Prep for Prep

Meet Clarissa J. (XLVIII), the student who will be representing our Preparatory Component as a speaker at this year’s Lilac Ball! 🎉

From the Bronx, Clarissa is currently a charter school student who participates in her school’s brass ensemble and serves on her school’s student body. This fall she is heading to Horace Mann, where she already has her sights set on auditioning for the instrumental band.

A hard worker who knows firsthand the value of Prep for Prep, Clarissa comes from a family deeply connected to the program. Her brother, a seventh grader at The Buckley School, is a member of Prep for Prep Contingent XLVI and helps motivate her to keep going. We can’t wait to hear her story at the Lilac Ball! 👏🎶

✨ Congratulations to Prep for Prep alumna Denise Burrell-Stinson (VII/Spence, Princeton) MFA, Columbia! She is a recipient of The Spence School's 2026 Judith Joseph Jenkins '91 Distinguished Alumnae Award! (The award is named after another Prep alum.) 🎉

For more than two decades, Denise has been the heartbeat of the Spence Alumnae Association, serving on the Alumnae Board since 2002, championing diversity, leading reunions, and supporting the Annual Fund every year since 2000. Her dedication is a living example of Spence's motto: non scholae sed vitae discimus (not for school but for life we learn).

A media veteran, Denise built her career at some of the most respected names in journalism: from T Brand Studio at The New York Times to WP Brand Studio at The Washington Post, where she rose to lead the studio in 2021, developing marketing strategies spanning video, podcasting, and data visualization. She later served as Vice President of Sports Marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery before launching The Oliphant, an independent content studio named after her grandmother.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Denise is a New York Foundation for the Arts fiction fellow, an anthologized essayist, and a dedicated mentor to young women in media and storytelling. She is proof that giving back and reaching forward are not mutually exclusive.

Meet Lilac Ball Senior Speaker Pablo R.-S. (XLII /Browning)! He is representing the Class of 2026 and sharing his Prep for Prep Journey at this year’s Lilac Ball.

From his roots in Corona, Queens, Pablo has made the most of every opportunity: leading Browning’s Hispanic affinity group, competing on the school’s mock trial team, studying abroad in England and Rome via Prep for Prep, and interning at JPMorganChase through our Summer Internship Program. A passionate painter who discovered his love of the art form during a junior-year drawing class, Pablo plans to study economics and art at Princeton University, carrying with him the humility, curiosity, and connection-building skills that have defined his journey. He credits his mom as his greatest champion, the one who saw the long-term impact of Prep for Prep well before he did. Pablo, we can't wait to see everything you accomplish next. Congratulations! 👏🎨

Prep in Arts is building a creative community across Prep for Prep. 🎨

Founded in 2015 by alumni and staff, with Akili Tommasino (XXI/Poly Prep, Harvard) MA, Harvard; PhD, Harvard, and shayna jeffers (XVIII/St. Luke's, LREI, Wesleyan) serving as founding chairs, Prep in Arts is a network of over 70 alumni artists and creatives connecting across generations to share work, build community, and expand access for Prep for Prep students in the arts. Today, the group is co-led by Derrick Biney-Amissah (VI/Trinity, Georgetown) MFA, Pratt, and David Rampersad, Jr. (XXIX/Dalton, Gettysburg).

Through this network, alumni help drive the Prep for Prep Arts Initiative, which creates opportunities for students to engage with the arts through mentorship, exposure, and hands-on learning. Programs like the Prep for Prep x Sotheby’s Summer Art Academy were developed through this work and continue to introduce students to art history, visual culture, and arts careers through an immersive four-week summer experience, with alumni remaining actively involved.

At the same time, Prep in Arts fosters engagement with the arts through gallery visits and exhibition walkthroughs across New York City’s cultural landscape. Experiences have included visits to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Bronx Museum, Storm King Art Center, The Drawing Center, Charles Moffett Gallery, and the Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba House, amongst others. That engagement comes full circle in moments like the inaugural Prep for Prep Gallery, which opens this evening, where alumni shared their expertise to help guide the exhibition by advising on high-school and undergraduate submissions, sourcing alumni artwork, participating in the jury process, supporting student prizes, and assisting with installation.

For alumni, Prep in Arts offers a way to stay creatively and professionally connected through shared experiences and direct involvement in programs that support the next generation of Prep for Prep artists and creative leaders.

Are you a Prep for Prep alum working or creating in the arts? Join the Prep in Arts community by following pfp_arts on Instagram and reaching out to the Prep for Prep Alumni Affairs team.

Prep for Prep proudly celebrates Katy Knight (XXIII/Brearley, Penn) on being named to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Class of 2026.

Selected among an extraordinary cohort of leaders under 40 from more than 50 countries, Katy joins a global community of innovators, entrepreneurs, public leaders, technologists, and artists working to address the world’s most pressing challenges through collaboration, leadership, and impact. Katy’s inclusion in this year’s class reflects her visionary leadership and commitment to driving meaningful change.

Congratulations, Katy, on this well-deserved honor! Your Prep for Prep family is inspired by your continued impact on the world stage.



📸: Katy Knight

Friday, May 1 was an exciting day for the Prep for Prep community as we celebrated National College Signing Day in the garden of the 71st St. Brownstone. Following remarks from CEO Diahann Billings (VI/Poly Prep, Yale) JD, Columbia, our high school seniors participated in trivia games and a raffle led by the College Guidance and Undergraduate Affairs departments.

We’re so proud of the Class of 2026 and look forward to supporting them throughout the next steps of their journey. To see the full list of colleges our students are headed to this fall, please visit the link in our bio.

Prep for Prep is proud to be an official charity partner of New York Road Runners for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. 🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♂️🏃🏽‍♀️ Our team is hitting the pavement to make every mile count for educational access and leadership development. You can support them at https://www.prepforprep.org/support/team-prep-for-prep.

Meet Team Prep for Prep 2026

Kate Brennan — Associates Council member, NYC-based runner, and mother of four. A lifelong New Yorker and Substack writer, she’s running her fourth NYC Marathon, combining her passion for distance running with her commitment to Prep for Prep’s mission.

Myles Christian — Associates Council member, Manhattan-based Relationship Manager at Brown Brothers Harriman, and Dartmouth graduate. A four-time marathoner, he enjoys reading, traveling, Atlanta sports, and time with his wife and dog.

Liza Gurtin — Co-founder & CEO of Indexed Labs and former leader at Slack and Robinhood. Introduced to Prep for Prep through a close friend and alum, she’s a proud supporter who enjoys reading, hosting dinners, and yoga.

Steven Lee — Works in marketing and communications and has been connected to Prep for Prep through lifelong friendships with alumni he met while attending Exeter and Dartmouth. A seasoned endurance athlete, he has completed 10 Ironman races and is running his second NYC Marathon.

Alejandro Luciano — Director of Mental Wellness at Prep for Prep and alum (P9 I/Exeter, Wesleyan) MSW, Smith. He supports student and family wellbeing at Prep for Prep and enjoys running, reading, and live music.

Liz Luciano — Prep alum (XXIII/St. Luke’s, Berkeley Carroll, St. Lawrence) MEd Lesley, and Chief of Staff to a top-earning commercial real estate team at Savills Inc., based on Staten Island. A mom of two, she enjoys travel, sports sidelines, and running in support of her Prep for Prep community.

Jared Orellana — Queens native and Prep alum ( # # /Trinity, Columbia) working at DBI Projects. A lifelong runner and photographer, he’s running his first marathon to inspire younger students to live Prep for Prep’s values.

Steve Simmons — Prep alum (XXI/Town, Westminster, UNC Chapel Hill) MBA, Duke, and Senior Director at Walmart. Based in Arkansas, he’s running his first marathon as a way to give back to the program that shaped his journey.

Nicholas Strong — Associates Council member, lifelong New Yorker, and student at Harvard Business School. Excited to further his support of Prep for Prep’s mission by running the marathon this fall.

Isabel Wheeler — Prep staff member supporting development and partnerships. Inspired by the impact of Prep for Prep’s programs, she’s taking on her first marathon as both a personal challenge and a way to deepen her support.

Aaron Zheng — Prep alum ( # # /Trinity, Claremont McKenna, Columbia) MBA, Stanford, and Consultant at Boston Consulting Group. A former high school track and cross-country runner, he returned to long-distance running in graduate school and is taking on his first marathon.

Every mile they run helps expand opportunity. Follow their journey at prepforprep.org/teamprepforprep. 💛

This week, the inaugural Prep for Prep Gallery began to take shape during installation at the 71st Brownstone as student and alumni artwork filled the space, bringing to life the creativity, range, and imagination of our community.

We are especially grateful to Renangie Alcantara-Polanco (XXIX/Poly Prep, Bergen Community College), Jocelyn M. Goode (XVI/Saint Ann’s, Amherst) Post-Bac; AA, San Francisco Art Institute), David Rampersad (XXIX/Dalton, Gettysburg), and Kimblie Silva-Laboy (XVI/Town, Miss Porter's, Hamilton) volunteered their time on-site to help install the exhibition.

We’re hiring for the summer! Join us in helping students build the skills, confidence, and opportunities that shape their futures.

Open roles:
📚 Summer Teachers (Prep & PREP 9 Preparatory Components)
🩺 Summer School Nurse

If you’re ready to teach, support, and make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Click the link to learn more: https://www.prepforprep.org/about/work-at-prep