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.
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
My name is Emily Mart (née Rodriguez), and I hail from one of the original sets of De La Salle Academy alumni. I enrolled in 1997 when the school was only three years old, and the students hadn’t yet come up with anything more clever than “the top floor of Holy Name School” to call … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Emily Marti ’90
Greetings! I am Angel Gonzalez. I was born in Medellin, Colombia, but raised in the Bronx. I have worked with middle and high school age students in an array of educational programs and community organizations as a teacher, mentor, and researcher. I am proud to say that I’m a member of the legendary DLSA class of … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Angel Gonzalez ’99
Director of Community Engagement and Teacher at Riverdale School Founder of the Citywide Young Men of Color Symposium I am Dwight Vidale (right), your brother in the De La Salle Academy (DSLA) family. I am a graduate of the illustrious class of 1997. During my three years as a community member of the top floor … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Dwight Vidale ’97
I am Arlene Casey, a proud De La Salle alumna from the class of 2011. When I first entered De La Salle as a seventh-grader, I was terrified. I had no idea what lay ahead as I began the hour-long commute from my home in the Bronx for my first day, but as soon as … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Arlene Casey ’11
My name is Zhenny Gong. I graduated from De La Salle Academy in 2008. After De La Salle Academy, I attended Phillips Exeter Academy and ultimately Bates College, where I majored in economics and minored in Math. After graduating from Bates in 2016, I joined Citi as an investment banking analyst in the mergers & … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Zhenny Gong ’08
My name is Daquan Daly and I graduated from De La Salle Academy in 2008. After De La Salle, I attended Westtown School in West Chester, PA and then on to Williams College. At Williams, I was a biology major with a concentration in Spanish Language, Literature & Culture. I also ran cross country and track … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Daquan Daly ’08
After spending my early years in public schools in Queens, my mom and I moved to the Bronx and she sought new educational options for me. She realized that I needed to be challenged intellectually. She saw a very small advertisement for De La Salle Academy and helped me through the process of applying and, ultimately, … Continue reading Alumni Spotlight: Michelle Taylor ’93
De La Salle Academy 