The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Horace Greeley High School

Rising Senior at Horace Greeley Completes Westchester County Executive’s 2022 Summer Fellowship Program

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Top row (L to R): Isabelle Lahiri (McGill University), Sofia De Chiara (The College of William and Mary), Michael Waxman (Harvard University), Christopher Borst (George Washington University), Brandon Beame (Binghamton University) Devon Seixas (Vassar College) Bottom row (L to R): Ashley Dallos (New Rochelle High School), Stephanie Brooke Kornberg (Temple University), Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Bryan Goodman (Binghamton University), Netra Easwaran (Horace Greeley High School)

 

Netra Easwaran, a rising Senior at Horace Greeley High School, recently completed the 2022 Summer Fellowship Program with Westchester County Executive George Latimer. She and nine other college and high school students interned at the Intergovernmental Relations Department at the Office of the County Executive in White Plains.

Over the course of three months, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the daily workings of the office and gain an appreciation for the role played by the county government. The Interns engaged in various research opportunities, authoring briefs on various topics such as infrastructure development, employment trends, gun violence, and clean energy. They were also given the opportunity to tour establishments, such as the Westchester County Records and Archives and the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services. 

The Interns also had a chance to meet with County Executive Latimer in small groups and discuss the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of the County Executive post. 

In addition to the political aspects, the Interns were also given an overview of how media is utilized in local government. They attended press conferences by County Executive Latimer and inaugural events to announce new initiatives, such as the construction of the Overture at Brookfield Commons, an affordable housing development. As an aside, the Interns were introduced to political campaigning and witnessed canvassing efforts for Legislator MaryJane Shimsky. 

Netra’s most poignant experience came from being able to attend a Board of Legislators Meeting on June 27th, in which the Board passed the Reproductive Health Care Facilities Access Act. She reflects on the experience: “As a young woman myself, it was incredibly empowering to watch, as a bill protecting safe access to reproductive healthcare facilities, was signed into law.” 

The Fellowship Program was led by Copernicus Crane, Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Relations, who mentored the Interns throughout the experience and coordinated the various opportunities described above. 

 

Danielle’s Dreams: Sprinkling Joy Through Art and Adventure

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On an early summer day in 2019, Danielle Leventhal stepped into room 205 at Seven Bridges Middle School in Chappaqua. Danielle, a 2012 graduate of Horace Greeley High School, had attended Seven Bridges, as did her younger brother Alex. 

In a story that embraces the remarkable twists and turns of fate, Danielle was returning to Seven Bridges–on her actual 25th birthday–to speak to Brian O’Connor’s fifth grade class as a part of his curriculum on the CNN Heroes program. 

Brian O’Connor’s Seven Bridges Middle School teacher’s wall of CNN Heroes

Celebrating Heroes

For 12 years, O’Connor’s social studies class has watched CNN Heroes and discussed the 10 everyday heroes and their amazing accomplishments. Students then write a letter to one hero, sharing how they were inspired by their story. “We have sent out 5,000 letters in the last 12 years,” says O’Connor, who will teach the program for the 13th time this year. Many heroes write back and have even come into the classroom to meet the students and share more of their story. 

CNN’s production team got word of O’Connor’s program and visited the school to film a three-minute segment for their 10-year anniversary special. O’Connor attended the live event at the Museum of Natural History in New York. There he met and connected with Brad Ludden, a 2016 Top 10 CNN Hero and the founder of First Descents, a non-profit organization that provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer. 

Jennifer Leventhal (Danielle’s mother) had stayed in touch with O’Connor over the years. When she saw the segment, she reached out to offer congratulations. “Jennifer also shared that Danielle had been diagnosed with cancer, had gone through treatment, and was going to take part in a First Descents program,” says O’Connor. O’Connor later invited Danielle to come to speak to his students about her powerful First Descents experience, which is what she joyously did that summer day in 2019. 

Danielle on O’Connor’s wall of CNN Heroes

Diagnosis

 After high school, Danielle, a gifted artist, graduated in 2016 from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in painting and art history. She was busy painting and working in the art world when, in 2017 at 22, she noticed a pain in her shoulder and chest. It impacted her breathing on her runs, so she went to urgent care, but the EKG showed nothing. Danielle wasn’t satisfied. She requested a chest X-ray. It revealed a softball-sized mass near her aorta. “Danielle had excellent body intuition and her follow through helped save her life for another four adventure-filled years,” says Jennifer. 

Despite the diagnosis of a rare sarcoma, Danielle had unrelenting hope balanced with a firm grasp on reality. “If you looked at a snapshot of Danielle and her high school friends and asked which kid could handle adolescent cancer the best? I’m sure Danielle’s name would not have come up,” says Jennifer. “She was gentle and perhaps even delicate, but she was indeed fiercer than we, or even she knew and funnier than she had ever been.” 

William D. Tap, M.D. chief of Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) was Danielle’s oncologist. In addition to surgery, her treatments included proton therapy, a radiation treatment used to shrink the tumor, followed by chemotherapy, studies on acupuncture and eventually clinical trials of new drugs. 

Sarcomas are a rare group of malignant cells that begin in the bones or soft tissues says Dr. Tap. “There are some 60 different sarcomas and for each sarcoma subtype there may only be a few hundred to a few thousand people diagnosed in the United States each year,” he adds. 

Because sarcomas are so rare, and because youngsters often have lumps and bumps that are not given adequate attention, sarcomas are often misdiagnosed or receive a late diagnosis. “Sarcomas present with a remarkably wide range of symptoms from belly pain to shortness of breath,” says Dr. Tap. “Honestly, they are easy to miss.” Treating sarcomas in the young adult range (age 15-39) is very challenging. “The survival rate of pediatric cancers has increased greatly, but we need more research to discover how we can positively treat these rare cancers that are affecting young adults.”

This demographic also has a diverse range of needs, worries and concerns, specific to their age group says Dr. Tap. There are questions regarding their education, career, future fertility, and emerging independence. “For well-rounded care, it’s important that the medical team understand these unique psychosocial aspects and how they affect the patients’ life,” says Dr. Tap. 

Danielle was an inaugural participant in Tap’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program at MSK. The program brings together care experts across specialties along with the patient’s oncologist. This can be a social worker or fertility expert–whatever is needed. “They usher the patient through treatment and assist with the stressors of their diagnosis,” says Dr. Tap. “The program also creates a peer group environment where patients can have meaningful dialogue and combat the isolation the patient may be feeling.”

When Danielle lost her hair, her friends all wore wigs to her 23rd birthday party so she wouldn’t feel alone.

Dr. Tap praises Danielle’s ability to grow with her cancer diagnosis. “She gained an agency and confidence that strengthened her relationship with her family and friends and that was dramatic to see,” he says. Her dedication to help develop the program for others to benefit even when her disease was threatening her life showed strength and resilience, which Dr. Tap says is a testimony to Danielle as a person.

Donut Paintings for Project Bakesale, 2021. Acrylic on Wood Panels. Each square painting was created in exchange for a donation to Blue Georgia runoff candidates.

Her mother recalls an early lesson Danielle took home from AYA. She learned that it’s your journey. How much you want to share is your choice, she says. “If you look at cancer as a slice of pie, it’s a small part of the whole pie. It’s not nothing, but it’s not everything either,” she says. As she got sicker, Danielle shared more. She wanted to create a legacy with intentions of being helpful to other young adults with cancer. 

Sharing opened new doors. One day in New York City Danielle spotted Suleika Jaouad, who at 22 was diagnosed with leukemia and documented her journey in The New York Times column, “Life Interrupted”. Danielle thanked her for her articles and later hand delivered a portrait she had painted of Suleika. It was Suleika who encouraged Danielle to go on a First Descents trip. “She said it would change her life,” says Jennifer, “and it did.”

First Descents

Brad Ludden, a professional kayaker, was in his teens when his young aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. He took her and her friends on a kayaking adventure and learned that outdoor adventure could be profoundly healing. Ludden founded First Descents to offer healing adventures to young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions. 

“First Descents” is a term used widely in adventure sports. It’s a feat that someone has completed before anyone else and merits respect, as in kayaking white water rapids that have never been descended,” says Emily Burick, First Descents development officer and now an ambassador for Danielle’s Dreams Adventure Program.

Burick says First Descents encourages participants to make the most of the time you have, in the places you are in, and the people you are with. Their tag line, Out Living It, is a play on words celebrating the spirit that participants embrace. 

In 22 years, some 10,000 young adults have gone through the core program, which includes a weeklong adventure free of cost. Adventures range from rock or ice climbing to whitewater kayaking and surfing. Participants develop an unwritten bond and become like a second family and can continue to adventure with peers through the #Out Living It project. 

Burick met Danielle on her weeklong First Descents ice climbing adventure in Ouray, Colorado. She knew her as Donut. “It’s a tradition that everyone gets a nickname. It happens sometime from when the staff picks you up at the airport and you arrive at the lodge, says Burick. “From then on you introduce yourself as that nickname. The beauty of it is that it allows you to assume a new identity and be free.” 

Jason “Buck” asked Danielle which of her paintings were her favorite and she said, “A donut”. She had made many paintings, but her favorite was a series of donuts. The name stuck. 

“Donut was kind, radiant, and joyful,” says Burick. “She took part in everything, and it was not without fear.” The program helps participants learn what they are in control of, and what they aren’t, how they can take on the challenge and how not let cancer define them.

“It was important for Donut to be an advocate for herself and others, she became so involved and that was very characteristic of her,” says Burick. Danielle/Donut introduced First Descents to Soul Ryeders, a Rye-based organization that offers resources, programs and community support to those impacted by cancer. The two organizations have since established a partnership. “She didn’t want her experience to just be about her, she wanted it also to be about others, that was who she was to her core,” says Burick. 

Sharing and Caring

It was in that spirit that Danielle returned from New York City to Seven Bridges Middle School. “Danielle was an amazing role model, she was so prepared, had an amazing presence, and connected with the students as if she were a veteran teacher,” says O’Connor. She was candid and age-appropriate in speaking about her treatments and her ice climbing adventure with First Descents. She encouraged the students to be kind, appreciate family and friends and reminded them if they didn’t feel well, they must tell someone. 

Danielle did not know that O’Connor had a surprise planned that day. He had invited Brad Ludden to Skype into the session and they all sang happy birthday to her. “In my 22 years of teaching that was the most memorable moment,” says O’Connor. “The room was filled with good vibes and the kids were so happy to honor her. I will never forget it, and I believe the students will remember it too.”

Danielle’s Dreams

When the pandemic hit, Danielle devoted herself to her artwork, painting daily and instead of going out, embracing what she called an “In Living It” spirit. 

Danielle passed away on August 4, 2021, at 27 after outliving terminal cancer for four years. 

Her legacy continues as Danielle’s Dreams works to “sprinkle joy through art and adventure” for young adults with cancer. Two programs, Danielle’s Dreams Adventure Program, First Descents and Danielle’s Dreams Art Programs, AYA at MSK, allow you to support Danielle’s Dreams through tax-deductible donations. 

And this month you can take part in a Virtual Fitness Fundraiser honoring Danielle on her birthday. On Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 7 p.m. Lauren Chiarello Mika, a fitness instructor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center and founder of Chi Chi Life, hosts a 45-minute virtual Pilates Fusion Class, which is appropriate for all ages and abilities. 

Lauren is a two-time Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor who has been cancer free for 13 years. She also took part in a life-changing First Descents adventure and is now mother to identical twin boys born in 2020. 

Jennifer and Danielle took Lauren’s virtual Pilates Fusion class in 2020-2021. “I called them the Dynamic Duo,” Lauren says. “Here was a mother and daughter moving beside each other, bonding physically and emotionally.” Danielle made a painting of Lauren and her boys, which she sent to her along with a meaningful note. “I will always treasure these,” says Lauren. “It shows the spirit of giving that Danielle embraced.”

On the cover:
Lieutenant’s Island
No. 2, Oil on Canvas, 2019, winner of the “Popular Vote” award for the cover of the 2020 Wellfleet travel guide

First Descents Virtual Fitness Fundraiser

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Take part in a 45-minute virtual Pilates Fusion Class, hosted by Lauren Chiarello Mika. The low-impact, mindful movement class is appropriate for all ages and abilities and supports the mission of First Descents. It’s a perfect way to honor and celebrate Danielle on her birthday and offer adventure to young adults like Danielle impacted by cancer.

Your $45 registration fee includes the virtual class and a custom-designed “Donut” hat in honor of Danielle.

Register or donate today: https://support.firstdescents.org/event/danielles-birthday-fundraiser/e402259

Resources

A Rising Star in the White House: Meet Chappaqua’s Dhara Nayyar

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Chappaqua has had its fair share of well- known residents in the White House but there’s a young rising star there with Chappaqua roots who perhaps you’ve never heard of – meet Dhara Nayyar, a 2014 Horace Greeley High School graduate. Nayyar is the White House Regional Communications Director for the southern half of the United States. In this role, she serves as a spokesperson on the White House agenda, working with state, local and national reporters. From January 2021 to December 2021, she was on the research team in the Executive Office of the President where she worked to protect and defend President Biden and his legacy, including developing a 25,000 page opposition book on Mike Pence for the Biden-Harris presidential campaign.

A quick thinker, effective communicator and skilled researcher, Nayyar is often tasked with fact checking and issuing a rapid response when stories come out that are inaccurate or lack context. For example, if a story on high gas prices is being written, her team will provide information to the media about what President Biden has done over his career to help alleviate the problem and what harmful actions the GOP has taken that could exacerbate the issue. The job is 24/7 but Nayyar has had a passion for politics since she was a young girl. “I’ve always known I wanted to go into politics. I remember asking my parents why the president wasn’t a woman –and them telling me that it was because it was my job to fulfill! It’s actually both heartwarming and hilarious to look back and see old elementary school assignments about my dream job where I wrote about working in the White House. I still have to pinch myself to believe that I’m even here!” Nayyar exclaims.

She often attends press briefings at the White House and interacts with President Biden regularly. Working with state and local reporters, Nayyar spends time staffing interviews both in person and via Zoom on President Biden and his administration’s agenda which can include pitching stories, holding press calls and responding to inquiries. While others might find the work intense and high pressure, Nayyar says she is constantly on her toes and she loves it. “I truly live for the hustle and bustle,” she notes.

Photos courtesy of Dhara Nayyar

Nayyar developed a love for writing and communications while working on The Greeley Tribune. “It taught me the importance of always keeping a pulse on the news cycle,” she said. She was also president of Cooking for a Cause, which prepared soup for Midnight Run and held bake sales for charities. “This helped me fuel my passion for public service,” she adds. While at Greeley, she formed a close relationship with Gary Lanza, who was an audio-visual technician at Greeley and served as a mentor. “He instilled in me to always be true to myself, to chase my dreams, and the value of genuine human connection,” she commented.

After Greeley, Nayyar attended American University in Washington DC where she obtained a Bachelors in an Interdisciplinary Studies program focusing on communications, legal institutions, economics and government. Nayyar has no plans of leaving DC anytime soon. In fact, she hopes to run for office one day. “I haven’t decided when. I just know it’s down the line for me!”

As a first generation American in the White House, Nayyar credits her parents Johanna and Ajay as key influencers in her decision to pursue her dreams. “They instilled in me at a young age to find passion in the process and to never take anything for granted but rather to enjoy each moment at face value… On a lighter note–my mom always jokes I got the “gift of the gab” from my father–which certainly helps me in the communications world where I spend 98% of the time interacting with others,” she jokes. 

Nayyar, like so many of us in this town, is also in awe of Chappaqua’s most famous residents, The Clintons. She met Secretary Clinton at the Women’s Leadership Forum in 2016. “I am definitely inspired by Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton… they are embodiments of grace, knowledge, and courage,” she said. After communicating with Nayyar for this article, something tells me she’ll be following in their footsteps to a top position in the White House in the not-too-distant future. 

  “Grease is the word” at Horace Greeley High School!

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 Lead cast overlooking the HGHS competition field.  Photo by Carolyn Simpson

This June one of Chappaqua’s most anticipated annual events returns in a new and exciting way. For more than 75 years the Horace Greeley High School Senior class has produced a stage performance that engages the Senior class as actors, student producers, stage managers, musicians, set builders and sound and light technicians, and raises funds for college scholarships.

Each year more than 200 seniors, some with acting experience but most without, pick a popular Broadway show and practice in anticipation of a few shows over a weekend of bonding with their class as part of the end of year activities.

The first Senior Musical in 1946 provided the seed funding for an Education Fund to support college scholarships for Horace Greeley graduates. In 2003 the Education Fund was renamed The Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund and it continued to raise money for need based college scholarships.  

This year’s live presentation of Grease will be like no other because Covid precautions have pushed the show outdoors to the Greeley competition field for the first time in Senior Musical history, and where the stage and seating capacity is larger than ever under the starry night.

The seniors will perform a “family appropriate” version of the classic movie and stage show. It features the irresistible songs from the Tony Award nominated Broadway show and hit movie, including “Grease is the Word”, “Summer Nights”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, “Greased Lightening” and many more. 

The Greeley seniors are working hard and are excited to bring the community back together for live performances after a long two-year absence. Together with the Horace Greeley High School PTA, headed up by Chair, Rita Santelia and Vice-Chair, Nishat Hydari, and parent producers, Christie Krase, Stephanie Gold, Julie Weiser and Ilene Benjamin, and the many parent volunteers from the Chappaqua community working behind the scenes, are all ready to bring to life the story of Sandy, Danny and their Pink Lady and T-Bird sidekicks.

Director Kevin Kearins of KJK Productions, Music Director Ricky Romano and Choreographer Jesse Pellegrino will work with the Senior class for 2 months to bring out their best performances. 

Director, Kevin Kearins is so excited to work on this extraordinary live event. “We have a large group of talented students and the musical lends itself to that.”

Every year the cost of college increases and the needs of Greeley graduates exceed the available funding. The Senior Musical is one fund raising event that helps close the gap so the opportunity for a much higher attendance than a typical indoor show can increase the funds available for worthy students.

Director Kearins says, “Grease has always been around, and the songs have always permeated our society and culture.” “It will bridge generational gaps, and everyone can enjoy it.”

Shows are scheduled for 7:00 on Thursday June 2nd, Friday June 3rd and Saturday June 4th with a rain date of Sunday June 5th at 3:00. For ticket information please go to chappaquaschools.org or https://secure.sellingticket.com/design22/clients/list/index_byUserListAll.aspx?OrganizationID=151

Dust off those leather jackets and bobby socks and “Come together” on these “Endless summer nights”. Be there or be square!

 

As the Pandemic Slogs On, Teens Hit Hard

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Our Writer Finds Out How She & Her Peers Can Stay Strong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never thought that of all the worries that come along with being a teenager, being able to see friends, eating inside at restaurants, and going to school would make it to the top of my list. But when the pandemic hit, these things I took for granted were abruptly taken away. Each phase of the pandemic brought a new worry. I don’t know which was worse: the beginning when everyone was in strict isolation, or the period when things slowly started to re-open and everyone held different definitions of what the “right” or “safe” thing to do was. 

Either way, we were faced with issues that were definitely not the normal stresses that come along with being a teenager. Amidst the lack of social interactions and the scares that came when waking up with a sore throat, many faced new or aggravated mental health struggles. On top of normal worries about Covid, we had to miss out on monumental moments of our social so many lives, education, and just simply growing up. 

Once reality settled in during the initial lockdown, any feelings of excitement about a two week break from school quickly died down. “The beginning of online school was kind of exciting, but as it went on it was like… how much longer is this gonna go on for? Where are my friends? Where are any other people besides my family?” said one Horace Greeley high school student. 

Loneliness began to creep up on people. “Being inside and alone for so long definitely did not help my mental health,” said another Greeley student. These feelings of loneliness and anxiety were, and still are, completely normal. Humans have never been creatures that deal particularly well with change, and with a change as big as a global pandemic, we need to cut ourselves some slack.

During this first wave many were unsure of how to cope and what to do with their time. “I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t do much during the lockdown. I didn’t really find anything that helped me,” said a Greeley student. Another said “I sat in my room all day which definitely did not help my mental health.” Teens being in isolation during some of the most vital years of their development was difficult to say the least.

In a CNN segment, Michael Smerconish said that he’s “worried about kids being educated remotely and losing out on a whole host of social dynamics. What you can’t get in the remote world are the life lessons, the human interactions, the forging of relationships.”

However, things started to look up as people were getting vaccinated, returning to school in person, and finally spending time together. Even though I am a sophomore, returning to school this year full time in person felt like my first real year of high school. The level of focus and material I’m learning has improved drastically. I even had a teacher thank a kid for talking and laughing over them because they missed that realness after a year of silence and stiffness on Zoom. 

Another Greeley student said that “it is good to get to see people and actually learn.” For most, it seemed the only thing that kept them sane was getting back to in-person schooling and seeing their friends. Smerconish shared that he felt it was unfair that kids are “bearing the brunt of Covid even though most infected children are at much less risk of becoming severely ill,” and therefore, “anytime society is contemplating a response to Covid, their needs need to be prioritized.” While maintaining safety throughout Covid is extremely important, it is also important to prioritize kids’ mental health.  

Horace Greeley psychologist Dr. McAuliffe shared insightful advice to help students remain hopeful. “In general, choosing to have an optimistic attitude, to believe things will work out helps. Believing in your ability to handle hard situations also contributes to an attitude where students can engage in managing their challenges rather than overly worrying about things. The truth is, we all will get through this and overly worrying robs people of the ability to solve problems.”

While many aspects of teens’ mental health have been hurt due to the pandemic, I also think that after going through this experience, teens came out more resilient than ever. Aside from learning about masks, social distancing, and quarantining, we also learned to adjust, grow, and deal with change. 

“I continue to be amazed how well kids cope with this in general, despite the fact that this is a really hard situation,” said Dr. McAuliffe.  I’m optimistic that we can use the strength we have gained, remain hopeful, and, as said by Dr. McAuliffe, “persist, persist, persist.”