Long before he became a familiar voice on the airwaves, 2026 Alumni School Service Award recipient Ken Dashow ’76 got his start behind a mic at Poly Prep. He traces his nearly five decades in his dream career as an on-air radio personality back to the Brooklyn campus with a tall white tower. 

Launching the school’s first radio show with his friends and being active in the arts, sports, and academics at Poly, he recalls the experiences and mentors that sparked his love of performance, community, and lifelong learning. He also shares how Poly’s spirit of camaraderie, creativity, and collaboration shaped the way he approached pursuing his passions, career, and public service, and why he credits the school as the launch pad for his success and lifelong fulfillment.

Amanda Volel (AV) interviewed Ken Dashow ’76 (KD) on Thursday, April 2 via Zoom. 

AV: What did you learn during your time at Poly? What influence did those lessons have on your career now?

KD: Poly was everything to me, it was my launch pad. What made Poly special wasn’t just the great classes or teachers, but the freedom to explore everything. The real magic happened after the school day ended, in the arts, athletics, and clubs. That was the secret sauce, and it still is.

Two of the biggest things I did at Poly were starting the radio club with a group of friends and throwing bake sales and pizza sales until we raised enough to buy a 4-watt transmitter. Friends and families donated turntables, and I wrote to record companies to ask for vinyl for our school station. There was always a teacher or mentor ready to help, and by my junior year, we were on the air. That was the joy of Poly for me.

I’m almost 50 years into a career in radio now, and it really started at Poly. The same was true in theater. I acted in every play I could, and by senior year I was able to write my own. Poly gave me that freedom, and it pointed me toward exactly where I needed to be. One of the biggest things Poly taught me was the joy of collaboration. Since then, it’s what I’ve always [prioritized] in a great work environment. I’m so blessed at iHeart [Media] New York. Yes, it’s a giant company—it’s the largest audio company in the world—but our group in New York City is special. If you walk in, you’ll feel it immediately. Everyone says “hi” to each other. If somebody who works at a different radio station says, “Hey, can you give me a hand with something?” You put your coffee down and go running. Especially as I get older, I realize how much I cherish and appreciate those relationships.

AV: What was it like having a radio station at Poly? What was the reception like? How did it nurture your passion for radio? 

KD: [At first,] it didn’t matter to us if anyone else was listening—we were just learning how to do it, and we [were excited that we] could hear [the show] ourselves. But later on it became more serious because our friends were listening and offering feedback. Even the older students were weighing in. At that point, we realized this was real, we were actually doing radio.

As a young child, I would sit in my room listening to this happy voice on the radio playing Beatles records and all this fun music. The DJ felt like a friend. You knew who he was and whether you were at the beach or in your room, he was right there with you. It was different from TV, which was scripted. This was just a friend talking with you live.

AV: What keeps you so connected to Poly? 

KD: Poly’s network is so vital, it’s so deeply connected. That’s why it matters so much. Just recently, [a fellow alumnus], Marty Gottlieb ’73, reached out and said, “Ken, I have no idea if you remember me, we have never spoken, but I’ve been listening to you my whole life. I am so proud of what you’ve accomplished.” 

The [Poly] bond runs deep. I’ve seen it again and again. People remember the smallest details [about their time at school], and they stay connected for life.

Half of my [graduating] class will return for our 50th anniversary at Reunion this year, including John Harrison ’76 [one of the classmates I started the radio station at Poly with] who is flying in from South Africa for the event. We’ve also stayed close with a number of teachers through the ages and built friendships with them. We invited Paul Raso, one of [Poly’s former] science teachers, to come celebrate our 50th reunion. He’s just recently retired. 

When I wrote to him and asked him to join us, he replied that he wouldn’t miss it. Some of the teachers we love have passed, otherwise I know they would be there, too. I might not remember what I did Monday, or what I had for breakfast. But my time at Poly is so vivid, every teacher, every class, every memory; it’s alive and well, like a photo album that always stays in the front of my mind.

AV: How have you connected with current students?

KD: I have had the opportunity and privilege to visit Rich Nolan‘s Financial Literacy class as a guest speaker. I advise younger students to keep investing in relationships with those around you. The people in your classroom, the people you eat lunch with, the people you solve problems with, the people you laugh and talk with—that’s your real community. Those are the friends who stay with you for life. Stay connected to the people in your [real] life, not just the people who like you on social media.

I was also a camp counselor at Poly’s summer day camp. After I graduated, I was working evenings in radio, and my days were free; I thought it would be fun to go back to Poly. Some of my campers and other counselors went into the music business and have stayed in touch with me.

AV: What do you hope for Poly’s future? 

KD: I hope that spirit of camaraderie and of helping each other continues and gets stronger. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that the quality of education, teachers, and the interesting students Poly attracts will continue—that’s the magic of [of Poly].

The [lessons I gained] and what I am able to give back to the school is the secret sauce that’s kept me connected all these years. I would love to see that continue, and I have no doubt that it will. What the campus is now, and what is offered, is beyond my imagination from what it was 50 years ago. It’s amazing.

The campus is bigger and there are many more opportunities today. It could be overwhelming for a young student or teenager to figure out what they want to do, because they can’t do everything. That’s where [the deans] and mentors become so important—they get to know the individual student and help them sort it all out. For us, there were clubs, sports, arts, chess, writing, and more. It seems like options have grown a hundredfold since then, which is wonderful. Guiding students so they get the most out of Poly, and also give back the most, is key.

That giving part—writing the speech and doing it, creating a radio station, writing a play—doesn’t come from ego. It comes from a place of wanting to think, in a tiny little way, that I might have left Poly a little bit better than I found it.

Find out more about Ken Dashow ’76.