Preeti Fibiger P ’24, Interim Head of School, kicked-off the ceremonies by describing the DAA award. The Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) was established in 1997 to pay special tribute to alumni of the Dwight School, the Englewood School for Boys, and D-E. The award is presented for exemplary professional and/or volunteer accomplishments. It honors alumni whose achievements deserve special recognition by the school and by fellow graduates.
The first of this year’s DAA recipients, Matthew (“Matt”) Vita ’74 (above center), had been honored earlier in the weekend during the aforementioned Class of 1974 50th Reunion Dinner. During this Dinner, Matt’s classmates Susan Devine-Lempert ’74 and David Lane ’74 spoke to Matt’s journalistic achievements and friendship. These achievements included Matt’s sharing of the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, which was won by The Washington Post for its coverage of the war on terrorism. Matt became The Post’s deputy sports editor in 2004 and was named sports editor in 2009. At both the 50th Reunion Dinner and the official ceremony in Schenck, Susan spoke also to Matt’s history as a fellow editor/ collaborator on the then-new D-E student newspaper, The Spectrum, (forged when ESB and the Dwight School merged in 1973). A video segment was also shared with the audience from when Matt Zoomed earlier this year with Anna Ibarguen ’26, a current Spectrum student editor. Congratulations Matt!
DAA honoree Tara Kole ’94 was also honored during the ceremony. An entertainment lawyer, Tara is a founding partner at Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole LLP in West Hollywood, representing established film and TV directors, writers, actors and producers in entertainment transitions. She is also a professor at the USC Gould School of Law. After being introduced by Phil Swirbul, D-E History Department teacher, Tara spoke to the lessons learned while she was a student at D-E and how she valued her D-E experience well into law school and now as a respected legal professional. Congratulations Tara!
Jay Lesenger ESB ’69 was also recognized with DAA honors during the ceremony. During his 50-year career as Stage Director, Producer, Administrator, and Teacher, he has staged some 250 operas, operettas, and musicals in the US and abroad. Jay is a nationally recognized teacher of acting for singers and a frequent adjudicator for The Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, Opera Index, and other vocal competitions. Jay was introduced by his friend and classmate Lynn Lieblich Jeffery D ’69, and recalled memories of his fellow ESB and Dwight School thespians and musical theatre performers, the influence of luminaries such as Malcolm Duffy, and thoughtful reflections on his more recent productions. Congratulations Jay!
Alumni recognized as the newest inductees into the D-E Athletic Hall of Fame (AHF) were also honored in a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium. D-E Athletic Director JD Sand welcomed all attendees and then described the AHF. The AHF was established in 1996 to honor those individuals or athletic teams who have achieved a high level of success during their careers as student-athletes or coaches, and perpetuates the memory of those who have brought distinction and excellence to the School through their actions both on and off the playing field.
Alumna Hanna Jerome ’14 was the first new AHF inductee to be honored. Introducing Hanna was Fred Daly, former English Department Chair and Current English Faculty member, and Coach for D-E Cross Country and Track. Fred reflected on the implications of Hanna’s accomplishments and how she has made a historical impact on D-E; Hanna holds many D-E Track and Cross Country records including the fastest time for girls on all four cross-country courses; the record for Winter Track in the 1,000 and 1,600 meters, and the record for Spring Track in the 800 and 1,600 meters. As a postgraduate, Hanna placed in the top 100 of American Women at the NYC Marathon with a time of 3:05. Hanna then took to the podium and spoke passionately about her memories of competing for D-E and the life lessons she gained in the process. Congratulations Hanna!
Alumnus Ricky Bawa ’04 (above) was also honored. Ricky played 2nd Singles on the D-E Boys Tennis Team that won a State Group Title (along with a State Sectional Title) and only lost in a nail-biter of a final in 2021, finishing No. 2 overall in NJ that year and No. 1 for non-public schools. Ricky was on the Men’s Tennis Team at Stevens Institute of Technology where he was named Skyline Conference Men’s Player of the Year in 2005 and 2007. Introducing Ricky was Andy Pink, Former D-E Assistant Athletic Director and Tennis coach, who noted Ricky’s perseverance and unusually ‘mature’ composure, both on and off the court. Ricky then gave poignant reflections about the positive influence of being a part of the D-E Tennis “family”. Congratulations Ricky!
The D-E 1984 Girls Softball Team was also inducted into the AHF during the ceremony. Bobby Meyer, Former Girls Softball Coach, was on hand to speak to the team’s distinctive accomplishments, which included a fantastic team batting average of .366 and an overall record of 13-2. They won the Metropolitan Athletic Association of Private Schools (MAAPS) tournament in both 1983 and 1984. In the 1983 championship game, the team won the tournament with a score of 24-4 against Staten Isalnd. The team lost to Mount St. Mary’s in the final game of the NJ State Tournament. Following Bobby’s remarks, members of the team who were in attendance donned ribbons and grouped together with Bobby, who was holding a vintage D-E Varsity Letter, for a team group photo. Congratulations to the D-E 1984 Girls Softball Team!
