The Laboratory School of Finance & Technology

360 East 145th St. | Bronx, NY 10454 | P (718) 585-8202 | F (718) 292-7435 | www.ms223.org

Dr. Ramon Gonzalez

The Laboratory School of Finance & Technology
360 East 145th St.
Bronx, NY 10454

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

c/o Managing Director
Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau
295 Huntington Ave. Suite 211, Boston, MA 02115

Dr. deGrasse Tyson,

On behalf of the students, families and staff of The Laboratory School, I want to thank you
for taking the time to speak to our graduating 2017 high school class. Your talk with them
was the highlight of the ceremony.

Ive heard you speak at several previous events and you have been an inspiration to our
school and the way that we approach science coursework for our students. For four years,
we raised nearly $700,000 dollars in order to design a state of the art science laboratory
for our new high school students. We believe that in order for students to exercise their
curiosity, an advanced facility was needed. The Department of Education came back to us
with architectural plans for a biology lab. When we expressed interest in building a
physics lab, we were told that no one in the Bronx offers physics to their students because
the majority of the students in the Bronx do not get that far in science. But we held strong
and fought for our physics lab and now the entire class of 2017 and the entire class of

2018 have engaged in a rigorous science curriculum, we believe setting them up for
success in college, regardless of what they choose to study.
 The Laboratory School of Finance & Technology
360 East 145th St. | Bronx, NY 10454 | P (718) 585-8202 | F (718) 292-7435 | www.ms223.org

We believe that you understand firsthand how the Bronx can be shortchanged based on
assumptions and stereotypes and that your story would both inspire students and
acknowledge their hard work.

Your years of experience, depth of understanding, and ability to present the subject in
such an interesting way produced one the most memorable evenings in our students
history. They will carry your words of encouragement and motivation forward as they
embark on their new and exciting individual journeys.

Thanks again for your time and message. Your enthusiasm is contagious and your
presence made a special event even more unforgettable.