In December 2019, the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association hosted a brunch for alumni living in Southern California to meet, network, and reminisce about their high school experiences. Organized by Director Hal Diamond ’78 at Canter’s Deli, a Los Angeles staple since 1931, the 25 alumni represented classes ranging from 1966 to 2009.  Attendees reconnected with old friends and made new acquaintances with fellow alumni, who all live 2,500 miles from NYC and share the Stuyvesant common bond.

The brunch was the latest Alumni Association event held in California, with a previous alumni gathering in Silicon Valley on October 17, 2019 when Maria Kiskis ’94 interviewed Bram Cohen ’93. Roy Bahat ’94, head of Bloomberg Beta, hosted the event at the Bloomberg Beta office in the heart of San Francisco. Cohen, a computer programmer, is best known as the author of the BitTorrent protocol, co-founder of CodeCon, and co-author of Codeville. Director Lillian Seu, PhD ’01 also helped organize the event and represented the Alumni Association at the gathering.

Another 40 alumni gathered in New York on January 22, 2020 for a panel discussion by Stuyvesant alumni working in Finance, the latest in the Association’s series of panel discussions by professionals in different industries. This finance panel featured:

• Robert Schmidt, CPM ’96 (Founder, Harbor Group at Merrill Lynch, working in wealth management);
• Gary Mishuris, CFA ’97 (Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Silver Ring Value Partners);
• Jason P. Katz, JD ’02 (Corporate attorney who focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities, and other transactional matters);
• Steve Trent, MBA ’87 (Citigroup director specializing in American Airlines and the Latin American Transportation sector);
• and was moderated by Patty P. Tehrani, JD’ 84 (Attorney specializing in regulation and compliance).

Much of the discussion centered on the current state of the finance industry after the 2008 recession and on the rise of artificial intelligence. In the face of both these challenges, all panelists stressed the importance of relationships, which they said had helped to maintain and grow their careers.

When asked to give advice, the panelists again returned to the theme of relationships in their recommendation to find mentors who can help guide and shape careers. They also said it was important to do things that you enjoy in life and in business; in Schmidt’s words, “Don’t let money be your guiding light.… Success is not about money in the bank, but what you’re giving and getting.”

The Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association holds various networking events based on professional sectors or geographic locations around the country. To get involved, volunteer to speak on a panel, or help host an event outside of the New York City area, contact [email protected].