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John Galgano ’00 served on the N.C.A.A.’s Management Council for Division III Athletics. He has completed his second year at Pace University Law School while also coaching the girl’s junior varsity basketball team at the School of the Holy Child in Rye, N.Y.
Raymond Murphy M.A. ’00 was promoted to managing director of enterprise technology services for JP Morgan Chase. He was also elected to the board of directors for The Nassau County, New York, chapter of The United Cerebral Palsy Organization.
David Fried ’01, now a student at Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, has announced his candidacy for the Rockland County legislature. As an undergraduate, David volunteered as an aide to former President Clinton. Presently, he also works part-time for U.S. Representative Nita Lowey, managing her district office in New City, N.Y.
Jennifer Frank ’02 and Samantha Lopez, a sixth-grader in Jennifer’s class at Middle School 127 in the Bronx, were called to center court at Madison Square Garden in April, where they received one of three 2003 Allan Houston My Teacher is a Hero awards presented to New York City school teachers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Houston, the New York Knicks player who is known for his commitment to public schools and teaching, presented the award during a basketball halftime ceremony.
Jennifer was chosen because of the power and eloquence of her student’s essay, which was one of more than 2,000 submitted by New York City schoolchildren. Each one described the difference a teacher made in their lives.
In an article at www.nba.com, Samantha said, “I want to be an actress…just like Jennifer Lopez…but I know that that wouldn’t ever be possible without Ms. Frank…She’s very giving and loving to us – and we always do cool stuff. School used to be boring – now we can’t wait to get there and we never want to leave.”
Among other things, Jennifer’s class runs food and clothing drives for the homeless and sponsors a sick little girl in Honduras. “She teaches us to have respect,” Lopez said. “And she teaches us to care about others and how to become responsible citizens.”
“A hero can be anyone: a basketball player, a musician, a maid, a postman, even a teacher. It’s simply someone who works really hard at being their best and makes a difference in other peoples’ lives. This is my teacher, Ms. Frank."
--Sixth-grade student Samantha Lopez about Jennifer Frank ’02 in her winning “My Teacher is a Hero” essay .