After several events devoted to celebrating their accomplishments, members of the Class of 2025 are officially Gaynor alumni.
On June 12, graduating students joined with their families and Gaynor faculty and staff members to celebrate together at the traditional Graduate Breakfast in the Yvette Siegel-Herzog Performing Arts Center. Art Teacher Lucy Villeneuve was the faculty speaker this year, and her message to the graduates was, “As you begin your next adventure, wherever you’re heading, my advice is simple. Jump in and just doodle.” She continued, “Surround yourself with good people who like blank pages. Being curious is always better than being right. And if you see an opportunity to improve something, challenge it, make it better, because every masterpiece starts with a doodle.”
The Class of 2025 gathered the next afternoon on June 13 for their formal graduation ceremony, held at the W83 Center on the Upper West Side. The graduation speakers spoke of the profound personal change that students experience at Gaynor—academically, socially, and emotionally. Students arrive uncertain, and leave self-aware and confident, thanks to faculty and staff who provide an individualized education and to a community in which every student is seen and valued for who they are.
Chair of the Board of Trustees Megan Hogan welcomed the graduates, family, friends, and faculty members in the audience to the ceremony, and acknowledged that as her own son Jackson approaches his Gaynor graduation next year, that the ceremonies become ever more poignant.
Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor then introduced this year’s student speaker, Bella Lieberman. Bella shared a heartfelt reflection of her journey to and through Gaynor, from struggling with dyslexia and feeling isolated at her previous school, to rediscovering her love of reading and finding lifelong friendships at Gaynor.
Bella said, “My time at Gaynor has been transformative, challenging, and unforgettable. We’ve made lasting memories: whether on school trips, during sports, in the musical, or playing overly competitive volleyball during recess. When I arrived here, I couldn’t imagine ever reading at my grade level. Today, I’m reading above it. I once feared I would never find close friends, but now I stand here, looking out at faces I’ll never forget, knowing I’ve made lifelong connections.”
Bella also acknowledged her friend and classmate Boston Grimm-Stibel, who died in the summer of 2022. Many of the graduates and Dr. Gaynor wore maple leaves from the tree planted in Boston’s honor at Gaynor. As she closed her speech, Bella said, “And to Boston, we miss you, we love you, and we wish you were here today.”
Lori Bernstein, mother of graduating student Jack Bernstein, gave a moving tribute to the transformative impact of Stephen Gaynor School and celebrated the resilience of the Class of 2025.
She described how Jack started at Gaynor in the fall of 2020, a time of great uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lori said, “What he found here was remarkable: a school that stayed open for in-person learning while most were alternating schedules or just trying to hold it together. For our kids, that consistency meant everything. For us parents, it wasn’t just a relief—it was a lifeline. During a time when so much felt uncertain, Gaynor gave our children stability, purpose, and a place to belong.”
Lori also touched on a thread that connected many of the speeches this year, the memory and legacy of Gaynor Co-Founder Yvette Siegel-Herzog. She said, “From our very first meeting with Yvette—who read Jack like a book—we knew Gaynor was different. She understood him in a way that felt like both science and magic. And that’s really what Gaynor is: a place of joy, possibility, and daily magic.”
Alumni speaker Stephanie Brown is a member of the Class of 2013. After Gaynor, she attended Birch Wathen Lenox, and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2018. She is currently the Communication Coordinator & Community Liaison for NY State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. Stephanie’s speech centered on the metaphor of climbing a staircase to illustrate her personal journey of growth at Gaynor, highlighting how the school’s unwavering support empowered her to overcome challenges, believe in herself, and carry those lessons into adulthood.
Stephanie said, “When I was diagnosed with dyslexia and a language processing disorder, I was told I could either stay at my school, working with a tutor every day, or attend Gaynor, a school I had never heard of before. I didn’t fully understand what it meant to have a learning disability; I just knew I was leaving behind my friends and everything familiar. Standing at the base of the staircase, I was unsure how I’d ever reach the top. But step by step, Gaynor helped me climb.”
She addressed the graduates directly, saying, “Whatever steps you take next, know this: you’re not starting from the bottom, you’ve already been climbing. Those lessons I learned at Gaynor stayed with me, not just through high school and college, but into my career.”
Before he invited the graduates to walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, Dr. Gaynor honored Yvette’s legacy, saying, “I have been incredibly fortunate to learn so much from Yvette over the thirty years I had the privilege to work with her. But among the many profound lessons she imparted, one of the most enduring and valuable lessons I learned is simply this: to listen—to truly listen to all our students, to their unique voices, their struggles, and their triumphs throughout their journey with us. And to all our students and families, what you have taught us this year, through your courage to be authentically yourselves, your unwavering honesty, and your profound empathy, is deeply and profoundly inspiring.”
Dr. Gaynor shared three powerful student stories that reflect Gaynor’s core values. One in particular centered around a “life imitating art” experience with cast members in this year’s spring musical, “High School Musical Jr.” Just as in the musical, members of the cast were also members of Gaynor’s volleyball team. But unlike the musical, in a true display of teamwork and balance, Gaynor students seamlessly resolved a scheduling conflict between the school play and a volleyball game—showing up, supporting one another, and proving that at Gaynor, inclusion and cooperation come naturally.
After describing this particular event, Dr. Gaynor said, “Our students at Gaynor exemplified the true spirit of ‘we are all in this together,’ embracing each other’s diverse talents and passions without judgment. This profound acceptance of who you are, and equally, of who others are, naturally leads to another powerful Gaynor trait: one that empowers not only oneself but also inspires and uplifts others. We take immense pride in our students’ remarkable ability to advocate for themselves.”
As the Class of 2025 bids farewell to Gaynor, they carry with them the confidence born from overcoming challenges, the lifelong support of a community that truly sees and values them, and the courage to advocate for themselves and others as they continue climbing toward their future.
2025 Award Winners
President’s Education Award — Simone Giagrande
Yvette Siegel-Herzog Community Service Award — Lila Bishins, Grace Kansfield
Dr. Miriam Michael Award for Math and Science — Mili Neave, Jojo Sanborn
Attorney General Triple C Award — Quinn Geisler, Violet Wells
Gordon Gaynor Award — Josiah Davis
The Class of 2025 will be matriculating at the following schools this fall:
Bay Ridge Prep
Birch Wathen Lenox School
Calhoun School
Churchill School and Center
Cooke School
Dwight School
Dwight-Englewood School
Eagle Hill School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Forman School
Kimball Union Academy (NH)
Lake Park High School (IL)
Little Red Elizabeth Irwin (LREI)
Mary McDowell Friends School
The Masters School
Northfield Mount Hermon
Severna Park Middle School (MD)
Weston High School (CT)
Winston Prep
Yeshiva Prep High School
York Prep School