Where a Waldorf Education Leads

Katie Lewis (née Freihofer)

Class of 2003

After thirteen years at Waldorf (K–12), Katie Lewis earned a BA from The New School and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from LIU–Brooklyn. She is now Director of Research at the Austen Riggs Center, where she studies suicide risk and interpersonal relationships, publishes widely, and holds funding from the NIMH and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She credits Waldorf's integrative, primary-source teaching — and the respect its teachers showed students — with the critical thinking and lifelong love of learning behind her career.

Grace Amodeo

Class of 2007

After Waldorf, Grace Amodeo studied at Emerson College. She now works in AV marketing at Searchlight Pictures in Los Angeles, creating trailers, TV advertisements, and digital marketing for the studio's films — including recent award-winners Poor Things, A Complete Unknown, and A Real Pain. She credits Waldorf with teaching her to think creatively, bring a holistic perspective to any problem, and above all to see the humanity in every person rather than a number or a grade.

Wyatt Erchak attended Waldorf from ninth through twelfth grade. He has since earned a bachelor's in history and political science and a master's in history, and is now a PhD candidate at Carnegie Mellon University, where he studies African American history. He credits Waldorf with a lasting sense of exploration, self-belief, and creativity — and still draws on the inner balance that eurythmy gave him.

Ethan Sabatella attended Waldorf from fourth through twelfth grade, then earned a master's in Celtic Studies from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. He has since published ten short stories and two poems, and teaches composition to first-year students at Franklin Pierce University. He credits Waldorf directly for his writing style and the subject matter of his fiction.

Declan Conway attended Waldorf from third through twelfth grade, then earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and a 3rd Mate's license. He now serves as an officer with Military Sealift Command, work that has already taken him to ten countries. He credits Waldorf with encouraging him to explore the world and pursue his interests through wide-ranging experience.

Morgan Zimmerglass attended Waldorf through sixth grade before later earning his degree at Cornell University. He is currently a project coordinator at Skadden Arps in New York City, one of the largest law firms in the world. He credits Waldorf with the gift of an open mind — an early appreciation for music, cultures, and beliefs beyond the American mainstream.

Emily Ajax Phillips attended Waldorf through tenth grade before going on to Skidmore College. Today she is a sculptor and the founder of Kairos Futura, a social enterprise, splitting her life between Aspen, Colorado and Kenya. What she credits most is the community — she remains close with many of the people she met at Waldorf decades later.