trevordayschool

5 0 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 20 1 8 – 2 0 1 9 From the 2004 yearbook, Leslie's answer to "What is your favorite song on your iPod?" was Linkin Park's "RNW@Y." Bombas is a sock company with a charitable mission, founded by the fact that socks are the most needed clothing item at homeless shelters. For every pair of socks sold, Bombas donates a pair to charities, shelters, and community organizations throughout all 50 states. e entire team also volunteers regularly, in order to stay close to the community that we serve—from hosting a biweekly breakfast at St. Francis of Assisi, to distributing groceries and toiletries with Bowery Mission, NYC Relief Bus, and Coalition for the Homeless, to planning a monthly birthday party for underprivileged kids with the Birthday Party Project. Bombas has been an incredible and uniquely fulfilling step in my career. I joined the company as its 12th employee and have grown with it, now managing a team of four graphic designers, along with my internship program to mentor young designers. In addition, I've been pursuing my music passion by DJ-ing and organizing music events through a self-started production company, 5th of November Presents. What are some fond Trevor memories? I spent so much of my free time at Trevor—which is a testament to how much fun it was to be in and around the school and my friends. Hanging out with teachers and staff after school, shooting and editing videos, working with theatre productions, doing homework in the library, working summers repairing computers—all are fond memories. e day of the 2003 blackout, I was at Trevor for my summer job, fixing computers with Elaine Hou. I had just finished fixing a computer and was about to turn it on to see if it worked. e moment I flipped the switch, the computer sputtered and all the lights in the room went out. However improbable, I thought it was somehow my fault! en, as we walked around the building, we realized it wasn't just Trevor. In what ways are you living Trevor's mission? Trevor instilled a social responsibility in its students, which is echoed daily in Bombas' culture. I am constantly learning from Bombas, as well as from my design team. e ability to use our collective skills in a socially responsible manner is a uniquely inspirational privilege. What advice about the workplace or life ahead do you have for current Trevor students? e people you know are invaluable to advancing yourself—be vocal about your pursuits and (try to) always say yes to opportunities! You never know where saying yes can bring you, but saying no usually changes nothing. Your relationships at Trevor and beyond will branch into so many different directions that could lead to exciting collaborations down the line, and you'll be in your friends' minds when potential opportunities arise. My job at Bombas came from accepting a freelance gig from a colleague—I had no idea what it would lead to at the time! Above: Leslie using a video camera in Sarah Venkatesh's A/V movie- making class. He recalls, with fondness, that "Ms. Venkatesh usually hung around late.… My friends and I would hang out after hours and make movies in the school building, on the roof, and in Central Park."; Left: Leslie is at the far right in the back row.

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