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Ice Skating Party at Bryant Park Photos
Windward Winter Ice Skating Party at Bryant Park
On January 26, the ice skating rink at Bryant Park was taken over by The Windward School! 300 Windward families, faculty, and staff came together for some skating and refreshments during the annual Winter Ice Skating Party in New York City.
Alumni News & Notes
1996 Jeffrey Tome double majored in computer graphics and art education at the School of Visual Arts before receiving his master’s degree in 3D animation from New York Institute of Technology. He then worked as a higher education computer graphics instructor, teaching at NYIT, Baruch College, Hunter College, New York School of Interior Design, and Touro College. Five years ago, Jeffrey found inspiration to create a modern day video game, similar to the Simon electronic game of the 1970s. After forming his own company Geeky Games, LLC, creating 3000+ computer graphics and sound effects, and trademarking three graphic logos and wordmark, Jeffrey’s game called Light Play is now available for download on Apple’s App Store. Light Play is an app where you test your memory by correctly guessing the color sequence displayed to you. “Memory games are known to help manage forgetfulness and strengthen the brain. Light Play was originally made for my grandmother, with the hopes that it will stunt the onslaught of dementia and Alzheimer's. It has evolved though into an enjoyable game for everyone, children and adults.”
Stacey Lewando lives in the suburbs just south of Boston, MA. She works for the toy company Hasbro, in Pawtucket, RI, where she is a product development project manager in games. Stacey works on games like Monopoly, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Clue, Life, Trouble, Sorry, and many more. Although her work is extremely challenging, she enjoys the fact that her job tests her limits and presents exciting opportunities for her to learn and grow. Stacey has been married to her husband, Jonathan, for 13 years. Together, they have a 7yearold son, Joseph, and a rescue dog, Meiji. Stacey attended Windward for three years in the 1990s, and she attributes much of her confidence and success to her experiences then. Stacey also has another connection to Windward, apart from being an alumna—she has been longtime childhood friends with MMS Art Teacher Ms. DeLuca.
2002
Tracey Lemle Levy welcomed a daughter, Eliza Jane Levy, on September 13. Eliza weighed 5 lbs. 12 oz.
Matthew Gullo and Max Levine ’15 have known each other for years as they both volunteer with the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department. However, they only recently discovered that they are both Windward alumni. Matthew and Max are pictured together at the fire department’s holiday party in December.
2003 Scott Rudin is married with two sons, Jack (an infant) and Fisher (4 years old). Professionally, Scott is in his 13th year at Ralph Lauren, and he serves as Vice President of Men’s Design and Advertising. When he is not at his day job, he also is a fine art photographer, shooting only with film. Scott’s work has appeared in hotels and restaurants around the world, and he shot a global campaign for Ralph Lauren.
2005 Stuart Longley experienced many personal and professional highlights over the past year. In July, Stuart married his incredible wife, Emily, in her hometown of Charleston, SC. They are pictured together in front of Hibernian Hall in Charleston. In his work life, Stuart spent over five years at roundCorner, a software company. During that time, he rose up through the sales ranks to lead the foundationConnect team overseeing business development, customer success, and product strategy. roundCorner was acquired by Salesforce in early 2019 and, after transitioning management of foundationConnect to Salesforce, Stuart joined Gympass as their director of technical sales. Recently, Stuart left Gympass to focus on his own venture, Prelio Technologies, inspired by over half a decade of highly complex software sales. Prelio, released in April, is a SaaS product designed to streamline the complex software sales process by providing tools to sales engineers to manage their workload, elevate the voice of the prospect, and identify unrealized value in productmarket fit.
2006 Evan Cygler (pictured on the right) ran into classmate Corey Feldman (center) and Corey’s twin, Russell, (left) while grocery shopping in SoHo in March. Corey, wearing a dinosaur suit, was practicing his humorous form of social distancing and bringing a smile to those in the store.
Leigh Davidson was married on October 5 to Jonathan Morado in Greenwich, CT. Leigh and her husband live in Tryon, NC.
2007 Gideon Cohn’s first career was in the aviation field as a pilot. He flew cargo to remote villages in Alaska, and he worked as a commercial airline captain based out of LaGuardia Airport. Simultaneously, Gideon worked parttime at a wealth management firm in Tarrytown. After 10 years, he transitioned to a fulltime career in wealth management and financial planning, and Gideon cofounded Good Capital Investment Group. Good Capital focuses on helping everyday people achieve their financial goals while simultaneously making the world more sustainable through finance. “None of my accomplishments would have been possible without the threeyear confidence boost that Windward gave me. I am forever grateful and humbled by what Windward taught me,” said Gideon. Entering Windward in sixthgrade and staying until his eighthgrade graduation, Gideon believes the Windward program transformed his fixed mindset into a growth mindset with three distinct lessons that “forever altered my trajectory in life.” First, he learned that a learning disability is not a badge of shame. Second, he understood how to learn in a way that catered to how his brain was wired. Third, he discovered how to use his learning disability to his advantage. “Windward has provided me with the knowledge and confidence that I carry to this day, even after graduating more than 16 years ago.” 2008 Zachary Federbush received a BFA in studio art from Manhattanville College in 2012 before continuing his education to earn an MA in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2017. As an artist, Zachary sticks to his love of unique characters, vibrant colors, the usage of words, and the fascination of experimenting by using acrylics, spray paint, and other mediums to understand the world around him. He has been in two solo shows at CunneenHackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, and two solo shows in Savannah, GA. Zachary’s work was recently part of the Gowanus Open Studios 2019. He currently is working and living in New York City.
Adam Weiner lives in Bangor, ME with his wife, Bailey, and their two children, Wilder and Violet. He teaches physical education at an elementary school, and he recently earned his MA in education administration.
2009 Connor O’Leary works at Paul Stuart, a clothing boutique, in midtown, where he is involved in launching their custom suit lab and madetomeasure program.
2010 Alex FramSchwartz married Saniya Seera at The Lodge at Snowbird in Utah.
2011 Caroline Bronston has been teaching prekindergarten students at a small private school on the West Side in Manhattan. She recently began her first year at the Bank Street Graduate School of Education as she pursues a master’s degree in early childhood general education and special education.
Sarah Ogden graduated from Middlebury College, and she is now an MBA student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
2012 Tyler Karow is a climbing enthusiast, and, for this season at Yosemite National Park, his objective was to climb The Nose in under 24 hours. The Nose is a 3,000foot climb straight up the middle of the El Capitan rock formation. This feat was first accomplished in the 1970s by a few climbing legends,
but most parties choose to take 35 days to accomplish the route. After strategizing for a couple days, Tyler and a friend climbed The Nose in 8 hours, 6 minutes, and 13 seconds! “We were genuinely confused and blown away by our time. In our planning, we had hoped for a time between 14 and 17 hours, and I would not have been surprised if it took longer. I climbed the first 18 pitches on the route in 4 hours and 11 minutes, refilling gear only three times. I’ve honestly never had so much fun climbing a route, and the very best part was how safe it felt the entire time. ”
2013 Zoë Stein graduated with a master’s degree in sustainability science from Arizona State University. She worked as the training director for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign for the state of Missouri.
Jonathan Goldberg accepted a position with the Detroit Tigers MLB team in November. His role is a media relations assistant.
2014 Tess Flanagan is studying neuroscience as a PhD candidate at Cornell University, and she has been working at the Cornell Early Childhood Cognition Lab. She is interested in how the philosophical arguments of free will can be empirically researched in young children’s intuitions and beliefs. Specifically, Tess is studying how young children’s understanding of free will relates to their social and moral relationships with other people and nonhuman agents. As part of her research to understand those questions, Tess coordinated an online study for children ages 4–11 called “What is a Robot?” through the lab. Tess also served as secretary for Cornell’s Graduate Women in Science organization, and she is a member of Ithaca’s comedy improv group, ComedyFLOPs. Luke Tercek graduated from Bowdoin College in 2018, and he has been living and working in New York City since then. Luke works at Goldman Sachs in the investment banking division.
Bryan Krosser passed his CPA exam, and he started working at CohnReznick in White Plains in November. He received his MS in accounting with honors from St. John’s University’s Tobin College of Business last May.
Samantha Stein recently graduated from the School of Education at Hunter College in May.
2015 Max Levine was named Firefighter of the Year for the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department in January. He said, “I am very thankful to be part of the amazing fire department and engine company, which is 100% volunteerbased.” At the fire department, one of Max’s colleagues is fellow alum Matthew Gullo ’02. See a photo of Max and Matthew on page 26.
Jackson Roberts is a sports anchor and reporter for Fox affiliate KVRR in Fargo, ND. He covers professional, college, and high school sports in the eastern region of North Dakota and Minnesota. Jackson’s responsibilities include producing, shooting, editing, writing, and delivering his own content. Previously, Jackson attended the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College where he earned a BS in television and radio. In school, he was heavily involved with studentrun stations as a sports reporter and commentator on highlight shows, as well as a playbyplay announcer.
Ellin Gurvitch is a graduate student at Hunter College where she is pursuing a MSEd in mental health counseling. She is interested in the field of sport psychology, particularly the positive effects that exercise has on one’s mental health and mindbody connection.
In this issue, we are highlighting three alumni who connected with The Windward Institute and are actively engaged in further understanding dyslexia.
2016 Emma Weinstein was admitted into Marist College’s Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society in February. The society honors undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who succeed academically and promote student leadership and advocacy. Emma graduated from Marist this past May.
2017
Talia Feilbogen and her sister Leah are cofounders of the Westchester chapter of the national organization FLAG (Front Line Appreciation Group), and the chapter held a fundraiser in April to raise $15,000 to provide restaurant meals for first responders at local Westchester hospitals. The fundraiser not only supported the medical professionals working on the front line but also provided muchneeded business to local restaurants and markets.
Justin Sodokoff, in his junior year, finished in second place on the 1meter diving board event and in the top 12 on the 3meter diving board at the NCAA Zone Championships in January. This allowed Justin to qualify to compete at the 2020 NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championship, which was scheduled to take place in March before being canceled. Justin was the first diver from Dartmouth College to qualify for nationals since 1999.
2018 Tory Huchro spent last summer in Malawi in southeastern Africa to work with Malawian and US clinicians treating patients in popup clinics in rural villages.
Institute Alexia Hartogensis ’19 Focuses on MCAT Testing Accommodations as U.S. Senate Intern
After graduating from Rye Country Day School in 2019, Alexia opted for a gap year before attending Harvard University. Her goal during this time was to work directly with lawmakers, with a focus on dyslexia advocacy.
“I knew that I wanted to try to intern in the Senate,” she explained. She found that opportunity in the office of Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (RLA), who has a track record of consistently advocating for students with learning disabilities. In 2019, Senator Cassidy coauthored the RISE Act, a bill amending the Higher Education Act to allow students with previous documentation of a disability to continue using that documentation when they transition to higher education.
Having just completed the college admissions process, Alexia realized the importance of supports for dyslexic students that extend beyond primary and secondary school. Her focus during her fall 2019 internship in Senator Cassidy’s office was to research how tests such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, and MCAT handled testing accommodations. “I looked at how many students successfully received accommodations and at the history the tests had with accommodations, specifically what lawsuits they had on the topic,” Alexia said.
Ultimately, she targeted the AAMC, the organization that facilitates MCAT testing. “I discovered that the MCAT rarely allowed students to receive accommodations unless they had documentation of using accommodations dating back to elementary school,” Alexia shared. In fact, despite the data showing that approximately 1 in 5 Americans has dyslexia, she found that only 0.3% of students who took the MCAT exam between 2011–2013 received accommodations. The disparity between these figures was concerning, and Alexia sought answers from the AAMC on behalf of Senator Cassidy. Her letter to the AAMC noted, “To establish an equal playing field with their peers, a student with dyslexia may simply need extra time on an exam or…texttospeech assistive technology that…allows a student’s cognitive abilities to shine through.”
Alexia currently conducts research on 5G, as well as other emerging areas where technology and policy intersect, through an internship with Google in Washington, D.C. When she begins Harvard in the fall, she plans to major in computer science with a minor in applied math. Alexia will be drawing from her internship experience to coauthor an article for The Beacon Fall 2020 issue, along with WMS Teacher Katherine Kaneko and CSE Liaison Lara Damashek, surrounding the legalities of securing standardized testing accommodations.
2018 (continued)
Tyler Woods was enrolled at Windward for four years, and he shared that those years changed his life. He recently completed his sophomore year at the University of Pennsylvania, and “without the faculty [at Windward], I wouldn’t be where I am today so thank you Windward for helping me in my amazing journey over the last 20 years.”
2019 Brody Selman committed to Western New England University to play on their NCAA Division III hockey team.
Josh Linder graduated from The DwightEnglewood School and is currently attending the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. This past semester, Josh interned as a sports writer for Rookie Road, a sports blog. This summer, he will be studying abroad at the London School of Economics. Josh attributes much of his academic success to the education he received during his six years at Windward.
Ted Holahan had a successful freshman year of college at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he is studying elementary education.
Grace Desiderio is studying communications with a concentration in public relations at Marist College. She decided to pursue this major after enjoying her work with Windward’s Alumni Office. During her freshman year, Grace loved her academic classes, and she also volunteered with the nonprofit Working in Support of Education (W!se). Over the summer, she plans on working with horses in need. “Every day I thank Windward for what they have done because if not for the School, I would not be where I am today.”
Lily Krasne was named high point riding champion at the SUNY Geneseo IHSA horse show in February. This was her first show representing Syracuse as a freshman.
2020 Jamie Beer graduated from HAFTR (Hebrew Academy of Five Towns & Rockaway) this year, and she will be taking a gap year to study abroad. When Jamie returns to the US, she will be attending Binghampton University. “Windward has taught me life skills, like advocating for myself, that I will use for the rest of my life.” Emily Depp is attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall, and she will be studying fine arts.
Rodger Ecker had a terrific senior year at Trinity Pawling. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Dean’s Advisory, and Honor Council. Rodger also was a head alumni ambassador, drama officer, and captain of both the varsity squash and varsity cross country teams. In the fall, he will be attending Washington College in Maryland as a presidential fellow. Rodger was selected for the unique fellowship program based on his commitment to highlevel academic achievement and intellectual rigor.
Ethan Fisher graduated from Harrison High School, and he will be attending George Washington University this fall to study politics and business.
Olivia Friedland will be attending Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College in the fall. She plans on studying either special education, child studies, or both.
Colin Hogan will begin his freshman year at the Villanova University School of Business in the fall.
Gidon Katz is taking a gap year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, where he will focus on golf training. Following his year at IMG, he will attend Elon University in North Carolina.
Jacob Ross graduated from The Harvey School, and he will enroll at University of Arizona in their communications school. During high school, Jacob was an allleague player for both football and hockey.
Sophie Watkinson attended The Hewitt School following her graduation from Windward. For college, she will be headed west to the town of San Luis Obispo as an undergrad in California Polytechnic (Cal Poly)’s engineering program. She is thrilled to have been accepted to the prestigious program.
Dylan Webb will be headed south to Dallas, TX, for college at the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
Maya Lebowitz ’21 Participates in EEG Training Alongside Windward Faculty
After arriving at Windward in third grade as a nonreader, Maya recently completed her junior year at SAR Academy with a 4.0 GPA in the dual curriculum program, which comprises classes in both secular and Judaic studies. In addition to her demanding academic workload, Maya has also pursued her growing interest in neuroresearch, particularly understanding how the dyslexic mind works. Maya penned an article for SAR’s science journal where she compared the dyslexic brain to the nondyslexic brain. As a member of the education committee of model congress, she drafted a bill for mandatory state testing for learning disabilities.
So when Maya read about the Windward/Haskins Laboratories Collaborative Project and its inschool research study, Predicting Learning Outcomes at The Windward School, in the last issue of The Compass, she reached out to The Windward Institute to see if she could become involved. In February, she received permission to join the Windward faculty on the EEG Leadership Team during their EEG training for phase two of the study's data collection.
“The opportunity to learn about the basics of how EEG works was so cool and interesting,” said Maya. “My favorite part of the day was learning how to apply an EEG cap on a subject. When someone is wearing the cap, I saw how the sensors pick up every action—from blinking to moving your jaw to sweating— and what that looks like on the brain readings. It was fascinating.”
During Maya’s visit to attend the EEG training, she was able to reconnect with her former fifthgrade language arts teacher, Ms. Scorrano, who is one of the four Windward faculty members on the EEG Leadership Team. Maya was in Ms. Scorrano’s first language arts class at Windward.
In this issue, we are highlighting three alumni who connected with The Windward Institute and are actively engaged in further understanding dyslexia.
2022 Hannah Maccrone visited Senegal for eight days as part of a school trip with 35 classmates and her chemistry teacher. The Mamaroneck High School group visited the village of Lambaye to meet with local children and assist with the grand opening of the village’s learning center. Following the trip, Hannah and her classmates held fundraisers to provide more supplies for the center and to establish a farm in the village. Reflecting on transitioning to Mamaroneck after Windward, Hannah said, “I felt very prepared because my teachers in eighth grade really challenged me, and they advanced my vocabulary and writing abilities. Mr. Sanders and Ms. Kaneko made me feel like I had the tools to take on the world! Windward was the best decision my parents have ever made for me because I went from not reading at all to reading 10thgradelevel books in 8th grade. Windward taught me that advocating for yourself will help tremendously. It’s not about how long a task takes you; it’s about the final product. Each day and with every assignment, I am using a tool from Windward.”
