Located in Midtown Manhattan, De La Salle Academy, is a private, independent, non-sectarian middle school for grades six through eight. For thirty seven years our mission has been to provide academically talented, economically less advantaged children equal access to a quality education, develop the leaders of today and of tomorrow, and instill in them the importance of serving their community.
Now in my seventh year as a commercial litigator in one of the country’s premier law firms, I often find myself reflecting on how I got to where I am today. As a young boy from the South Bronx, I didn’t know any lawyers growing up—in fact, I hardly knew any lawyers until I went … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Reyhan Watson ’02
As part of a special series of Alumni Spotlights, we at De La Salle Academy, asked some of our alumni to focus on four words that we believe encapsulate what it means to be part of the De La Salle community. This month, Reade Rossman, ‘12, focused on the word reflective, and shares a compelling … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Reade Rossman ’12
Before De La Salle Academy (DLSA), I did not understand the concept of working hard for my academic achievements, because prior to joining DLSA, I attended a school where I wasn’t challenged, and didn’t need to work hard to do well academically. Once I joined the DLSA community, it became clear that achieving academic excellence … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Alan Engram ’90
Compassion was not top of mind for me when I was a student at De La Salle. Brother Brian even mentioned it to me when I graduated. I don’t remember the exact words, but they were definitely of the “humble thyself” variety. In the decades since, I often recall his tongue in cheek nudge to … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Vladic Ravich ’98
De La Salle, more than any one institution, was pivotal in shaping who Shannon McPherson is today. As a fifth grader I was the smartest in my class and most reserved, if you can imagine that compared to how I am now. But I learned to navigate that environment so that I could survive day … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Shannon McPherson ’05
I was an A student at a catholic school in the Bronx, and my parents could see I wasn’t being challenged. At age 12, I wasn’t interested in being challenged or changing schools. I liked being one of the smartest kids in my class. However, going through the De La Salle Academy (DLSA) admissions process … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Castro ’99
My name is Jasmine Mitchell from the class of 1995. I remember starting the sixth grade learning how to navigate three trains to get from Park Slope to the Upper West Side, where De La Salle was located on the very top floor of the 97th street school building. I learned of De La Salle from … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Jasmine Mitchell ’95
My name is Malkese Edwards from the Class of 2009. I began middle school at M.S. 181, a large public school in the Bronx. The school was very close to my home where I lived with my mother and grandmother. I found out about De La Salle Academy during the sixth grade, due to my … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Malkese Edwards ’09
I remember the application process for De La Salle Academy vividly—I was in the 5th grade, and it coincided with my application process for Prep for Prep, which I had purposely sabotaged during the second round because I didn’t want to “become a nerd.” Seeing how upset throwing away the opportunity to join the Prep … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: John Volquez ’09
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