Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/1315612
Zack Tripp '89 Attorney In what year did you begin at e Day School? I started in nursery school in 1978. My brother Ben was a year ahead of me. A few years later, my mom, Ceci, became the Director of Admissions—so she was there as well. What do you remember about our school in those early years? I was only two years old when I started, so not too many specifics from the earliest years! One thing that stands out is the lifelong friendships: four of my Lower School classmates came to my wedding. One—Vicky Lichtendorf—was at the Day School all throughout and then also with me for high school, and has been a close friend forever. Her son, Max, was my daughter Eliza's first friend. And another friend from Kindergarten (Alex Donn) left the Day School early on, but we stayed in touch and he ultimately introduced me to my wife, Kate. e Day School was an elementary school when you attended, and you graduated in the 8th grade. What impact did your elementary years have on you as a person, and your educational and professional journeys? e impact was immense. e Day School was basically my second home for most of my childhood, and my classmates and teachers were like a large extended family. e constant warmth and support have stayed with me. I'm also thankful for how individualized and child-centric it was, because it allowed everybody to develop their own interests at their own speed, and it truly rewarded and encouraged curiosity and learning. 5 5 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 0 It was impossible to be bored. In 7th grade, I left to go to Hunter, which was exciting at first. But I really missed the individualized learning and close community, so I soon returned to e Day School and graduated with my class. What schools have you attended since TDS, and can you share your career path? I went to Dalton for high school, then Yale. After graduation, I worked in dotcoms as a computer programmer, then traveled around the world for a year with my wife. Later, I went to Columbia Law School. After graduating, I had the great fortune of clerking for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is a continuing inspiration. Since then, I have been working as a lawyer in D.C., mostly in public service. For the last five years, I worked as an Assistant to the Solicitor General at the Department of Justice, representing the United States in the Supreme Court. During that time, I argued eleven Supreme Court cases. I recently left DOJ to join the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where I am excited for the opportunity to continue to grow as an attorney.