Ethical Culture Fieldston School’s alumni have gone on to accomplish great things with the lessons and values they learned during their time at the School! We regularly connect with alums to share their stories and the success of their ECFS education.
If you are an alumni and want to share your own story, reach out to [email protected] to learn more.
Alumni Profiles
Marian Brickner ’54
Marian is a celebrated wildlife photographer who has published more than 60 books, had her work featured in “National Geographic Kids,” and been recognized as one of the leading photographers of bonobos apes. We caught up with her to learn more about her time at ECFS sparked a lifelong commitment to approaching the world with curiosity and understanding.
Franci Girard ’04
Franci used her ethical education at Fieldston to stay committed to being a moral human being as she built up The Sixes, a direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand that caters to tall women. Read more about the teachers she’ll never forget and her advice for current ECFS students
Dr. Gina Gregory Burns ’77
Gina always knew she wanted to be a doctor and after graduating from Fieldston, she went on to study medicine and has been a doctor for over 30 years. She shared with us how her ethical education provided the groundwork for how she uses her practice to address underserved populations and solve disparities in healthcare.
Jay Lagemann ’62
There’s a new sculpture, placed in October 2022, welcoming the ECFS community to the Tate Library! Jay Lagemann ’62 sculpted the Reading Dog art piece that welcomes the ECFS community to the Tate Library. We spoke to Jay about his path from learning bookbinding at Fieldston Lower to studying math at Princeton and MIT to creating sculptures that allow him to share his joy and happiness with the world.
Bob Levey ’62
Bob Levey’s ’62 love of writing was fostered as a student at ECFS and led to a 55-year career as a writer and columnist at the Washington Post. In April 2023, he visited the Fieldston campus to address students at Community Day and share career lessons and advice for the next generation of journalists.
Gaby Moss ’93 and Alysia Reiner ’88
Gaby Moss ’93 and Alysia Reiner ’88 met in the Resistance Revival Chorus, and their chance meeting over a shared interest in art and activism led to a collaboration that supports the commitment to living an ethical life that these two alumni learned as ECFS students.
Sam Ravetz ’11
Sam spent his high school years at Fieldston, playing on the varsity basketball team and serving on the Community Service Advisory Board. He shared with us the first question he asks when meeting a fellow Fieldston alum and what the biggest surprise of his career was.
Ira Resnick ‘67
Ira’s storied career as a photographer, gallerist, and real estate investor started with the four years he spent at Fieldston Upper. We talked to him about his favorite spot on campus and how it felt to see his son follow in his footsteps and attend the School.
Kim Smith Spacek ’91
Kim has been an active member of the ECFS community since starting kindergarten in 1979, staying connected to the School after graduating as a parent, a volunteer, and the Chair of the Board of Trustees. She shared her favorite ECFS tradition and what she misses most about being a student at the School.
Ben Tumin ’08
Ben found a love for history during his 13 years at ECFS. We spoke to him about how he shares that passion with others by teaching history in the format of a comedy web series, “Skipped History.”
Jennie Werts ’03
Jennie attended ECFS for all 14 years of her education before going on to be the chef and co-owner of two restaurants — Ellen’s on Front and Jennie’s at Drossos — with her brother, Andrew Werts ‘99. We caught up with her to learn about the causes she’s passionate about and a memory from School that makes her laugh.
Maxwell Whittington-Cooper ’13
Maxwell found a love for the stage at Fieldston Middle and hasn’t stopped performing since. He shared his journey from “Bugsy Malone” in 8th Grade to playing John Lewis in the upcoming Netflix drama “Rustin” and how he’s carried ECFS’s ethical education with him into his career.
Alumni Stories
ECFS’s Pitch-Perfect Music Program
We spoke to five ECFS alumni — Marissa Arciola ‘99, Myles Cameron ‘15, Dan Knobler ‘07, Andrew Marshall ‘09, and Keith Witty ‘95 — to learn about how the music program at Fieldston Middle and Fieldston Upper inspired and prepared them for their careers in the music industry.
Honoring Glen de Vries ’90 with the Fieldston Science Research Program Fellowship and Endowment
The passion for science that Glen de Vries developed at ECFS was at the forefront of his life until his unexpected passing in November 2021. Read more about how his legacy is living on through the Glen de Vries Science Research Fellowship and Endowment.
2nd Graders and Alumni Team Up to Spread Holiday Cheer
The Fieldston Alumni Network joined Ethical Culture 2nd Graders to give back during the holiday season. Read more about their work for Win, a nonprofit agency that provides shelter for hundreds of homeless families in New York City.
Fieldston Alumni Use Their Love of Science to Advocate for Change
We heard from Vivian Lee ’22 and Jonathan Pollock ’74 about the value of connecting with fellow alumni and how Vivian partnered with Jonathan at the National Institutes of Health to complete her Fieldston Science Research Program summer research commitment.
7 Volunteer Leaders on Connection and Community at ECFS
The Fieldston Alumni Network (FAN) keeps alumni engaged with the School after graduation. For National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we spoke to two members of the FAN Leadership Committee — Nick Kaplan ’88 and Lance Taubin ’06 — who shared why they volunteer with ECFS and the advice they’d give to anyone who wants to get involved.
Generosity, Inspiration, and Memories from ECFS’s Supporters
Our alumni know the value of an ECFS education, and many choose to support the School after they graduate. We talked to Daniel Lederman ’06 along with other members of our community to learn why they give to ECFS.
4 Takeaways from the ASMC Alumni Philanthropy Panel
The All School Multicultural Committee (ASMC) hosted a panel with four alumni — Manuela Arciniegas ’97, Adam Gaynor ’92, Charles Imohiosen ’93, and Leya Petrovani Miller ’10 — to learn more about how their time at ECFS inspired them to seek out careers in philanthropy, at foundations, and throughout the nonprofit sector.