LISG Alumni

"LISG really helped me grow into my own and helped field my curiosity, field my intellectual pursuits, and put my love back into learning. These are some of the smartest kids around and these kids are the future, so giving them the opportunity now can make a world of difference."

"If I look back, I can see very clearly how invested LISG was in both my success and also my well-being. If it hadn't been for LISG, I don't think I would be at a school that I love and am really proud to be at, with a career path ahead of me that I'm really excited about."

Viraj Jayam alumni of LISG was recently featured in LISCHOOLS as the founder of the organization "Helping Hands Long Island". Viraj's organization creates prosthetics for people in need using 3-D printing technology. Viraj's accomplishments since graduating LISG have been outstanding and we are very proud.

"LISG has brought with it for me not only flourishing in education, but also in my relationships with other students. Everyone got to know each other really well due in part to the small class sizes. Every student at LISG is able to succeed with teachers who thrive on academic
excellence and allow you to flourish in the best way possible."

The most incredible part of the ten years I spent at LISG was the magnitude of my intellectual and personal growth. Without the caring teachers, stimulating coursework, and dedicated classmates, I don’t think I would have been ready for the life ahead. I’m so proud that LISG will forever be a part of who I am, as well as who I will become.

In a word, LISG is transformative. The nine years that I spent there were filled with laughter and love every single day and left me with lifelong friends, incredible knowledge, and skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am eternally grateful for my years there and the person it helped me become.

LISG has helped me grow both personally and academically. Small classes, inspiring teachers, and amazing classmates all contribute to a personalized learning experience that I couldn’t have received anywhere else. The teachers are excellent at what they do, and they go out of their way to make a difference in their students’ lives. I’m grateful that LISG gave me the foundation that helped me succeed throughout high school and beyond; without LISG, I would not be where or who I am today.

I just got into PhD programs for clinical psychology at Hofstra University and LIU Brooklyn and will be attending Hofstra in the fall on my way to be a licensed psychologist. I am currently finishing my master's in cognitive neuroscience at the CUNY Graduate Center in Manhattan. I know I would not be as far as I am today without the work ethic I was taught at LISG. I have been consistently praised on my dedication, organization, and drive throughout all of my years of education after leaving LISG.

LISG is big on active learning: my classes were interactive and engaging because of the small size and amazing teachers. LISG creates space and an encouraging social environment.  I can’t stress enough how much the education I received there gave me an academic head start in high school.  Looking back, I am beyond thankful that my parents had the resources and chose to send me to LISG.

Almost 30 years after graduating, I still share with my students the lessons that I originally learned at LISG: that classrooms are best when they're fun, learning is best when it's cooperative, and education is rewarding for its own sake. I knew I wanted to go to LISG after spending a few hours there; I couldn't believe a place like it existed. I think in some ways I've tried to make every school that I've ever been associated with a little more like LISG.

LISG provided the framework for Jason to move to the next level and pursue his interests. Thanks to an accelerated program in Math, he was able to register for college computer science courses when he was just 12 years old. At 15, Jason moved onto college full time at Hofstra University, studying Computer Engineering.  At age 16, he was doing research with four other PHDs in Cloud Computing; and is now a published author of the paper; "Virtualization Overhead of Multithreading in X86: Remaining Challenges." Now at 18, he’s graduating, and moving to Silicon Valley to work as an electronics engineer in a think tank for one of the largest global consumer electronics manufacturers in the world. In his spare time, he launched a start-up, Nimolights, which began with a light-up heart necklace that he designed, built, and marketed, through his own website www.nimolights.com as well as Etsy.  

What I loved about LISG, apart from my cherished childhood friends and exceptional teachers, was the freedom we were given to learn everything (math, science, language arts, social studies, even Spanish) at our own pace.  LISG taught us that we were capable of learning and doing much more than our ages would suggest, and I hope to share the same empowering message with my children.

As a student as LISG, my leadership opportunities were amplified by the close-knit learning environment and pre-existing connections with faculty and staff. Through a simple letter to the principal, we collaborated to create a sustainable garden and an accompanying club called “The Green Team.” Through the ample leadership opportunities, I learned to be a motivated and outspoken individual, qualities which inspired my unconventional progression as a three-year high school graduate.