ONE HUNDRED HARLEY STORIES

Way back in 1952, the old trolley used to have its last Brighton stop across the field on a set of "railroad" tracks in the back of Harley's property. I was in my first year at Harley, in Grade 7. My father worked at Kodak and, for awhile, he would drop me off at...

You never know what you might find when you dig into the Harley Archives! One recent discovery: meeting notes taken by Heather Hutton (English, 1982-87) from a "What It Means to Be a Harley Teacher" committee consisting of (from left to right above): Leah Watson P...

Rachel Zinman ’84 has built a life that weaves together movement, music, teaching, and deep inner inquiry—but the threads of that life were set in motion long before she became an internationally recognized yoga teacher, author, and musician. They began at Harley....

Laurie Miller ’66 didn’t experience Harley in the usual way. When she entered in Grade 5, she was already living a life most adults would find exhausting. While her classmates were just beginning their school days, Laurie had often already been awake for hours,...

When Paul Mokdessi ’77 thinks back on his time at Harley, what stands out isn’t just what he learned—it’s how he learned to think. Paul entered Harley in Grade 7 at just 11 years old, commuting each week from Warsaw, nearly 50 miles away. Mondays meant a drive to...

Current seniors Liam Reader '26 and Hatcher Morrow '26 walked into Multimedia Journalism and they had an idea. From their teacher, Gabe Rivas (Digital Media, 2023-present): When these students enrolled in Multimedia Journalism, they had a specific vision: a...

Back in 2022, we awarded Caitlin Richard '13 the Life of Purpose Alumni Award for her work in the Tulsa Public School System: Caitlin Richard '13 was nominated by her mother, Irene Richard P '13, '15. In the letter Irene wrote to...

Rachel Green ‘19 started playing the violin at eight years old. What started as a childhood activity steadily grew into something more serious that would shape her path in ways she couldn’t yet imagine. By the time she arrived at...

The booklet "An Experience of Worth" was first published in 1967 for Harley's 50th year. I found a later iteration of it from the 1970's too. It is a marketing piece showcasing Harley's Upper School experience. (For our alumni who attended Harley in that era, you...

Kelly Prister ’16 spent nearly their entire childhood at The Harley School. “I started at Harley in 2000, I was what we called a ‘super lifer’ because I started early because my mom, Moira Prister P ’10, ’16 (Supplementary Support Program, 2000-2017), worked there. I...

Allie D’Amanda Sacks ’03 has experienced Harley as a student, a parent, and a member of the Board of Trustees. Though those roles differ, what strikes her most is how consistent the school’s values have remained. “As a student, I felt deeply known,” she says. Teachers...

Deb Schaller Willsea ’73 has spent her career making community resources accessible. That question of accessibility first took shape when Deb arrived at Harley as a Grade 9 student, after she previously attended public schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, Orlando,...

At Harley, academic excellence has always been a hallmark of our curriculum, from Advanced Placement courses to innovative learning experiences. In recent years, we’ve expanded those opportunities with Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA), a premier concurrent...

Upper School math teacher Dr. Cori Perkins P ’30 (Upper School Math, 2021-present) blends statistics, psychology, and compassion to take the fear out of math and to pull the Harley community together. Ask Cori how she became a math teacher and she’ll quickly reply,...

Another big announcement from HAC Athletic Director, Mike Taillie (2022-present) and : Dear Parents and Families, HAC is thrilled to officially announce that Matt Marchaesi (Physical Education, 2024-present) has been named the next HAC Head Varsity Volleyball Coach...

Earlier this year, we shared the news that two beloved members of the Harley community—Nursery teacher Kim Bednarcyk P ’16 and Middle School math teacher Lee Sherwood Allen McDermott ’64—would be retiring. A few weeks ago, the Head of School formally announced this...

Lee Sherwood Allen McDermott '64 has always been an innovative teacher. This year's Pi Day for Harley Middle School was dedicated to her to honor her upcoming retirement after 52 years at Harley! Please enjoy this heartwarming story showcasing just one of the terrific...

When you walk through The Harley School’s front entrance, you step into what we all call “The Gallery.” Today, the space is typically filled with student artwork and school projects, but I learned from Ruth Ewell's Harley history book that the space was once used as...

When Chayanne Johnson Rooney ’05 looks back on her time at Harley, she remembers being welcomed to Primary by Brownie Niblack (Lower School, 1987-2005) and Debi Moore (Lower School 1988-2025). In Middle School, she enjoyed Barbara Willard’s (Middle School, 1990-2006)...

Pat Corcoran P ’98, ’00’s connection to The Harley School spans generations, but it is her deep curiosity, sense of stewardship, and commitment that truly defines her life. As the parent of Harley graduates Karen Yeoman ’98 and Dan Yeoman ’00, the grandparent...

For one week each February, Harley’s Lower School becomes delightfully frenetic as Grade 2 students launch the Twoville Post Office—a beloved 40+ year tradition started by Tony “Mr. C” Cinquino P ’06, ’10 (Lower School, 1979–2021). The idea began when Mr. C, then a...

A couple of years ago, Fr. Joseph Maurici ’04 was speaking with Amy Colosimo P ’23, ’23 (French, 1999-present) at a Harley event. They were talking about Harley’s Hospice program and she said, “You should come as a guest speaker to one of the classes.” He and Sybil...

Step into the microscopic world of Harley's Grade 7 scientists! Our students took on the challenge of bringing cellular biology to life. From intricate 3D models to creative material choices, see how our students visualized the building blocks of life through this...

When Sariah Cochran ’17 arrived at Harley in Grade 7, she was already well acquainted with learning outside the traditional classroom. After being homeschooled and later attending Charles Finney School, Sariah was ready for a new kind of educational experience—one...

Fiona O’Brien ’19 started at Harley in Grade 7. When she arrived, she was shy and a little nervous—but that feeling didn’t last long. From the first days of Middle School, she formed friendships that have endured. Many of those same friends now live near her in New...

Recently, Dave O'Brien P '19 (English, 2011-present) was recognized as an Impact Educator by the Morehead-Cain Foundation, the nation’s first merit-based scholarship program, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was nominated by Kaitlyn Shin...

Mary Ellen "Mickey" Trescott (Art, 1948-1953) arrived at The Harley School in the fall of 1948, fresh from graduating from Nazareth College. She brought a way of being that students would remember decades later—a quiet generosity, an unwavering kindness, and a deep...

The Donald and Rachel Levy Music Fund was created in 2023 by Dena Levy P ’24, former Harley Board Chair and parent of Izzy Goldstein ’24, and her brother, Marc Levy, in memory of their parents, who passed away within four months of one another. The fund reflects their...

Marissa De Siena P ’32, ’36, Head of the Upper School, 2023-present, started her days in independent schools as a teacher, though that was never her plan. In fact, growing up with two parents in the profession, she vowed she would do anything but follow in their...

We wanted to share this exciting story from the New York Daily Record about the Gelb Triplets: Matthew '18, Nicole '18, and Robert '18! "Sandra Wolk Gelb and her husband, Jay Gelb, were three times as proud as the other parents at the swearing-in ceremony for new...

Julia Norwood ’16’s story is one of curiosity, courage, and learning to trust her own voice—qualities that first took root during her years at Harley. Julia began at Harley in Grade 3, where her first teacher, Jane Jezsu (Lower School, 1993-2010), made an immediate...

When Luke Healey ’25 visited Harley when he was going into Grade 1, he knew almost immediately that it felt right. He took his sense of curiosity and belonging all the way through graduation, and now to Amherst College in Western Massachusetts. Luke loved his time in...

Tori Kanellopoulos ’11, an urban planner in the City of Charlottesville, VA, likes to say that Harley was home for nearly her entire childhood. She started in Kindergarten as a member of Primary C with Meredith Cavallaro P ’20, ’23 (Lower School, 1998-present)....

I started at Harley in Grade 7, and at first, the transition was hard. But it was absolutely worth it. The smaller class sizes and the relationships I built with my teachers made all the difference for me, both academically and emotionally. Harley quickly became a...

Harley Alumni College Day offered Upper School students a candid look at college life through the eyes of recent graduates. Alumni shared thoughtful reflections about fit, mindset, and making the most of both Upper School and college, always with the reminder that...

At the end of the last school year, just in time for Honors Assembly, we had the opportunity to create two new awards, celebrating both a student and a teacher, the Jason M. Fishner Innovation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Award. Read on to...

Did you know Harley once had a cookbook? The Harley Family Cookbook was created in 1975 under Headmaster (1963-77) Stephen Hinrichs P '66, '67, '68. The cookbook is filled with throwback recipes, including a section for “canapes” (apparently this is a bread or pastry...

At 93 years old, Anne Backus Wanzer ’50 still carries Harley with her—clear as day, vivid as ever. She started at Harley in 1936, just four or five years old, stepping into a world that would shape her life for decades to come. Except for two wartime years when gas...

Normally Harley is just one of the schools the Fulbright scholars visit, but for the first time, Harley hosted one of the Fulbright teachers for the semester. Sonaleeca Das from India, spent the last four months at Harley, working closely with Middle School science...

John Morse '81 took a circuitous path to working in film. When he was here earlier this summer, he hosted family, classmates, and Harley community members — including his former Harley film teacher, Alex DeSantis P '84 (English, 1971-2009) — for a sneak preview of one...

For the third year in a row, Harley had the honor of hosting visiting teachers from around the world through the University of Rochester’s Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers. We first learned about this opportunity from...

Harley alumna, board member, and Life of Purpose Alumni Award winner Karin Deutsch Karlekar '89 was in Rochester recently and had a chance to speak with Kevin Dawson on WXXI's Connections. From WXXI News website: We sit down with Karin Deutsch Karlekar of PEN America....

For more than a decade, Jeanne Weber (Technology, 2014–present) has been transforming Harley’s youngest learners into fearless explorers of the digital world. In her classroom, students don’t simply follow instructions—they experiment, question, and learn through...

From the time he was a young child, Charlie Clark '27 has been fascinated by how things work. While most kids were playing with toys, Charlie’s parents would give him old coffee makers, to analyze, disassemble and rebuild. While his parents encouraged his curiosity,...

When Rodrigo Gutierrez joined The Harley School in 2021, he brought with him nearly two decades of experience teaching history across the country—from Texas to Connecticut, Delaware, Arizona, and most recently, Allendale Columbia. With degrees from Yale University and...

Join us as Art Rothfuss, Harley's visual storyteller, sits down with Karen Sauldo to reflect on his decade at the school and discuss the profound connections and unique programs that bring true meaning to his work within the Harley community.Art Rothfuss, our...

When Mike Buck first walked onto Harley’s campus in June of 1992, he came as the “new guy” on the night shift—cleaning classrooms, emptying trash, and quietly learning the rhythms of a school that would become a defining part of his life. Over the years, Mike moved to...

This October marked the start of a new chapter for me as I joined The Harley School as Director of Development. Though I am new to Harley, my connection to education and community has been lifelong, both personally and professionally. From my years leading fundraising...

I first came to know The Harley School through the Horizons at Harley program, an academic enrichment initiative that creates joyful opportunities for learning for students from the city of Rochester who might not otherwise have access to our incredible campus....

I first walked through Harley’s doors as a Nursery student in 1981 and graduated in 1995. My mother, Pam Kimmet P ’92, ‘95, GP ‘30, ‘33, led the Lower School, and my sister, Darcy ’92, was just ahead of me. My Harley journey included theater, jazz band, soccer,...

For 26 years, Amy Colosimo P '23, '23, has been a cornerstone of The Harley School community. From teaching French and coaching volleyball to advising students and leading the World Language department, Amy touches many aspects of our Upper School. Her steady...

When Kim “Ms. B” Bednarcyk P ‘16 first arrived at Harley, she wasn’t planning a lifelong career here—she was just picking up the Rubenstein girls, Heather ’95 and Jennifer ’92, after school. At the time, Kim was nannying for the family while earning her graduate...

Lee Allen McDermott ’64 has always felt a deep connection to Harley. She vividly remembers her first day of school, standing at the bottom of the barn steps, thinking, “Here we go!” That moment marked the beginning of a lifelong...

For Sybil Prince ‘00, P ‘37, P ‘39, Harley has always been more than a school—it was the place where she first felt truly seen. As a student navigating vulnerable years, she found teachers who recognized her humanity and nurtured her best self. That experience stayed...

When Lisa Barker became Harley’s Food and Farm Educator in 2017, she already had deep roots in the school’s sustainability work. After collaborating with Chris Hartman ’93, P ’22, ’24 through the Good Food Collective and teaching in Horizons’ garden for the past 5...

For more than three decades, Al Lamere P ’08 has quietly been one of the forces that keep Harley running. (Although anyone who has seen him walk through the Nursery hallway might argue there’s nothing quiet about the rock-star welcome he receives from the school’s...

This January marks nine years for me as an administrator at The Harley School, I am the Director of Marketing & Communications. My connection, however, goes back much further—to the day my youngest, now in Grade 12, started Kindergarten in Primary B with Mrs....

When Louise Sumner, Harley School Director, 1925-1944, arrived in Rochester in 1925 to become The Harley School’s first director (i.e. school principal), she brought with her a quiet confidence and an unshakable belief in the power of progressive education. Born and...

I wrote a story about Allison in 2024, and had the chance to have breakfast with her while I was in New York. She's been keeping busy, so I thought I’d share an update. Since graduating from The Harley School, Allison Urban-Spillane ’16 has continued to blend...

When Weldon Travis, a member of the class of ’56, called about gifting some Harley publications from the 1950’s, he wasn’t just sharing a few mementos from the past—he was opening a window into Harley’s early history and a life richly lived. Among his gifts to the...

For Matt Budd, a member of the Class of ’96, Harley has always felt like home. He first arrived at the School as a Primary 3 student and spent nearly a decade growing up in its close-knit classrooms before leaving in 1992 for McQuaid Jesuit when his parents hoped for...

When Fati Ziai ’82 arrived in Rochester from Iran as an eighth grader, she imagined she’d only be in the United States for a year. Her father, a doctor, had been looking for an opportunity to spend time in the United States. After exploring options in Philadelphia,...

When Kate Skivington Hillman ’01, Associate Head of School for Academics and Student Life at Berkshire Country Day School, toured The Harley School as a sophomore, she didn’t know she was about to find a place that would shape her future in education. Kate had spent...

When Shuo “Rick” Li ’20 arrived at The Harley School from China as a 15-year-old, he was both nervous and excited. He had dreamed of studying in the United States and was drawn to Harley through an international student agency that ranked the school highly for its...

Excited to share that Rebekah Sherman-Myntti ’09, has been featured in Marie Claire’s 2025 Changemakers list! As a filmmaker, producer, and advocate for artistic innovation, Rebekah embodies what it means to be a changemaker—challenging convention, uplifting new...