Prep for Prep

Meet Katie Shutzer Brennan, Prep for Prep Associates Council member, mom of four, and proud member of Team Prep for Prep.

This year, Katie will run her fourth NYC Marathon, and she's doing it to advance a mission she cares deeply about.

"Being part of Team Prep for Prep means supporting an organization I truly believe in. I've seen the impact this organization has on students' lives firsthand, and it's an honor to represent the Prep community."

As Katie takes on 26.2 miles through all five boroughs this November, she's helping raise critical funds that make Prep for Prep's life-changing programs possible.

Support Katie's marathon journey and invest in the next generation of Prep students. Every donation, large or small, helps create educational opportunities and expand access for talented young people.

Donate today at https://www.prepforprep.org/support/team-prep-for-prep and help Katie cross the finish line with the Prep community behind her.

Last night, we celebrated the transformative power of Prep for Prep as we honored Frank K. Bynum, Jr. and Kelso & Company, L.P., and recognized the remarkable achievements of the Class of 2026. ✨

From the start of the Prep Journey to the transition to college, Preparatory Component speaker Clarissa J. (XLVIII) and senior speaker Pablo R.-S. (XLII/Browning) shared powerful reflections on growth, resilience, and opportunity. Frank highlighted the common mission of Prep for Prep and Kelso: expanding access to opportunity and investing in talented individuals so they can reach their full potential.

Thank you to all our sponsors, donors, and supporters who helped raise more than $4.7 million to advance Prep for Prep's mission of developing the next generation of leaders.

Stay tuned for more photos and video highlights from an unforgettable evening.

The 2026 Lilac Ball was an unforgettable evening. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, Prep for Prep can continue empowering the next generation of leaders through transformative educational, leadership, and career opportunities.

Funds raised through last night's event directly support critical programs, including student internships, wellness resources, and college counseling, helping our students thrive from middle school through college and beyond.

To view the full list of 2026 Lilac Ball supporters, visit https://www.prepforprep.org/support/support-the-lilac-ball/recognition-of-support. Stay tuned for event highlights and our fundraising total.

From Preparatory Component classes on Saturday at The Trinity School to the independence and academic rigor of boarding school, the journey of Angelina E. (P9 # # /Millbrook) has been one of grit, growth, and community.

A Brooklyn girl who went from Success Academy Bed-Stuy to the 800-acre Millbrook School, Angelina didn't just adapt, she built. She founded Millbrook's Black Student Union, led the step team, and became a prefect, head student tutor, chess club president, and human development facilitator. And this past summer, placement in Prep for Prep’s Student Internship Program landed her in a pediatric neurology clinic at Mount Sinai, helping shape her path toward studying biology at Howard University.

“I'm really proud of who I am today because of the experiences that I've lived since Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Prep, and now (at Millbrook),” she says. “I know exactly what I need when I need it. I know how to help people and how to communicate. I know what I want to study and why I want to study.”

Congratulations, Angelina. We can't wait to see what the future has in store. 🎓

Meet Clarissa J. (XLVIII), the student who will be representing our Preparatory Component as a speaker at this year’s Lilac Ball! 🎉

From the Bronx, Clarissa is currently a charter school student who participates in her school’s brass ensemble and serves on her school’s student body. This fall she is heading to Horace Mann, where she already has her sights set on auditioning for the instrumental band.

A hard worker who knows firsthand the value of Prep for Prep, Clarissa comes from a family deeply connected to the program. Her brother, a seventh grader at The Buckley School, is a member of Prep for Prep Contingent XLVI and helps motivate her to keep going. We can’t wait to hear her story at the Lilac Ball! 👏🎶

✨ Congratulations to Prep for Prep alumna Denise Burrell-Stinson (VII/Spence, Princeton) MFA, Columbia! She is a recipient of The Spence School's 2026 Judith Joseph Jenkins '91 Distinguished Alumnae Award! (The award is named after another Prep alum.) 🎉

For more than two decades, Denise has been the heartbeat of the Spence Alumnae Association, serving on the Alumnae Board since 2002, championing diversity, leading reunions, and supporting the Annual Fund every year since 2000. Her dedication is a living example of Spence's motto: non scholae sed vitae discimus (not for school but for life we learn).

A media veteran, Denise built her career at some of the most respected names in journalism: from T Brand Studio at The New York Times to WP Brand Studio at The Washington Post, where she rose to lead the studio in 2021, developing marketing strategies spanning video, podcasting, and data visualization. She later served as Vice President of Sports Marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery before launching The Oliphant, an independent content studio named after her grandmother.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Denise is a New York Foundation for the Arts fiction fellow, an anthologized essayist, and a dedicated mentor to young women in media and storytelling. She is proof that giving back and reaching forward are not mutually exclusive.