Lily Frye ‘12 has built a career defined by curiosity, discipline, and the desire to push boundaries. A systems engineer associate manager at Lockheed Martin in Syracuse, she leads a team of systems engineers designing radars. Throughout her time in Harley’s Upper School, she knew she wanted to pursue the sciences.
She remembers how teachers like Richard Thorley, Science 1995-2011, Head of Science Department, 2001-2012 and Al Soanes P ’86, ’87, GP ’11, ’13, ’17, ’27, Science 1971-2011, guided her and made a lasting difference. “They helped me learn how to think deeply, ask good questions, and believe that I could actually do this kind of work.”
That love of learning carried her to Vassar, where she majored in Physics, conducted research in physics and materials science as an intern and working in labs, and served as a peer advisor before earning her bachelor’s degree. She then went on to the University of Southern California, where she completed a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
She has another passion: swimming. She first took to the pool at Harley, competing on the HAC swim team under coaches Lorie Rick, Physical Education, 1999-2025 and Peter Mancuso, Physical Education and PE Director, 2002-2023, and later continued at Vassar. Swimming has remained central to her life, and today she still makes time for it—she’s aiming for the 300-mile marker this year! Living in Syracuse makes it easy to keep up the habit, with eight outdoor public pools free to the public and lakes all around. Her morning swim has become a daily ritual, helping her start each day on the right note. (Note, Syracuse also has three indoor pools, so she can swim all season long!)
She believes requiring sports at Harley in Grade 9 and 10 can really make a difference. It certainly did for her! She also shared a story about her brother, Josh ’15. Josh’s choice for sport in Grade 9 was cross country and it started off slow, but as Upper School went on, he got a lot more competitive, ultimately earning the Bob Moore award his senior year. He ended up running at Haverford College, and continues to run today. Josh recently moved to Alaska for an archeological dig and surprised everyone—including himself—by winning the local half marathon in Skagway, Alaska!
Looking back, she credits Harley, and her parents, Robin Frye P ’12, ’15, ’15 and Larry Frye P ’12, ’15, ’15, Upper School Head 2004-18, Head of School, 2018-23, for challenging her academically and supporting her as she forged her own path.
