D-E was thrilled to recently welcome alumni from the Dwight School, Englewood School for Boys (ESB), and Dwight-Englewood School for Reunion Weekend 2025, with special events for class years ending with 0 and 5.
“…the legacy of people who have made this place what it is today.”
On Friday evening, October 24, there was a joyful 50th Reunion Dinner in Hajjar Auditorium for the Class of 1975, at which Head of School Dr. James Calleroz White (“Dr. CW”) warmly toasted these esteemed (and extremely enthusiastic!) alumni and acknowledged “the legacy of people who have made this place what it is today.”
Celebrations continued on Saturday, October 25, with the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; a Room Dedication Ceremony and Lunch Reception for longtime D-E faculty/staff member and coach Ms. Elizabeth (“Liz”) Traub; the Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony; and the Alumni Reunion Dinner Reception. Private class parties were also going on all weekend both locally and in New York City.
After welcome remarks from Dr. CW, Saturday’s commemoration events began with the Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony honoring Rick Schwartz ’95 for the indelible mark he left as a “triple-threat” athlete in Varsity Football, Basketball, and Baseball, as well as the 1989 and 1990 Girls Varsity Lacrosse teams.
Mr. Schwartz was introduced by Tom Curry III, former D-E Athletic Director and Coach, who reflected on what it was like to coach “Ricky” in the three sports he played so well. “What a privilege it was coaching him… there was no quit in him,” said Mr. Curry. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Schwartz remarked that he “felt very at home here [at D-E].”
Next up were members of the 1989 and 1990 Girls Lacrosse teams, including Patti Smith Barrett ’89, Niccole Siegel Kroll ’90, Lisette Perez ’90, and Clara Markowicz ’90. The alumnae collectively thanked their coaches and former D-E faculty Liz Traub, also being honored this day, and Ms. Betsey Carson, who themselves are D-E Athletic Hall of Famers, for producing a team of “tough cookies.”
The recently retired Ms. Traub—whose roles in her 40-year tenure at D-E have included Middle School (MS) Teacher, 8th Grade Advisor, Dean, and Coach of MS Cross Country, Field Hockey, and Lacrosse—received a conference room dedication on the third floor of the Middle School.
“…dedication to lifelong learning and commitment to excellence…”
Ms. Markowicz recalled the mark that Ms. Traub left on the Lacrosse team, noting that she ensured they played against more challenging teams in public schools. “She taught us to stretch beyond our comfort zone,” said Ms. Markowicz. During her remarks, Ms. Siegel Kroll coined the “Traubian Method” to describe Ms. Traub’s “high standards paired with the deep belief that these expectations can be met.”
Such thoughtful reflections naturally segued into Ms. Traub’s conference room dedication. Former MS Principal Kathy Christoph gave a light-hearted, moving speech about Ms. Traub’s “legendary organization skills” and the “two decades of laughter” she experienced working with her. “She was the friend who made sure I was never the one left alone on the sidelines,” said Ms. Christoph, who also lauded her “dedication to lifelong learning and commitment to excellence” and thanked Ms. Traub “for giving us the gift of you.”
When asked how it felt to be given this honor, Ms. Traub replied, “I’m very overwhelmed… I’m seeing former colleagues and former students, some of whom are parents now… coming together.” Of the highlights of her expansive career, Ms. Traub counted “being able to work with these kids and such great colleagues.”
Ms. Carson, another one of these colleagues in the Middle School, described Ms. Traub as “the ultimate D-E employee who volunteered up until her last week at the school… someone who was always ready to jump in and say ‘yes’ whenever she was needed… and a supportive friend.”
While at the podium, Ms. Traub mused that she was only 22 when she started at D-E and joked, “It was the free lunch that kept me here.” But really it was “the people, the lifelong friends that made me stay.”
Current MS Principal Jonathan Davis recounted an anecdote about interviewing for the job at D-E and because Ms. Traub tended to nickname applicants, he became known as “Rooster Socks” because of his accessory choice that day. He then read the dedication plaque in the newly anointed conference room, which Ms. Traub urged the school community to call the “Traub Room” for short. In part, the plaque reads:
The true measure of her impact is found in the smaller moments around campus. She counseled years of students in her dean’s office. She diligently worked on behalf of her group of students in seventh grade Organizational Lab. She continually encouraged the cross country runners as they ran the hill on Walnut Street. She carefully orchestrated school service projects to support the food bank and the holiday gift drive. And she prodded her colleagues around school to raise their standards to meet hers.
Ms. Traub and her family members then walked over to the Middle School Building for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting and to mingle with former colleagues, including Ms. Carson, Ms. Doris Tannenbaum, and Ms. Diane Christian, affectionately known as the “China Girls” because they traveled to China together. Ms. Christian, Upper School English Teacher, who has known Ms. Traub for all of her 40 years at D-E, shared that “I’ve been blessed with a wonderful friendship.”
Later on Saturday afternoon, alumni along with current and former faculty/staff reconvened in Hajjar Auditorium for the Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) Ceremony, at which Marc Jerome ‘85 P ‘14, ‘16, ‘22 and Wendy Gordon Rockefeller ‘75 were both honored.
Alumna, current parent and D-E Board of Trustees member Kalpana Bains ‘99 P ‘28, ‘31 briefly welcomed everyone and shared that the DAA was established in 1997 to pay special tribute to alumni of the Dwight School, the Englewood School for Boys, and the Dwight-Englewood School. The award is given for exemplary professional and volunteer work—this award honors alumni whose achievements deserve special recognition by the school and fellow graduates.
An incredibly poised Lucy Jerome ‘22, Mr. Jerome’s youngest daughter and a D-E “Lifer” (an alumna who attended all three divisions of D-E), then took to the podium to introduce Mr Jerome. Noting her grandparents in attendance (who, after moving to New Jersey from New York City ultimately made the decision to have Marc attend D-E), Ms. Jerome went on to describe her father as being “a very memorable person”; the proud legacy that she has inherited by being recognized by a stranger as “one of the Jeromes”; and the invaluable, positive influence that her father has had on thousands of individuals.
For more than three decades, Mr. Jerome has been a transformative leader at Monroe University, a Bronx-based nationally recognized institution known for its dedication to educating urban and international students. The 92-year-old university has earned acclaim for producing some of the nation’s strongest outcomes for first-generation and low-income college students.
Mr. Jerome has long recognized the urgent challenge facing higher education: too many students start college but never finish. A steadfast advocate for equity and access, he has worked tirelessly to promote policies and programs that improve college completion rates, particularly among underserved populations. His expertise spans college affordability, student success, and the growing burden of student debt — issues on which he believes higher education must, and can, do better. He has been a consistent voice for improving young adults’ financial literacy and for the power of education to change lives.
Mr. Jerome began his professional career practicing labor and employment law in New York City. In 1994, he joined Monroe University as Director of Administration, becoming the third generation of the Jerome family to help lead the institution. Two years later, he was appointed Vice President and Director of the New Rochelle campus, where he played a pivotal role in developing a dynamic, multicultural campus in the heart of the city. In 2017, he became Monroe’s fourth president, and in 2024, proudly led the institution in achieving university status.
A committed civic leader, Mr. Jerome serves on numerous boards. Since 1999, he has chaired the New Rochelle Business Improvement District, spearheading efforts to revitalize and promote economic growth in the community where Monroe has proudly had a campus for more than 50 years. He previously served for a decade as Chair of the Alumni Relations Committee at the Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, NJ, and is currently a board member of the Westchester County Association and the Association of Private Colleges in New York. In 2018, he was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Board of Trustees of the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), a role confirmed by the New York State Senate.
Mr. Jerome graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in Political Science, where he was a member of the cross country and track teams. He later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Following his daughter’s introduction, Mr. Jerome then took to the podium, speaking first in gratitude to his family members including his wife, Helen — a longtime, former employee of Dwight-Englewood who was most recently the Dean of Admissions – and his other two daughters, also D-E “Lifers”: Hanna Jerome ’14 and Sophie Jerome ’16. Mr. Jerome then proceeded to speak about how he was enjoying celebrating his 40th reunion with his fellow D-E 1985 classmates, who were a “major influence” on him and (despite being described as a somewhat challenging class) are now a diverse, accomplished mix of professionals and community leaders. Mr. Jerome then transitioned to how his academic experience at D-E was both innovative and grounded in terms of preparing him well for his own collegiate and post-graduate studies, and also for “preparing for life.” Saying D-E was “ahead of its time” in terms of enabling him to feel that he “belonged” and “had a voice” Mr. Jerome went on to close his remarks by expressing sincere thanks once again to his family and friends in attendance, as well to some of his former teachers and coaches.
Jane Simoni ’75 then took to the podium to introduce her fellow classmate and DAA honoree Wendy Gordon Rockefeller ‘75.
Ms. Rockefeller is the co-founder and former president of PIPs Rewards LLC, a wholly owned charitable subsidiary of the PIPs Education Fund (PEF), a New York State 501(c)(3) public foundation which transitioned to new leadership in 2024. Together with a global team, Ms. Rockefeller co-created the PIPs Rewards mobile engagement platform to leverage the power of a rewards currency (called “Positive Impact Points” or “PIPs”), smart tools, and games to track and reward daily life choices that deliver personal and planetary benefits. The PIPs platform has been used by universities and nonprofit service organizations to recognize and reward 10s of 1000s of students, low income students in particular, for completing everyday positive impact actions. Some of the students were extrinsically rewarded with grants for school, others with gift cards, but all came away with a sense of their own intrinsic purpose and agency.
Previously, Ms. Rockefeller worked as a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, co-founded the Mothers & Others campaign with Meryl Streep, and developed The Green Guide, a bi-monthly publication which was acquired by National Geographic in 2007. She has co-authored numerous books, including the award-winning True Food: 8 Simple Steps to a Healthier You (National Geographic, 2009).
Ms. Rockefeller holds a B.S. in geological and geophysical sciences from Princeton University and an M.S. in environmental health sciences from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rainforest Alliance, the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Family Fund, the C-CHANGE Strategic Advisory Board of the Harvard School of Public Health, the Board of Governors for the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School, and is an advisor to A Single Bite, a Catskill based nonprofit dedicated to educating and feeding our neighbors with real local food.
In her spare time, Ms. Rockefeller can be found cross-country skiing, playing tennis, hiking, gardening, and spending time with her family, which now includes five grandchildren.
Ms. Simoni noted in her introductory remarks that Ms. Rockefeller’s inspiring personal mission was and has always been to “build awareness of an individual’s power to make a difference.” She spoke to how she and Ms. Rockefeller were prompted by a series of experiences and influences to recognize the very first Earth Day by creating a model Earth and how Ms. Rockefeller’s “passion” for sustainability issues has been an enduring trait.
Ms. Rockefeller then took to the podium to say what a “delight” it was to have a 50th reunion with her fellow classmates. She went on to acknowledge in a reflective way that – despite the early 70’s being “not an easy time” In which to be developing as young adults – while she was at D-E, “something was awakened” in her. In her words: “We were made for this… D-E taught key muscles”; made her “well-nurtured in science, history, and other disciplines”, and “created a sense of purpose,” ultimately helping her to be ready for challenges throughout her life thus far as well as staying focused on her work even during current, often “distressing” times.
Dr. CW then concluded the DAA ceremony by expressing sincere congratulations to both Mr. Jerome and Ms. Rockefeller and how it was “humbling” for him to be in his position as D-E’s new Head of School. He noted how he experienced “chill bumps” while listening to these and other alumni speak to their D-E experiences and said that their reflections all speak to the importance of the School’s work… and “hope for what D-E has been, is, and can be.”
Reunion celebrations then continued on into Saturday evening after the DAA Ceremony with a reception in the Wharton Dining Lessin Hall, at which alumni gathered for ‘D-Electable’ passed appetizers and a hearty dinner and dessert bar served by D-E’s Chef Alex Stanko and the Dining Service team. With archival yearbooks on display and DJ Dave Vieira spinning ‘retro hits’, the atmosphere was both festive and endearing.
To all alumni of D-E, Dwight School, and ESB: thank you for making Reunion Weekend 2025 a success and for being a part of our community! We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
