The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Greeley Grads

He Shoots, He Scores

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Townsend scores against rival Princeton.

Nick Townsend is a name that stands out among the students at Horace Greeley High School in the center of Westchester, where the sounds of basketballs bouncing on wooden floors blend with the excited conversation of supporters. Townsend’s story, from his modest beginnings shooting hoops in the driveway to his spectacular ascent to the Ivy League stage, is a tribute to perseverance, hard effort, and family support.

Nick’s older siblings, who dominated the floor before him, had a big influence on his early basketball interest. He reflects, “I was kind of around basketball pretty much as early as I can remember.” Both my sister and older brother played when they were younger.” The foundation for Nick’s entry into the world of competitive basketball was laid by his family’s love of the game.

Nick’s skill developed while he was moving through the Greeley hallways, guided by his coaches’ close supervision and the team spirit of his teammates. Particularly noteworthy was his sophomore year, which culminated in a successful run to the Section Championship. Nick won ‘Mr. Basketball’ as a sophomore which goes to the best player in Section 1. He shared, “Playing that song while walking out of the county center after winning the championship was a feeling I will never forget and really special with that team,” as he looks back on the incredible sophomore year him and his teammates had.

Not only did Nick play basketball at Greeley, but he also made friends for life and improved his talents under the watchful eye of committed coaches. Nick’s experiences in the Greeley gym, be it intense practice sessions or exciting game nights, have molded him into the player and person he is today. Nick was forever changed by the spirit of camaraderie at Greeley, more so than the victories and defeats. Greeley was more than just a school to Nick and his fellow players; “it was home” he said, from the backing of supporters crammed into the bleachers to the companionship experienced with teammates both on and off the court.

Nick’s commitment to Yale University, where intellectual rigor meets athletic brilliance, was made possible by his performance at Greeley. It was no easy task to juggle the demands of Ivy League studies with collegiate basketball, but Nick took on the challenge with his usual tenacity. “It’s true that being a student-athlete teaches you time management and priority,” he says, emphasizing the priceless skills gained both on and off the court. Nick learned a lot in his first two years at yale. He said, “Greeley did a good job preparing me for this”.

Nick has had two special seasons at Yale, fueled by special basketball moments and relationships created by team victories. His accomplishments this season were immense. Yale had some incredible moments this season, which ranged from thrilling experiences at March Madness to buzzer-beaters in the Ivy League championship. This whole journey this season for Nick cemented his reputation as a standout player and reliable teammate.

There were unique difficulties in making the switch from high school to collegiate basketball, as Nick notes, “Everything is boosted up another notch.” However, even in the face of increased pressure and unrelenting competition, he took comfort in the game’s timeless teachings. Nick muses, “It’s all about the hard work,” reflecting the opinions of his teammates, family, and coaches who helped him mold his basketball career.

One thing never changes as Nick Townsend’s narrative progresses, from the hardwood courts of Greeley to the famed halls of Yale: his unrelenting dedication to excellence and his sincere thanks for the experiences that have shaped him. Every stage of his journey, from the applause of home crowds to the team spirit, bears witness to the game’s transformational force and the unwavering determination of a young athlete with a dream. Nick went from not getting a ton of minutes for Yale his freshman year, to this year being a reliable contributor for the bulldogs.

Nick’s story serves as a reminder to himself as he looks to the future that success is not solely determined by points scored or championships won, but also by the character developed through hardship, the friendships fostered by mutual sacrifice, and the enduring influence of a well-traveled path. Nick Townsend’s legacy lives on in every jump shot, every defensive stop, and every win celebration. He is a living example of the strength that comes from pursuing a dream with tenacity and enthusiasm. He will always be remembered in the halls of Greeley.

“I Went a Little Crazy When My Son Applied to College.”

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Anna Esaki-Smith

Full disclosure: When my older son was applying to university, I went a little crazy. We were living in Hong Kong at the time, which was the mothership of Tiger Moms and their high-achieving cubs. In a high school chock full of academic superstars with near-perfect GPAs and parents who could afford private college counselors and draconian SAT boot camps, I was flooded with worry that I wasn’t doing enough.

My son wanted to go to New York University, so through my contacts as an education researcher, I secured a meeting with then-NYU president John Sexton. Mic drop, boom!
I was researching international student decision-making, so had booked the appointment under the pretense that I was conducting a related study. The world-renowned legal scholar was kind and generous, welcoming me into an NYU office as homey as a living room, decorated with photos of his wife and family. But I could tell the man accustomed to greeting dignitaries from universities around the world was a little puzzled as to why I, the anxious mom of a high school junior, was talking to him.

To be honest, I wasn’t even sure about what I was doing, either. Could the president of NYU – or of any university – want to help a random student in their efforts to get in? During the polite conversation with Dr. Sexton that ensued, I felt both the futility of my quest to get my son an edge as well as the urgency to seize even the slightest opportunity.

Finally, as I was leaving, I turned to the president and said, “hey, my son will be applying to NYU this fall!” Dr. Sexton smiled warmly and nodded, wishing us luck. In retrospect, that was all he could possibly do.

I’m unearthing this memory to convey my compassion for parents of high schoolers that are on the cusp of applying to college. I know the mere mention of the college application process makes you want to curl up beneath your dining room table. You feel helpless, maybe even overwhelmed. Getting your child into college can feel like you’re competing in a chess tournament against Garry Kasparov, but you only know how to play checkers.

But there is information out there to alleviate the stress, for both you and your child.
There’s no better time to be a student. That might sound counterintuitive, considering all that’s going on in the world today. But due to the tech-disrupted economy, employers increasingly value the knowledge and skills a university graduate brings to the table rather than the pedigree of the degree.
First off, the average acceptance rate across all U.S. universities and colleges is a stunning 70 percent, and 37 schools accept everyone who applies.

One of the hallmarks of the US higher education system is there are excellent faculty at colleges and universities across the country. If your child is serious, they can get a solid education anywhere. So, the application process is as competitive as you make it, and a great education is available for the taking.

In my book, Make College Your Superpower: It’s Not Where You Go, It’s What You Know, I challenge the notion that attending a prestigious university is the only sure path to success. I advocate for a more holistic approach to picking a school, one that considers a student’s individual strengths, interests, and goals.

So, as your child embarks on the college application journey, here are a few things to keep in mind:

The value of brand is diminishing.

Sure, there’s still rampant interest in the Ivy League and other highly-ranked schools. But there’s an ongoing shift away from brand. Economic and technological changes have transformed the workforce, placing greater emphasis on skills and competencies over institutional prestige. We live in an era of ideas and innovation. When you’re using Venmo, Instacart or Uber, do you care where the founder went to school? The people hiring at these companies don’t either. So, give your child a break and lessen your emphasis on famous universities.

There’s more data on which to base decisions.

Today, students can readily see the projected salaries for various majors and have a wider variety of ways to get an education. For example, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce ranks 4,500 colleges based on ROI, or the return on investment, and even offers that rating through the lens of low-income students. They examine the economic value of business, journalism and communications programs, too. So, students have a better idea of whether it’s worth paying top dollar for a pricey private university if what they might do when they graduate won’t pay down their debt.

In the age of tech, the humanities matter.

Certainly, eight out of the ten top-earning majors are in engineering. And considering the influence wielded by Microsoft, Apple and other big tech companies, many students feel that studying STEM and related subjects is the way to secure their future. But what they might not know is that in the age of artificial intelligence, human-centric qualities will be valued more than ever. Thinking creatively, being innovative, working collaboratively on a team – these skills and abilities are transferable from industry to industry, even when a generation of tech becomes outdated. And there’s no better way to acquire those skills than by studying the humanities.

The future looks bright!

Ultimately, your goal should be to empower your high schooler to make informed decisions about their future. Help give them agency over the process, rather than let the process control them. Whether they choose to pursue a traditional four-year degree, vocational training, or an alternative pathway, encourage them to approach their education with confidence and purpose. While a university’s brand and global ranking are still a powerful draw, elite institutions are no longer the sole gatekeepers to a graduate’s success. There’s room for many at the top!

At Albany Medical College, Greeley Grads in a Student ‘Compassion Coalition’ Connect Patients to Families during Pandemic

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When we “move up” from elementary school to middle school, we are asked what we want to be when we grow up. The responses range from professional sports players, zookeeper, chef, singer, etc.  And when we graduate high school, we normally have a better idea in our head of what life will look like five years down the road. For two Greeley grads, their fourth grade career goals and five year plans definitely did not include being essential workers in a hospital during a time of a national pandemic, but life throws curve balls at us like that sometimes.

Greeley grads Allison Schachter and Peter Inglis at Albany Medical College.

Allison Schachter and Peter Inglis are both Greeley grads (2013 and 2010 respectively) and are current medical students at Albany Medical College in upstate New York. While Schachter  always had the intention of becoming a doctor, Inglis went to undergrad initially for engineering and later switched into a pre-med program.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the hospital began to limit the amount of medical students who could scrub into the OR, due to the fact that the PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment was needed elsewhere. Shortly after, both students were sent an email stating that they would no longer be able to return to the hospital for rounds, to collect their things and to go home. This was not only disheartening but raised concern for it was almost time for the students to apply and declare what they wanted to specialize in – how were they supposed to truly know what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives if they wouldn’t have the final chances to try it out?

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That’s where the Compassion Coalition comes into play. It was started by Dr. Jackcy Jacob, one of the hospitalists in Albany, and further continued by a group of eight student volunteers, such as Schachter and Inglis, with more students now signing on. It satisfies the need to connect patients with their families outside of the hospital and make those outside feel less helpless by connecting them via iPads. And even though the students weren’t technically allowed in the hospital for their rounds, they could still volunteer to do this.

“We are filling a need that isn’t being fulfilled in the hospital. That’s what kind of made it allowed, is that we are of need, like an essential worker if you want to call it that,” Schachter said.

As time has gone on, they have been able to recruit more and more students to join.

“I think what’s unique about this group specifically is that…we don’t get grades for it, we don’t get extra credit for it…everyone sort of took their own initiative to do it,” Inglis added.

So, how does it work?

Albany Medical College Students participating in the Compassion Coalition

Between the day shifts and the night shifts, there is essentially a list that gets passed on, containing information such as patient credentials, family members who want to be contacted, call time preference and frequency of the calls.

The volunteers, like Schachter and Inglis are not allowed to go into the patient’s room to prevent spread of the disease and outside contact. Their job is to essentially set up the call.

Schachter explains: “When that nurse is putting on their PPE to go into the room, that’s when we coordinate the calls. So we’ll grab the iPad, call the family, have them on Facetime, so we’re the ones who start the conversation.”

And don’t worry, the iPads have their own set of PPE gear (more like a tight plastic bag)  that they “wear” before going into the rooms too. Once the nurses and the iPads have their gear on, that is when they can enter the room to conduct the calls.

These calls are available for all patients, regardless of their condition, it’s just up to the family members.

“Often time in the ICU, the patients are intubated, which means they are not really communicative…Usually we encourage families to nonetheless say what they want to say, having the videochat portion of it definitely gives them a chance to see the patient, which is nice,” Schachter said.

For those who do wish to still have the call, they will just spend the time talking to their loved one. One family even performed a concert for their family member that went on for three hours! Now that, that is love.

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Thankfully, they haven’t seen any shortages of the iPads themselves. They were actually part of a big donation. If anything, it’s the stands that they place them on.

In terms of what Schachter and Inglis would want people to know about COVID-19? It is affecting more age groups than you would think, and perfectly healthy people can be fine one day and pass away the next.

Their main takeaway is that social distancing is extremely important, and that some people are looking at this as if they are part of a demographic that is untouchable.

“People are approaching social distancing not very altruistically…The reality of social distancing isn’t to look out for #1, to lookout for #2, right? Because you as an asymptomatic carrier have the potential to make somebody else who is vulnerable to the virus very very sick,” Inglis explained.

While the Compassion Coalition helps serve the patients, it’s arguably more about the family members who not only can’t be with them to help care for them, but sometimes don’t even know where they are due to the fact that so many patients have been transferred all over the state.

“Most of our patients that we are treating in Albany are not from Albany County. They have been transferred to us from NYC, from Queens, that region because that’s the part of New York that’s been hit hardest by the virus…by us having the ability to settle their ease to show them that their family member is in fact really good care…as they’re on the phone with us they see their surroundings and they can experience how much care we are giving to their family members,” Schachter said.

She also said this which encompasses the entire initiative:

“Families really need to be involved in their loved one’s care. It’s so important to how humanity functions.”