GFS in NYC: Our Alumni Gathering in Manhattan

New York City is a quilt of communities small and large, stitched together and sometimes overlapping. One of those communities is GFS alumni, many of whom move to the Big Apple for school and career opportunities, and stay there to build a life. 

On Thursday, November 5, 75 NYC-area GFSers gathered at Craft restaurant to connect with the community, see retired Head of the Science Department Gen Nelson, and hear updates from Coulter Street from Head of School Dana Weeks and Chief Advancement Officer Hannah Caldwell Henderson ’91. 

Over drinks and snacks, alumni spanning the classes of 1966 to 2024 mingled, networked, and swapped memories in the lovely private event space.

This was the first GFS alumni event MR Primosch ’17 had attended since graduating. Primosch lives in Brooklyn, works as a graphic designer, and is involved with local DIY zine/design communities.

"I spent K-12 at GFS, so it was a big part of my life," they said. "I'm still figuring out the ways in which I want to stay connected, but my friends and mentors/teachers from GFS, especially in the art programs, are important to me." 

Primosch spent most of the evening talking with friend and classmate Lilly Dupuis ’17, and was happy to see their former chemistry teacher. 

"I got to talk with Gen Nelson—that was sweet! We talked about our lives and how GFS has changed over the years. It was nice to know she remembered me," they said.

Another alumna who attended, Isabel Mehta ’20, said the positive experience of her five-year class reunion last summer inspired her to attend this event. She was excited to spend time that evening with Sarah Miller ’20, her best friend from GFS, as well as some classmates she hadn’t seen since graduation.  

After attending Harvard University, Mehta moved to New York to work as Chief of Staff for Sectional Capital, the hedge fund she co-founded with a team of economists and data scientists. In her free time, she is a writer; she has a Substack and writes plays, one of which is currently in production for a run in NYC. 

In reflecting on what sticks with her from her time as a GFS student—and why it’s important to her to stay part of the community—Mehta says it’s the teachers. 

“The teachers are really what make the place—I cannot express how impactful their attention, patience, and encouragement was on my well-being and growth,” she said. “So I stay connected to continue to support the school so they can support teachers who change lives.”