Second Time Around

It’s not the number of people that attend an institution that is an indication of its success, but rather the amount that return.

Perhaps this is a famous quote, or maybe it’s just an observation that applies to Brooklyn Friends. I count myself amongst many alumni colleagues that have returned to BFS as an employee to share our professional skills with the same community that helped foster them when we were students. 

Giancarlo Melia

The experience is definitely different on this side of things, but I don’t think the significance of the “full circle” moments we experience as alumni colleagues are lost on any of us. I had the opportunity to catch up with Giancarlo Colageo Milea, an alum who is now working as an Upper School teacher. “It feels great to be back.” he said, adding that it is bittersweet replacing the teacher that referred him for the position, former History chair Ed Herzman. “It feels like I am picking up where I left off.” As someone who works with the alumni community, I can confidently say “Same here, Giancarlo.” 

Giancarlo joins a growing group of alumni colleagues working at BFS. They include:

Seth Phillips, Assistant Head of School

Lekeia Varlack Judge, Director of Alumni

Dakota Benedek, Director of Infrastructure Technology

Crystal Backus, Director of Admissions Outreach

Amanda Welch, Kindergarten Teacher

Edson Elcock, Physical Education Teacher

Jamara Hill, Physical Education Teacher

Melissa Poitevien,  Lower School Teacher

Jazelyn Montanez, Preschool Assistant Teacher

Claudia Lewis, Preschool Afterschool Director and Teacher

Also part of our alumni community are the following colleagues who attended BFS prior to high school:

Jesse Phillips-Fein in the Middle and Upper School

Peter Mackie in the Advancement Office

Nina Littman and Eliza van Rootselaar in the Lower School

In addition to our growing group of alumni colleagues, we also have an impressive number of alum that chose to send their children to BFS. This reunion with their alma mater is often a trip down memory lane for the parents where they can compare the educational experiences of the past to the present.

The representation of alumni in various capacities at BFS, whether it be as a colleague or a parent, strengthens our appreciation for school traditions and reinforces our influence in this community. So I’ll end this much like how I started, but with a real quote this time:

“Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson