On a hill, she stands majestic, noble to our view
Glory, honor, praise, allegiance, these to her are due….
Shout her glory, pay her homage, praise her to the sky.
Hail to thee our alma mater,
Hail to Teaneck High.
Teaneck High School Alma Mater
For the Class of 1959, Teaneck High School still stands as a shining example of the fulfillment of the dream and promise of public education. Sixty-five years after their graduation, the members of ’59 still marvel at “what a special class we were!” To honor their class – and to recognize that Teaneck High School continues to educate and shape high-quality and socially committed young citizens, at their 50th Class Reunion in 2009, the Class of ’59 started a Scholarship Fund for graduating THS seniors. To quote from the Class of 1959 website: “We are delighted and so proud to present our scholarship report for 2024. With $10,500 in scholarships awarded this year, our fifteen-year total is an amazing $123,450. Truly, our class stands alone among all other THS Classes in this outstanding accomplishment.”
The scholarships are awarded to students who not only achieved academic excellence, but also exemplify contributions to school and community, leadership, respect for diversity, and school spirit. The 2024 awardees and some of their achievements are:
Mirza Ahmed: Rank 10; GPA 4.784; 15 Honors and 10 AP courses; Honors: National Honor Society, AP Scholar; Muslim Student Association (President/Founder); Computer Science Honor Society (President/Founder); Red Cross Club; FDU Python graduate; Volunteer: Young Muslim Youth Group; Council on American Islamic Affairs, Youth Advisor, Food pantry; SAT tutoring; Soccer referee; Rutgers New Brunswick, Software Engineering.
Rawda Elbatrawish: Rank 42; GPA 4.363; 13 Honors and 11 AP courses; Honors: THS Ambassador, Upstander Award, Hometown Hero Award, Youth Leadership in Excellence Award. Muslim Student Association (Pres,), Red Cross Club, Speech and Debate (Capt.), Student Council (Pres.), Medical Club (Pres.), Math Club (Pres.); Teaneck Ambulance Corp. EMT, Peace Project Advisory Board, Election Poll Worker, Teacher religious school. Rutgers New Brunswick, Pre-Med.
Olivia Gonzalez: Rank 14; GPA 4.740; 13 Honors and 8 AP courses; Honors: AP Scholar, National Honor Society, Peer Leader, National Hispanic Youth Leadership Award; UNICEF Club (VP), Varsity Softball (Capt.), Speech and Debate (Capt.), Yearbook, Theater; Strive tutoring, Teaneck South Softball League Coach, Teaneck Jr. Wrestling, Girls Who Code Summer Camp Counselor; Babysitting, CVS Clerk; Lafayette College, Political Science.
Brooke James: Rank 61, GPA 4.183; 7 Honors and 2 AP courses; Honors: National Honor Society; Basketball (Capt.), Track and Field, Art Club, Architecture Construction and Engineering Club; Never Alone Again, Bergen County Youth Task Force, Tutor Teen Learning Center, Waitress, Lash Technician; Morgan State, Architecture.
Kelly Mackiewicz: Rank 1; GPA 5.098; 15 Honors and 9 AP Courses; Honors: Valedictorian, AP Scholar, National Honor Society; Girls Who Code (Founder), THS Writing Center Coach, STRIVE tutor, Varsity Tennis, Medical Club; Teaneck, Library, Rodda Center Tennis Coach; Waitress; Johns Hopkins University, Applied Math and Statistics.
Amelie Rosado: Rank 53; GPA 4.259; 17 Honors and 2 AP Courses; Honors: Student of the Month Academic Institute of Business; Varsity Tennis, Art Club, Debate Club, Studio 2B, Fashion Show, theater, Be All You Can Be Careers Club; Pizza Shop work; Nova Southeastern University, Business/Marketing.
Sara Shields: Rank 35; GPA 4.422; 10 Honors and 3 AP Courses; Honors: Student Ambassador, National Honor Society, Rotary Youth Leadership award; Tennis (Capt.), Softball (Capt.), Student Council (VP), Studio 2B (Treas.), String Ensemble (Concertmaster), Black Youth Organization, Interact Club, SOLA Club; Heroes and Cool Kids, Women’s Shelter, Church Choir; Summer camp counselor, Server Ice-cream Store; University of New Haven, Business Management.
A Word About the Class of 1959
Most of the members of the THS Class of 1959 were born in 1941, the year of the United States’ engagement in World War II. A few were born in early 1942 (and 1 in 1940). So the first years of their childhoods were spent in wartime. In their senior year in high school, when they were to vote for the teacher to whom their Yearbook would be dedicated – the members of ’59 made a different choice: They dedicated their yearbook to PEACE:
Many people have paid a dear price by accepting the obligations of peace. We, as the future governing generation, must preserve and make secure the rewards of their efforts.
Members of the Class of 1959 have excelled in many areas and contributed to their communities, businesses, governments, universities, sports, and almost every area of endeavor. As in any class, a few members have become well-known; among those who graduated THS in ’59:
David J. Stern, NBA Commissioner, 1984-2014, who, as an adult raising his young family in Teaneck, served pro bono as the attorney for the Teaneck Fair Housing Committee,
Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, former President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague (1997-99), first African American woman to be appointed a federal judge in the State of Texas;
Sybil Adelman Sage, who started her career as secretary to Carl Reiner and became one of the first successful female television comedy writers, writing for (among many other shows) Mary Tyler Moore, The Odd Couple, and Northern Exposure (with her husband Martin Sage);
Frank Lalli, Editor of Money Magazine, and appointed Editor of George after the death of JFK, Jr.;
Clifford Goldman, Former New Jersey State Treasurer who was the principal architect of the school finance reform package that led to the creation of the state’s first income tax.
Interesting fact: When the Honorable Gabrielle Kirk McDonald was serving in the Hague, she hired a young lawyer from Teaneck to serve on her staff. That lawyer was Renee Pruitt (now Karibi-Whyte), daughter of former BOE President and Councilman Dr. Henry Pruitt and Dr. Ezita Pruitt. While in the Hague, Renee met and married Sodigi Karibi-Whyte. They are the parents of 4 children, one of whom, Odein Karibi-Whyte, a new Morehouse graduate, was prominent in community activities during his 4 years at Teaneck High School.
The Commitment to Community, to Unity, and to Peace lives on: “Hail to thee our alma mater, Hail to Teaneck High.”
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