Catching up with 2002 Valedictorian Dan Ellman
Dan Ellman’s journey through Huntington culminated when he addressed the Class of 2002 as its valedictorian. The entire Huntington High School community listened to him that day and his teachers and classmates knew it wouldn’t be the last time the world heard from the Dartmouth College bound scholar.
“I loved my Dartmouth experience,” Mr. Ellman said. “I made really great friends and had some experiences that helped me figure out where I saw myself going in the future. I decided to be a history major and a spanish minor. I captained the Dartmouth men's club tennis team, was the vice-president of the Dartmouth Hillel and was the ‘rush’ chair of my fraternity.”
While at Dartmouth Mr. Ellman was also able to spend time studying abroad. “I studied Spanish in Barcelona for a term, worked in an orphanage in San Jose, Costa Rica for another term and took three separate trips to Eastern Europe as part of a Jewish genealogical project.”
At Huntington High School Mr. Ellman was a member of the National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society. He earned several honors including the Bausch & Lomb Science Award, Robert K. Toaz Prize and the Sons of the American Revolution Award. He was treasurer of the senior class.
After graduating from Dartmouth in 2006, the Huntington grad worked as a teacher for two years in the Teach for America program. “I taught a bilingual fifth grade class at PS 4 in Washington Heights, New York,” Mr. Ellman said. “This is probably the most difficult but rewarding thing I have done so far in my life. I really became connected to the school and the relationship that I built with my kids is something I will always carry with me. I learned from some excellent teachers who I admired tremendously.”
During his high school years Mr. Ellman captained the soccer, basketball and tennis teams, winning all-league honors in basketball and tennis and a spot on the academic all-county teams. His rugged play helped the Blue Devil soccer squad qualify for the playoffs for the first time in years and his smooth strokes on the tennis courts was integral to that team winning its first Suffolk title since 1987. He was also a peer mediator and mentor.
Mr. Ellman’s time as a teacher included an opportunity to experience athletics from a wholly different perspective. “At PS 4, I was lucky enough to coach the boys’ soccer team and girls’ basketball team, taking the girls to the District 6 finals,” he said with pride. “I still keep in touch with my students and think about what I learned from them every day.”
After two years in a New York City public school classroom, Mr. Ellman enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School. “I have found law school intellectually very challenging and really enjoy the culture at the school,” he said. “I have made it a point to attend every football game, despite a rocky season last year. I’ve become pretty involved in the law school, too, heading its ACLU chapter and serving as the treasurer of the Black Law Students' Alliance.”
Days before his graduation from Huntington High School, college counselor Karen Schlendorf called Mr. Ellman “brilliant,” adding “he brings his entire class to a higher level of understanding of the most complex material. He pushes and prods, seeking to go beyond what the teacher has in mind for the lesson. His peers have enormous respect for Dan. For Dan, grades are secondary to the learning experience and learning for its own sake is his passion.”
Mr. Ellman kept his valedictory address short and to the point on Sunday, June 30, 2002, focusing on friendships, which were at the center of his high school memories. He said the time his classmates spent with those they care about had been more valuable than time spent in classrooms. “For, although it may seem like a cliché, this is when we’ve truly learned who we are,” he said. “Each of us has been a teacher and each a pupil. We’ve studied the science of socializing, the language of loyalty and the qualities which add up to being a good friend.”
Always a planner, Mr. Ellman is already thinking about his future moves. “Law school goes quickly so I am starting to make decisions about what kind of law I will practice in the future,” he said. “At the moment I hope to practice criminal defense in New York. I find the subject matter motivating and want to work in communities close to home.”
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