ALUMNI/AE
ALUMNI EDUCATORS he began to look for a change. “I wanted more of a separation between my professional life and my private life,” Tony recalls, “and I started thinking about day schools.” During his job search, Tony reached out to his former teacher, Paul Stellato, who is now the head at Princeton Day School (PDS) in New Jersey. By happenstance, PDS needed someone with his variety of skills and experience, and Tony accepted a job as an upper school English teacher, advisor, and assistant basketball coach. He also joined the Community Multicultural Development Team, eventually becoming its chair. Most recently, Tony has been appointed director of Princeton Day’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program, a full-time role at the K-12 school. While he misses classroom teaching and coaching, his current role transcends every facet of life at PDS and is all-consuming. Tony’s directorship is a senior management position and demonstrates PDS’s commitment to DEI as a pillar of school values. He communicates regularly with deans, department heads, parents, and board members to ensure and increase access to all programs for all members of the community. Tony also meets with students and student groups to gauge the impact of DEI initiatives. “I want to normalize the conversation about DEI work,” he said, “normalize the understanding that DEI work is the work of everyone….we are all responsible for ensuring that all community members have access to all PDS’s wonderful programs. For • T ony with close Millbrook friends Royce Paris ’12 and Jonathan Lopez ’02
maximum effectiveness and impact, DEI initiatives must include faculty and parents and the creation of a common language to
The creation of Diversity Day was one of Tony’s signature achievements as a faculty member, and he was also instrumental in crafting Millbrook’s first Diversity Statement. He recalls lengthy discussions and a collaborative environment with board members, other faculty, and students in the formulation of the document. “I was glad that we were thoughtful and intentional, and we discussed that it was something that we should revisit in time,” Tony said. In the meantime, Tony’s revitalization of Millbrook’s basketball program was paying dividends. Having built a recruitment pipeline, Mustang teams, packed with scholars and student leaders, reliably recorded successful seasons. “We were getting strong student-athletes that were not only impactful on the court but were making positive contributions within the school community,” Tony said. Managing perhaps the busiest and most varied portfolio of any Millbrook faculty member’s responsibilities, Tony realized how much he missed a social life. So after eight years at Millbrook,
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facilitate real communication among all stakeholders.” “I’ve always been deeply interested in and committed to the work,” said Tony. “Entering Millbrook School as a one of one (Black student) in a graduating class, you get your training in this work.” As attention to DEI issues grows, Tony remains in regular contact with Millbrook faculty, including Headmaster-Elect Jon Downs, offering insight from his ongoing work and wisdom from the perspective of a Black Millbrook alumnus and faculty member. Tony chose to challenge himself by leaving behind the familiar and comfortable and seizing new opportunities, a decision that seems to have predestined his life’s work. In May, Tony graduated with a master’s degree in independent school leadership from Klingenstein Teachers College at Columbia, and his career in education is full of continuing potential. “I am certainly committed to education,” said Tony. “The most authentic and truest calling is service to others, and for me, pursuing that calling under the umbrella of education makes the most sense.”