Leslie Grinage ’99, who earned a BA in Spanish from Davidson College, was named Dean of Barnard College in 2019. Leslie was among the Poly alumnae who returned in 2018 for our celebration of Poly Women Through the Decades. Alumnae met with seventh graders who had done historical research about each decade. Their questions made Leslie realize she was a living witness to history. But, as an African-American woman, Grinage’s experience was different from other young women in her class. “I wouldn’t have known at the time to use a word like intersectionality,” Grinage said, “but I think the intersection of race and gender had an influence on my Poly experience. At Poly, I developed an appreciation for different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. Being in an educational environment such as Poly prepared me well to live in and value a pluralistic society.”
AcademicsAkili Tommasino ’05
Read MoreAkili Tommasino ’05 studied art history at Harvard and founded the Prep for Prep/Sotheby’s Art Academy in 2017 “to give high school students of color an earlier window into the art world.”
Alexandra Fried ’20
Read More“The teachers are the best part of going to school at Poly Prep. They are excited to teach their subjects, which makes it easier for students to be enthusiastic about learning.”
Alexandra Nava-Baltimore ’20
Read More“Being a student at Poly has allowed me to live what I learned. Poly has been my home, my studio, my classroom, and my inspiration.”
Chris Davenport ’91
Read MoreChris Davenport ’91 has been a reporter for The Washington Post since 2000 and covers the defense and space industries for the Post‘s financial desk.
Diahann Billings Burford ’90, P’20
Read MoreDiahann Billings Burford ’90, P’20 was the second girl to serve as president of Poly’s Student Government. “Diahann was a force of nature,” recalled Paul Raso, retired science teacher and former Student Government advisor.
Dr. Neil Schluger ’77
Read More“…I developed a love of learning, even for its own sake, and Paul Raso was one of the teachers who helped to instill that in me.”
Jared Banner ’03
Read MoreJared Banner ’03 played four seasons of varsity baseball at Poly. He was named Executive Director, Player Development for the New York Mets in 2018.
Jeanine Smartt Liburd ’88, P’21, ‘24
Read More“I honed my ability to craft my ideas and utilize language to be persuasive and share my perspective.”
Emily Giurleo ’13
Read More“I certainly wouldn’t be a software engineer if Ms. Turkenkopf and Ms. Licata hadn’t encouraged my love of math and science.”
Eugenia Xiao ’14
Read MoreMulti-talented Eugenia Xiao ‘14 earned a BA from Cornell and then a MS in Nursing from Columbia University School of Nursing.
Gigi Georges ’84
Read MoreGigi Georges ‘84, a recipient of Poly’s Distinguished Achievement Award, has had an extensive career in politics, public service, and academia.
Hallie Stephenson ’20
Read More“My favorite part about going to Poly Prep was that I was able to find such an incredible group of people who wanted to see me succeed and cared about my future. The mentors I’ve found at Poly have given me confidence and have inspired me to pursue things that I was at first unsure about.”
Max Rose ’04
Read MoreAlum Max Rose ’04 was elected to represent NY District 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018.
Nyla Welch ’20
Read MoreWith an exceptional talent for language, Nyla has traveled abroad through Poly’s Academic Travel program twice, to Martinique and France.
Rowan McAllister ’15
Read More“Art was always my favorite class, but I’ve found I use my math and engineering skills almost as much…to really connect all the dots of my education.”
Sonja Lindberg ’16
Read More“I worked more and harder than I ever had in English classes. After a few weeks, I came to love it.
Wendy Haft ’84
Read MoreWendy has coached every sport from basketball to tennis, but focused on softball. In 2015, she returned to Poly to present the Yale Cup at our end-of-year Athletics Awards Ceremony.
Channing Austin ’20
Read MoreAll-American athlete Channing Austin, who played on Team NY at the National High School Baseball Championship in Houston in 2019, committed to play for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.
Nick Storz ’17
Poly Blue Devils pitcher Nick Storz ’17, who was listed among the Baseball America 2017 Top 100 Draft Prospects, chose to play for LSU, where he is an imposing presence on the mound.
Ira Feldman ’75
Read MoreSustainability must encompass environmental protection, economic development, and social justice. Educating the next generation of environmental advocates is a priority for Feldman.