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Jesse Gordon '08

Name
Jesse

Hometown
West Hempstead
 
What year did you graduate YHT?
I switched to YHT in 4th grade and graduated in 2008.  I acclimated quickly and loved it.
 
You and your Yeshiva University roller hockey teammates have been in the news a bunch lately.
A few of us who came up playing yeshiva league hockey were looking for ways to continue playing after high school.  Ice hockey seemed too expensive and complicated with issues finding rink time for practices and games.  I found the club-level college roller hockey league through a friend who played for Baruch College and, though the league schedule wasn't completely Shabbat-compatible, they were really good about working with us on scheduling.  Two years ago the YU roller hockey team started in Division IV and we won the championship so we were promoted to Division II this past year.  We didn't win the national championship but we made it to the Elite Eight and made some noise. 

Did you have a favorite class or teachers?
"Write that 'Rabbi Fried taught me everything I know.'"

In life or in hockey?
[Laughs.] Ok, maybe that was a little strong.  He taught me a lot of what I know about playing hockey.  YHT was my entree to organized hockey.  I also liked Mrs. Schmidt, who taught math.  She set me on the path to being an actuary.  I already liked math when I had her but she challenged me while also keeping it interesting.
 
What have you been up to since graduating YHT?
After graduating YHT, I went to DRS for high school and then to YU, from which I recently graduated.  I now work as an actuary for PwC focusing on employee benefits consulting.
 
[Ed. Note: Here are some things Jesse neglected to mention about himself.]
In high school, Jesse won the DRS scholar-athlete award (you can see some of his fancy stick-work here).  His DRS hockey teams went a combined 57-3, including a perfect senior season.  In college, he won the Yeshiva College Mathematics Award and won the Eastern Collegiate Roller Hockey Association's Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.