member of the varsity basketball team.

After graduating from Greeley, Matt was a captain and two-time All-American midfielder for the Tufts University Lacrosse team that won a national championship in 2010 and was national runner-up in 2011. Matt was named a USILA First-Team All-American in 2011 (after an honorable mention during his junior season,) earned All-New England honors three times, and received All-NESCAC honors twice during his career at Tufts, which ended with 98 goals in 72 games.

Matt is currently employed at The Kombine in Mt. Kisco where he works as a personal trainer. He plans to attend medical school in the fall and the GYLA stated it is extremely fortunate to have Matt on its coaching staff for the upcoming spring season. Matt will help run some of the winter practices at Armonk Indoor and will run the spring 2012 Rec. program for boys in grades 5 - 8.


Forbes Magazine List: "30 Under 30 in Real Estate"

headshot of Jonathan Bittner outside.JONATHAN BITTNER (2003) was named to the Forbes Magazine’s list of “30 under 30 in Real Estate.” At the age of 27, Jon is co-founder and COO of Splitwise, a web site and smartphone app that - using the mathematical algorithms he developed - helps roommates fairly divide shared living expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, furniture purchases and other random transactions.

After graduating from Greeley, Jon attended Yale University and is currently an astrophysics PhD candidate at Harvard University.

When asked how his time at Greeley prepared him for Harvard and beyond, he responded with the following:

Greeley was incredible preparation for Yale undergrad, and for Harvard grad school too. I've raved about Greeley to a lot of enthusiastic students, from the US and abroad. They can't believe how much Greeley had to offer, in terms of academic rigor and extra-curriculars. The music and elective offerings are usually the most surprising to people who don't know about Greeley - no one can believe I could take both AP Music Theory and AP Computer Science, or that I could be part of 5 or 6 different performance groups.

"What I learned at Greeley also enabled me to create Splitwise. Every week, I depend on the computer skills I learned from Mr. Benack in AP Computer Science and the statistics techniques I learned from Ms. Buitekant's AP Statistics class. I don't mean this figuratively at all; I never took a single statistics or computer science class in college, and I literally still use the specific skills they taught me in my daily life.

And of course, the teachers at Greeley are incredible people and incredible educators. I could go on and on about the individual teachers, in English, History, Music, language, and Math. In particular, I owe my love of Physics to Mr. Bianchi's superb teaching of AP Physics C. It was probably one of the best Physics course I took (including my masters courses at Harvard), and it gave me a huge head-start at Yale.”

While at Greeley, Jon was involved heavily in music and theater - band, orchestra, chorus, chamber orchestra, and madrigal choir. He was in the chorus for a few of the musicals, one of the dramas, and was the lead in the senior musical, "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." He, along with Anne Warlaumont and Blake Kaplan, co-founded the computer club NULL and he was on the Academic Challenge B team for many years.


Rhodes Scholar

Yearbook photo of Brett rosenbergBRETT ROSENBERG (2008) was among the 32 American students recently chosen as a 2012 Rhodes Scholar.

Arguably the most famous academic award available to American college students and graduates, Rhodes scholarships attract hundreds of top students and this year Brett stood out from the 830 students nominated by 299 colleges and universities nationwide.

“Greeley always challenged me in a way that helped me become a better student and better person, both inside and outside of the classroom,” Brett Rosenberg said. “I am so thankful for my education at Greeley. The teachers are dedicated, caring, and all-around incredible people. One of my teachers, Mr. Houser, actually wrote one of my letters of recommendation for the Rhodes Scholarship.” 

Brett is a senior at Harvard concentrating in History. Alongside her formal studies, she works as Head Research Assistant to Professor Niall Fergusson. She is an editorial columnist for the Harvard Crimson, a fiction and poetry editor for Tuesday Magazine, and has written for the New York Times and Harvard Magazine. Brett has also been a peer advisor and a member of the Kuumbu Singers, a choir dedicated to black creativity and spirituality.

While at Greeley, Brett was a 4-year member of the varsity cross country, indoor, and outdoor track teams, serving as captain in her junior and senior year and winning sectionals three years in a row. She also captained the Academic Challenge team that won "The Challenge” and went on to finish as a National Semifinalist. She has participated in the Science Bowl and Moody's Mega Math Challenge, and was a member of Amnesty International.

“I remember Brett, not only as an incredible student, but also as an enormously kind and compassionate young woman, cross-country phenom, and so much more. You couldn't ask for a nicer, more deserving young woman to win such a prestigious award,” commented Andrew Selesnick, Principal of Horace Greeley High School.

Other Greeley awards and accolades include: Co-Valedictorian, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, All-League and All-County runner, National Merit Scholar, Achievement Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, Rensselaer Medal, Columbia Book Award, Oberlin Book Award, Maureen O'Donnell Oxford Classical Dictionary Award, 5-year Gold Medal winner on the National Latin Exam, Departmental Excellence in English Award, and the Senior History Award.

Brett will begin the 2012 school year at Oxford University in England, where she plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy Degree in International Relations. This is a two-year (21-month) course which offers intellectually rigorous training in the recent history of world politics, in the theoretical or conceptual study of International Relations as well as the appropriate research methods. The course equips students with the skills they require to undertake research and study at an advanced level and also to undertake many forms of professional work in the field.