Community Mourns Nancy Shaw Chochrek
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Nancy Shaw Chochrek, who was beloved by her family, friends, and colleagues for her vivacious personality, generosity of spirit, good humor, and searing intelligence, died on September 12, at the age of 63, from metastatic breast cancer.
Born in 1963 to Joan Tart Shaw and Martin M. Shaw, Nancy grew up in Scarsdale, New York, and graduated in 1981 from Scarsdale High School, where she was editor in chief of the yearbook. She graduated from Brown University in 1985 and from Boston College Law School in 1988.
For nearly 12 years, Nancy practiced law in Chicago, first at Lord, Bissell & Brook and then at Smith, Hemmesch, Burke & Brannigan. In 1996, she married James Chochrek, and their three children—Anna, Ella, and Ian—became the center of their world, the heartbeat of their home. In 2000, she and James moved to White Plains, New York, and Nancy launched a long and distinguished career in Scarsdale real estate, following in the footsteps of her mother. For several years, Nancy was a top-selling agent at Julia B. Fee and Houlihan Lawrence. For the past 8 years, she was the manager of the Scarsdale office of Houlihan Lawrence, one of the top-performing real estate offices in all of Westchester County.
Nancy balanced work and family life with aplomb. She was an extraordinarily devoted mother to Ella, Ian, and Anna, who were her pride and joy. No matter how busy her work schedule, Nancy always made their needs and concerns (and Anna’s and Ian’s ice hockey games) her priority. She loved nothing more than the afternoons and evenings she spent at home surrounded by her family as they watched, analyzed, and cheered on the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, and Cubs.
Nancy had a knack for making and keeping friends from every chapter of her life, and she would keep in touch with them with endless phone calls during her morning walks and daily commute. She was especially devoted to her friends from Camp Walden in Denmark, Maine, where she was arguably the most spirited camper in Walden’s 110-year history.
In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her cherished brother, Daniel, and his husband, Ramon Montala, of Falls Village, Connecticut, and Ridgewood, New York.
On a personal note, I knew both Nancy and her mother Joan Shaw who was also a leading realtor at Julia B. Fee for many years. In fact, Joan spent countless days house hunting with my family and was successful at helping us buy the home we have stayed in for 25 years.
When Nancy became the manager of the Houlihan Lawrence Scarsdale office, we worked together regularly, and she was a big supporter of Scarsdale10583. She was warm, had a good sense of humor and never questioned our editorial independence. I will be forever grateful to both Joan and Nancy for the roles they played in my life in Scarsdale.
A memorial service for Nancy will be held on Thursday September 17 at 2 pm at McMahon, Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home, Inc., 491 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605.
Post your memories about Nancy below.
National Merit Semifinalists Announced
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Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award,
Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.
About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by about 260 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Steps in the 2027 Competition
Over 1.2 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2027. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 700 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 120 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 140 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2027 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join over 395,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Here are the names of local winners:
Scarsdale High School
Bamji, Tara
Barnea, Samuel
Cecil, Michael
Chandarana, Jai
Chen, Edward
Chin, Kyle
Chiu, Grace
Copeland, Aidan
Daito, Kaoruko
Eisenberg, Lucy
Han, Wade
Hyun, Minsung
Kertesz, Theo
Kim, Ella
Kopelman, Ozan
Kwon, Eric
Lammer, Caitlin
Lee, Carolyn
Liu, Sarina
Milam, William
Nagpal, Aarush
Qiao, Theodore
Saxena, Nikhil
Singhal, Rishi
Snyder, Ari
Tan, Vick
Wolf, Charley T.
Wu, Caroline
Yang, Rachel
Yu, Zhen
Edgemont High School
Blumberg, Elyse
Chen, Scarlett
Fan, Emma
Hwang, Gabriel
Kumar, Rahil
Lau, Matthew
Manjul, Aditya
Park, Luke
Ruiz Fraile, Carla
Sadoughi, Shirin
Sayer, Juliet
Sil, Milan S.
Wang, Cindy
Yuhn, Leo
A Shared Vision for Scarsdale Schools: Hahn and Brown on the Year Ahead
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School Board Leaders Colleen Brown and Suzie HahnThis is not the first time Scarsdale’s School Board President and Vice President have worked together. In fact, the two have been in lockstep for years, since they chaired the PTA Calendar Committee in 2016-17. When School Board President Suzie Hahn was PTA President at Quaker Ridge, Colleen Brown was Vice President. Fast forward, they were both elected to the Scarsdale School Board in 2022, re-elected in 2025 and are now both serving for their fifth year. Their boys are both SHS juniors – and two of their children share a birthday. They say that even their kids are similar in many ways.
It was clear that they’re in tune on many key issues during a recent conversation we had at Scarsdale Library to open the school year.
Hahn is now doing her second year as Board President – with Brown as a second year Vice President. They explained that the majority of the board is serving their first terms, and by taking on another year of leadership, Hahn and Brown were giving newer members time to learn the rules and gain some experience in order to ensure a succession plan for future years.
In addition to serving as President of the Scarsdale School Board, this year Hahn is also the President of the Westchester Putnam School Board Association, a group that provides training and networking for school board members and advocates for public education.
What’s top of mind for the two? Following a tumultuous spring, their goal is to focus on “bringing the community together so that we are one Scarsdale … that celebrates our differences.”
They discussed a partnership with a group called “Common Circles” that gathers personal profiles and artwork from community members and creates an interactive exhibit specific to Scarsdale that will be displayed in the Great Hall of the Scarsdale Middle School in February. In addition to the exhibition, the program includes an AI component which allows users to interact with those portrayed, asking questions and sharing stories. A classroom curriculum is built around it as well. The program is funded by the Scarsdale Education Foundation.
Turning to dollars and sense we discussed the tax cap and the limitations it has placed on school spending. Asked if she thought the tax cap might be repealed, Hahn said, “I think it is here to stay. As a community we might decide to go beyond it.” She noted that the 2026-27 school budget was able to preserve elementary class sizes and the house system at the middle school but some requests had to be put aside. Extra social workers at the elementary schools, the expansion of the ICT program at the middle school and an additional math teacher at the high school all had to be omitted from the budget in order to come in below the state mandated tax cap.
Hahn noted that some were questioning proposed additions to the staff at a time of flat or decreasing enrollment. She said, “We are actually cutting staff through attrition due to retirements. But people should also know that students are taking more courses. Some students sign up for multiple STEM classes such as engineering, AT statistics and computer science. Some kids have no free periods.” The school needs the staff to teach these courses.
On the other hand, Brown and Hahn were happy to say that the new common lunch program at the high school, where the entire school has the same lunchtime, has been a big success. The longer lunch hour allows club meetings, meetings with teachers and works for those who are busy with athletic practices after school. Given the longer time period, there is not a mad rush for food and upper classman have the chance to go out for lunch if they like.
Funds from the 2026 bond referendum will be used to renovate the Little Theater into more flexible space with flexible furniture that can also be used for a lunch venue.
Speaking just a few days before the first School Board meeting, we asked what they hoped for the coming year.
Brown had a ready reply: She said, “We would like to encourage the community to engage with the Board, to attend Board coffees, attend Board of Education meetings, talk to your PTA liaisons and email us.
They also asked everyone to sign up to receive emails from the district here Scarsdale Schools Emails Signup so that you won't miss future school community communications.
The Art of Letter-Writing: Inspired by The Paper House
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Scarsdale author Barbara Josselsohn will conduct a workshop on the art of letter-writing, inspired by her book The Paper House, on Friday September 25 at 1 pm at the JCC Mid-Westchester.
Rediscover the beauty and meaning of putting pen to paper, this creative writing workshop invites you to slow down, reflect, and explore the power of a handwritten letter.
In Josselsohn's book The Paper House, Kayla returns to the island home of her Great Aunt Tilly and reopens the magical stationery shop where people once wrote letters to those they had lost, missed, or needed to forgive. As Kayla reconnects with the shop and its history, she discovers that putting words on paper can be a way to remember, heal, and find yourself again.
Drawing inspiration from the themes of the novel, you’ll be guided through thoughtful prompts and creative exercises designed to inspire authentic connection. Write a note of gratitude, a message to a loved one, a reflection for your future self, or simply rediscover the joy of handwritten correspondence.
Each participant will leave with a beautifully handwritten letter, a copy of The Paper House, and a packet of stationery to continue the practice of meaningful letter writing long after the workshop ends.
Tea, coffee, and light snacks will be served.
About the Author
Barbara Josselsohn is a best-selling author of nine historical and contemporary novels, including her newest, The Secret Orphanage, a multigenerational story about an American schoolteacher who becomes embroiled in the French Resistance and a present-day librarian intent on discovering her grandfather’s wartime secrets.
Barbara is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and teaches writing workshops at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, Westport Writers Workshop, Scarsdale Library, and privately. She has published hundreds of articles and essays in major and regional publications about family, home, and relationships.
Do Something Nice to Honor Marian Green
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Marian Green with Elizabeth LawrenceThe following letter was written by Lena Crandall
Letter to the Community
Please join me in honoring the late Marian Green. In your own heart determine what would have pleased Marian. Think about how you met her, how she might have helped you or your loved one, what she was passionate about. Then, do something that would have made Marian happy. She was so creative and caring it could be just about anything.
- Be kind to a child who is struggling.
- Stop, listen, show interest and be nice to whoever you meet.
- Invite someone you think might be on their own to join you to do something.
- Try to find some love and compassion in your heart for Marian’s son Chester. Marian was his advocate and protector. If she were here she would want him to receive proper care.
- Nurture nature: Marian was a Master Gardener; based on my friendship with her and the informal design of her front yard, I’m quite confident that she set supporting the ecosystem as her number one priority.
- Make a donation to one of the many causes Marian cared about. Please provide suggestions in the comments below.
After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to make my donation in memory of Marian to The Friends of Weinberg Nature Center. Weinberg is a place that was originally donated to the Village of Scarsdale for the community to creatively come together in a positive way. [I’ve read the deed.] It’s a local haven for people to relax in nature, learn about the environment and more. See www.weinbergnaturecenter.org. It reminds me of my special friend…
Marian would most likely just want you to be nice to someone, including yourself. This selfless woman never looked for applause or attention; she did whatever she could to be a positive force in other’s lives.
And let’s get together to celebrate Marian’s life. Let me know if something is already in the works or give me a call to discuss ideas. Kindly text first. My cell number is 914-874-3779. Or I can infrequently be reached by email at [email protected].
Thank you for your random act of kindness in memory of Marian.
Lena Crandall
