This weekend I thoroughly enjoyed attending the 20 year Stuyvesant HS reunion party for the Class of 1992. Mothers, fathers and old friends – today, professionals ranging from Internal medicine specialists to Ford Motor Executives living in Mexico City, Producers for Good Morning America to California restaurant owners, employment attorneys at a white-shoe midtown NYC firm to a toy distributor attended and it was just great.  I really enjoyed attending and reconnecting with people whom I graduated high school with.

Of course it was very interesting to see who and what people have become (everyone had on those cheesy name tags), and attending what was (and is) considered as one of the best public academic high schools in the nation in the last ‘80’s and early 90’s was a truly enjoyable experience. (Albeit one I have to thank my mother for as I didn’t want to travel 1.5 hours each way, but did and eventually preferred it over my local zoned high school.)

I played varsity basketball, which shaped a lot of my experience – and rarely attended class (as I was reminded of again last nite). Seeing half of the team show up was fun as we shared war stories about our aching backs, knees and stories which today would be qualified as hazing and have arrests made.  We relived a lot of humor, shared and laughed about stories which I didn’t remember – and all in all was so nice seeing old familiar faces.

New York City was a different city then – graffiti ridden subways, at times dangerous but I wouldn’t have traded attending Stuyvesant for anything.  On so many levels it was really such a special place and for this boy from the Bronx it really opened up my eyes to so many things, places and opportunities.

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And now, I am off to prepare my kids to be the best they can academically so when the time comes in a few years they will also get into Stuyvesant High School.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.