On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, more than 250 alumni, parents, faculty, and friends of Stuyvesant gathered at Tribeca Rooftop to honor notable Stuy alumni and celebrate our beloved alma mater at the annual Benefit for Stuyvesant. This was our first large in-person gathering since 2019.

The event was an occasion to celebrate Stuyvesant and the impact the school has had across multiple generations. Due to delays posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 Benefit was an event many years in the making. Not only was this gala a wonderful way to gather again and raise funds for Stuyvesant, guests were treated to an inspiring video on Stuyvesant Resilience that reminded us of how Stuy continues to excel against all odds. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and supporters, we raised over $220,000 for Stuyvesant!

This year’s honorees list includes one of four Nobel Prize Laureates in Stuyvesant history, one of the most influential Congresswomen serving in the US House of Representatives today, a CEO who provided crucial support to Stuyvesant and other NYC public schools during the COVID pandemic, and a young entrepreneur who was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. You can read more about each of our four Pegleg honorees below.

Roald Hoffmann, PhD ’55 (The Golden Pegleg) won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work with Robert B. Woodward to develop the Woodward- Hoffmann rules, regarded as one of the most important conceptual advancements in theoretical organic chemistry in the last century. In 1990, he also received the Priestley Medal of the American Chemical Society, chemistry’s highest honor. In addition to the 650+ scientific articles attached to his name, Dr. Hoffmann has also published seven collections of poetry, three plays, and five books of nonfiction.

Grace Meng, JD ’93 (Outstanding Pegleg in Government Service) is serving her fifth term in the United States House of Representatives. Grace represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens. She is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is Vice Chair of its Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

Vishal Garg ’95 (Outstanding Pegleg in Support of NYC Public Schools) is the Founder and CEO of Better, an online homeownership company whose goal is to make homes more affordable and accessible for everyone. In 2021, Vishal launched a partnership with the Fund for Public Schools in NYC, donating nearly $2 Million to buy chromebooks, iPads, WiFi hotspots, books and uniforms for over 20,000 NYC public school students from low income backgrounds to better cope with at home and online learning during the COVID pandemic.

Lindon Gao ’09 (The Young Pegleg Award) is the Founder and CEO of Caper AI, the world’s first smart grocery cart powered by artificial intelligence. On October 29, 2021, Instacart announced that it was acquiring Caper for $350 Million. Lindon is a serial entrepreneur, having started his first company trading gaming collectables by the time he entered Stuyvesant. In 2020, Lindon and his Caper co-founders were all named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for their transformative product in the Retail & E-commerce industry.

Benefit Co-Chair Yi-Shan Huang ’96 noted, “It was wonderful having over 250 Stuy alumni and friends come together from around the world and give back in classic Stuy style–relaxed, not too serious, lots of fun. The Stuy spirit was strong and it was amazing connecting with alums from the Class of 1955 to the Class of 2018.” Benefit Co- Chair David Gelobter ’84 added, “It was an inspiring opportunity to see all the ways that Stuy alums and current students are giving back to their communities and making important contributions to society. We are looking forward to growing this tradition for years to come.”

All proceeds from the 2022 Benefit for Stuyvesant went directly towards SHSAA’s mission to support Stuyvesant High School; to support Stuyvesant’s diverse student body; and to promote fellowship among alumni. #CelebrateStuy