If you have Horace Mann School alumni news that you'd like to share, please send an email to websitenews@horacemann.org. We will review all submissions and some will be featured on our website. (We regret that we cannot showcase all news items provided.)
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli '87 Receives 2023 Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Achievement
The 2023 Horace Mann School Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Achievement was presented to Chef Alex Guarnaschelli '87 at a celebration at Tavern on the Green on Monday, May 8th.
The Alumni Association's Award for Distinguished Achievement is chosen each year by the Alumni Council, on behalf of the Alumni Association, in order to honor a graduate who exemplifies distinguished achievement in his or her chosen profession or accomplishments. The first award was bestowed to a graduate of Horace Mann in 1939 and it has since become a well-recognized and anticipated event and honor every year.
There are few American chefs, much less female chefs, who can boast staying power in Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli can boast indeed - she embarked on a culinary journey in France and ended up working in some of the country's top restaurants including esteemed chef Guy Savoy's eponymous three-star kitchen. Not surprising for the daughter of esteemed cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, who spent her childhood surrounded by food.
To read a full bio, and see a list of past Award recipients, visit our website here.
Fellowship provides funding for graduate school and recognizes future public service leaders.
Office of Distinguished Fellowships | MIT Career Advising and Professional Development Publication Date:
https://news.mit.edu/2023/malhaar-agrawal-named-truman-scholar-0413
Reprinted with permission of MIT News (http://news.mit.edu/)
HM Alums Build Growing Fleet of “Cobots”
Advances in technology and artificial intelligence are making robot automation more affordable in manufacturing. Recognizing this trend, Tutor Intelligence, founded by Josh Gruenstein '17 with an MIT classmate in February of 2021, is producing AI machines in the form of “cobots” -- collaborative robots – that deliver seamless automation to small and medium-sized manufacturers.
The company develops AI software and then leases complete cobot systems, running its software, to manufacturing and packaging facilities for $12 per hour. Tutor Intelligence allows customers to pay for cobots by the hour with no commitment and offers the flexibility to scale up or down as needed. The company’s cobots can be delivered to customers in a matter of days and are ready to work straight out of the box alongside humans.
Several other members of the Class of 2017 are nurturing Tutor Intelligence’s success. Emily Spector '17 joined the company part-time in January 2022 and became the full-time head of business operations in June 2022. Over the summer of 2022, Benjamin Ades '17 was hired to produce a series of videos for Tutor’s website. In addition, Tutor Intelligence has taken investment from Junyoung Choi '17, with the support of two additional members of the Class of 2017.
The company’s website explains the automation challenges that small- and medium-sized manufacturers face: “Most manufacturing does not happen at the scale of the largest brands: 99.3% of manufacturers in the US have under 500 employees. 75% have a headcount under 20. The majority of manufacturers that form the lifeblood of the physical economy are run by individuals and families, businesses that have endured and prevailed through major challenges. They comprise more the 99% of manufacturers in the United States, and yet they are regularly overlooked by the public media, and their needs go unmet by the people supposedly designing the future of automation.”
Tutor Intelligence started in the MassRobotics co-working space in the Boston Seaport, but soon moved to its own office in Boston's Financial District. They now operate on three floors: one for office space, one for lab space, and one for manufacturing.
Click here to meet the cobots that get to work right out of the box:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_9EM4mW_Uc&authuser=0
Two HM Alumnae Named to Forbes 30 Under 30
Two up-and-coming young professionals who call Horace Mann School alma mater were recently named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 For 30 North America 2023.
Jessica Chi Source: LinkedIn
Jessica Chi ’11 is the global marketing director of Rihanna’s Fenty Skin at LVMH/Kendo Brands. She was responsible for the launch of Fenty Eau de Parfum, which sold out within hours of its August 2021 release. Prior to her current position, she held various marketing positions at LVMH and L’Oreal. After graduating from Horace Mann, where her activities included theater and dance, Jessica attended Columbia University and studied sociology and English. Several years later, she returned to Columbia to earn her MBA in marketing and management.
Flo Ngala Credit: Barry Mason
Flo Ngala ’13 is a professional photographer and photojournalist who was the first Black woman hired by Vogue to photograph the Met Gala. Among many other projects, she received great acclaim for her 2019 New York Times cover story about figure skating in Harlem, as well as her photography of entertainment icons Cardi B and Gucci Mane. As a student at Horace Mann, Flo was voted “most artsy.” It was at HM that she first learned how to use a camera. She has returned to campus many times to speak with students about her experiences at Horace Mann and in her professional life.
Alumni Veterans Share Reflections at School Assembly
Several HM alumni – some on active duty service and some military veterans – shared their insights about their experiences during an Upper Division assembly on November 8, 2022.
The idea for a promoting a deeper appreciation of military veterans within the Horace Mann community originated in a 2019 project conceived by Eddie Jin ‘20, Daniel Lee ‘20, and Hyunseo Yang ’20. Their proposal – which aimed at promoting “recognition and appreciation of military veterans within the walls of Horace Mann… and encouraging HM students to be more engaged with a section of the community facing considerable challenges – won a grant from the Alexander Capelluto Award in 2019. Panelists at the assembly included:
· Eric Derecktor ’12, who served as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy from 2016 to 2021.
· Ben Jacobson ’09, who was a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2013 to 2018.
· Victor Ladd ’11, who serves in the U.S. Navy.
· Matthew Meltzer ‘13, who was a navigator, main propulsion officer, electronic warfare officer, and legal officer for the U.S. Navy.
· Elizabeth Vierya ’04, who was a judge advocate for the United States Army from 2013 to 2018.
Guiding the discussion was John McNally, Middle Division dean and history teacher, who spent eight years as a U.S. Army officer and aviator.
On October 26th at Carnegie Hall, the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford held the first North American edition of its annual lecture. At that lecture, HM alumnus Robert Caro '53 was honored with the Libraries' prestigious Bodley Medal. According to the Bodleian Library press release, the ceremony featured a conversation between Richard Ovenden, Bodley's Librarian, and Mr. Caro. As Ovenden shared, "Robert Caro is simply one of the greatest American historians. He has used libraries and archives extensively to paint the most vividly illuminating portrait of American politics and society in the 20th century through his biographies on Robert Moses and Lyndon B Johnson. Caro's work demonstrates a rigorous respect for facts and the persistent determination of a researcher. There could be no better person to inaugurate the Bodley Lecture in North America and to receive the Bodley Medal."
Mr. Caro, Pulitzer Prize winner and acclaimed author-historian, visits HM annually to present the Robert Caro '53 Prize for Literary Excellence in the Writing of History. Last June, Caro presented the 2022 award to Liliana Greyf '22 for her work "AIDS Does Not Discriminate, But Memory Does: How History Unified and Whitewashed the AIDS Epidemics of New York City.” Caro's work is also the focus of a current exhibition at the New York Historical Society entitled, Turn Every Page: Inside the Robert A. Caro Archive.
The Bodley Medal is "the highest award bestowed by the Bodleian Libraries, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worlds of books and literature, libraries, media and communications, science and philanthropy." To read more about the Bodley Medal, visit the Bodleian Libraries website here.
Under sunny skies on October 8th, the HM Lions took to the fields, courts, running paths, and waters to defend their school’s Homecoming pride. Thousands of alumni, students, parents and guardians, faculty and staff, and neighbors came to campus to support the fall athletes, enjoy a complimentary BBQ lunch, snag some awesome HM swag, and participate in a range of family-friendly games and activities.
The festivities began on Friday afternoon with a dramatic Upper Division pep rally that saw the fall athletic teams bursting through photographic break-away banners on Alumni Field. The HM Spirit Squad helped to whoop the crowd into a frenzy, as students proudly donned their "Mann Kind" T-shirts in honor of this year's Homecoming theme, “We are Mann Kind!”
In the athletic contests against arch rival Riverdale, HM girls’ tennis, water polo, and girls’ soccer were winners, while girls’ volleyball and field hockey came up short. The boys’ soccer game ended in a 2-2 tie, the football team fell to Montclair-Kimberly Academy 13-21, and boys’ and girls’ cross country ran with pride in the Manhattan College Invitational in Van Cortlandt Park.
Homecoming is first and foremost an alumni celebration, and one of the alumni classes that was best represented this year was the newly inducted Class of 2022. Dozens of 2022 alumni traveled home from college to HM to cheer on their friends and former teammates.
As Head of School Dr. Tom Kelly reflected, “It appears we had a record turnout at this year’s Homecoming. There was ‘lots to celebrate and even more to be proud of on and off the athletic fields, pool and courts. From our student athletes, to our N-12 student body, to our parents and alumni, to our faculty and staff, to our PA volunteers, to the food and contests, to the fun under the tents, Saturday was a remarkable showing for the Lions of HM!”
Later that evening, a terrific time was had by all at the five-year milestone reunions celebration at the Harmonie Club in Midtown Manhattan. Hundreds of alumni representing the Classes of 1957, 1972, 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 enjoyed reminiscing, networking and making new friends, and reconnecting with the school and the people who shaped their lives. Also on hand to say, “Hello!” were HM administrators and faculty Tom Kelly, Jessica Levenstein, Lisa Moreira, Stephanie Feigin, Michael Dalo, and Andrew Fippinger. (Note: The Classes of 1952 and 1962 celebrated at separate gatherings earlier in the week.)
The ebullience and sense of gratitude for the chance to gather was palpable. As we learned from the pandemic, there is no substitute for being together, hugging old friends, and seeing each other’s smiles. HM extends its deep appreciation to everyone who made the effort to be a part of such a special evening!
Please enjoy viewing photo highlights from the many activities and events of our 2022 Homecoming and Reunions Celebration!
Links to the photos from Homecoming:
https://tinyurl.com/HMHomecoming1
https://tinyurl.com/HMHomecoming2
HM Reunions 2022
https://www.flickr.com/photos/141038450@N03/albums/72177720303423541
Maroon and White Alumni Families Brunch:
https://tinyurl.com/MaroonandWhite
Alumni Soccer Game:
https://tinyurl.com/HMAlumniSoccer
Ella Feiner '18 to Compete on Jeopardy!
Ella Feiner '18, a senior at Princeton University majoring in chemical and biomedical enginrering, will be a contestant on a special, Primetime "National College Championship" edition of Jeopardy! The show airs Tuesday, February 8th at 8:00 pm on ABC. Feiner is competing in the first of 12 quarterfinal games against contestants from different colleges. If she wins on Tuesday, she will advance to the semifinal matches which will begin Thursday, Feb. 17.
According to a February 6, 2022 article in The Daily Princetonian, Feiner's love for trivia, and Jeopardy! in particular, blossomed during her freshman year of college when a group of friends competed nightly while watching the show. The passionate trivia buffs went on to form an official campus club, the Princeton Jeopardy! Circuit. Feiner is the second member of the Circuit to compete on the show.
It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Gary D. Miller '56, beloved classmate, administrator, advisor, coach and friend to generations of members of the HM community. Below is a copy of his obituary which includes details of the memorial service on June 5th and how to honor Gary by making a donation to Camp Merriwood's Campership Fund. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and classmates during this sad time.
The following obituary was published in the Greenwich Time on May 8, 2021.
In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to the "Moose and Janet Miller Campership Fund," named for his parents and created so girls who may not have been able to attend camp for financial reasons would have the opportunity to experience Merriwood. Checks should be sent to 37 Long View Road, West Hartford, CT 06107.