Hits: 60
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (October 23, 2025) —The White Plains City School District proudly honored four outstanding alumni Thursday afternoon at the induction ceremony for the White Plains High School Hall of Fame – recognizing graduates who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields and made meaningful contributions to society.
FOUR TO THE HALL! Stephen Slepian, Jonette Mines, Susan Altman, Carl Austin (L to R) Photo courtesy White Plains High School
Real estate executive Carl Austin, ’58; WPHS social studies teacher Susan Altman, ’64; Juneteenth Heritage Committee leader Jonette Mines, ’78; and award-winning journalist Stephen Slepian, ’88, were celebrated in the Media Center as the 22nd class of honorees since the Hall of Fame was established in 1996.
The Hall of Fame, which now includes 94 alumni among the school’s more than 40,000 graduates over its 129-year history, celebrates individuals who have achieved professional distinction and made a positive impact in their communities.
Honorees are chosen from public nominations by a selection committee representing civic and school organizations.
Principal Emerly Martinez kicked off the event by noting how special it is to be selected to the Hall of Fame. (Photo courtesy White Plains High School)
“So to be one of the 94 Hall of Fame members is, indeed, a very rare and special honor,” he told a crowd that included previous honorees, elected officials and guests. “Over the years, our Hall of Fame members have distinguished themselves in a wide variety of fields – authors and musicians, doctors, public servants, entrepreneurs and industry leaders, educators, athletes and outstanding community leaders,” he said.
“However, they all have one thing in common: they have benefited from the wisdom, patience, advice and support of the talented men and women who are working as teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators and staff here at White Plains High School,” Mr. Martinez said.
Amy Geiger, a member of the class of 1964 and the co-chair of the Hall of Fame Steering Committee, introduced the presenters – Jim Bruni, Sue Brumer, Lena Anderson and Zotica Medina – who, in turn, highlighted the many achievements of the inductees and welcomed them to the podium.
As president of the White Plains Juneteenth Heritage Committee, Ms. Mines has revitalized Juneteenth celebrations throughout Westchester and Rockland counties. Her dedication to community service extends through leadership roles with the White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP, Bethel Baptist Church and various groups that promote equality and cultural awareness.
“I love White Plains. … I have always been active in White Plains, starting out as a young child in the YWCA Big Sisters Little Sisters program, which is now our Assistance With a Purpose program,” Ms. Mines said.
“I’m greatly appreciative of all the love and support and encouragement I received from my family, church family and community. It warms my heart to see so many of you here,” she added.
A prominent real estate adviser, Mr. Austin has played a major role in shaping the commercial landscape of Westchester County. He has been responsible for dozens of office buildings, corporate headquarters, office parks and hotels throughout the region. In addition to his professional achievements, Mr. Austin has served on numerous community boards, including White Plains Hospital and the Westchester County Association.
“There are many forces that shape our young lives. For me, two stand out – first is encouragement. Parents fundamental, teachers essential. White Plains High School has been a source of encouragement for generations of students,” he said.
“Second is passion. What excites? What do we want to do? Love to do? That is a journey we must start when young. Try out our thoughts. Test, reject. Try again. The journey is worth it. White Plains High School was my safe place to begin,” Mr. Austin said.
A beloved and innovative educator, Ms. Altman taught at White Plains High School for more than 30 years. She organized school-wide forums and conferences on issues such as gender, diversity and the environment, and has helped students broaden their horizons by leading exchange programs with schools in China.
She said that becoming a teacher was “absolutely the right decision.” In fact, she was even a member of the Future Teachers Club while a student.
“I was what I would probably call an out-of-the-box teacher with different ideas. I couldn’t have done any of this without administrative and collegial support, and many of my colleagues are here in support, and I so appreciate their support throughout my whole career,” Ms. Altman said.
She went on to recount the many experiences that made her time at WPHS so memorable and rewarding – so much so that she feels like she actually graduated in 2013, the year of her retirement.
“For example, I did a re-enactment of the tennis courtroom from the French Revolution on the tennis court! And then, we had a birthday party for the Statue of Liberty in 1964, where many students partook in eating cake that was baked for 100 students by the cafeteria staff,” she said.
Ms. Altman, who was a cheerleader and a member of the student legislature, also spoke about the success of the trip to China in 2005 that resulted in the unique sister-school relationship with the Suzhou High School in and a student exchange program that lasted 10 years until the country limited visits.
Ms. Altman also expressed her pride in teaching a human rights elective course that led to a Human Rights club and a Human Rights week that featured a concert by famed musician and social activist Pete Seeger.
An award-winning journalist, Mr. Slepian serves as an investigative producer at NBC News, where he has spent nearly 30 years with “Dateline NBC.” His work has led to the cracking of cold cases and the exoneration of the wrongly convicted, among other notable achievements in his illustrious career.
He called WPHS “the place that changed my life.”
“I was walking around these hallways and was thinking, ‘Who is the teacher that I liked the most?’ With all due respect to Ms. Altman,” Mr. Slepian said, eliciting loud laughter.
The journalist also mentioned his long career at NBC News, during which Dateline debuted its first ever podcast with him in 2019, when he led an eight-episode series, “13 Alibis,” about his probe into a vexing murder case in which an innocent man was eventually cleared.
.“I have been a bit of a renegade in the News Division at NBC … the percolation period for some of my stories is anywhere from six months to 25 years – no joke,” he said. “My book, ‘The Sing Sing Files,’ is about my 20-plus journey that helped free six innocent men from Sing Sing”
He said he traces his journalistic fervor to his days at WPHS, which he said changed his life.
“People often look away in society from people who are not like them,” said Mr. Slepian, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and the recipient of four Edward R. Murrow Awards.
“This place allowed me to challenge my beliefs.The differences were not barriers – they became bridges to my future. There is no way to separate the person that I am now from the seeds that were planted in this building,” he said.
At the conclusion, Dr. Joseph Ricca, Superintendent of Schools, mentioned how special it is to be a member of the WPHS Hall of Fame.
“It’s a really special honor I can never achieve, no matter what I do,” he joked. “And, you know, what I hear constantly, in recounting the experiences of White Place High School, is the opportunity that the school community and the greater community provide.”
“And I’m very happy to report to you today that we continue, that we continue to expand opportunities for our children and for their families,” he said.
In a statement earlier, Dr. Ricca wrote:
“These four remarkable individuals exemplify the spirit of excellence, leadership and service that defines our White Plains graduates.
“So many exceptional students pass through our halls each year, yet only a small portion of them are able to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame — less than 100 inductees in almost 30 years,” he wrote.
“Your commitment to your profession, community and service to others is commendable and deserves to be celebrated. Thank you for being role models for White Plains students every day, showing them that they too can do the extraordinary,” Dr. Ricca added.
The inductees met earlier with students during class sessions to share stories and insights from their careers.
Deya Allen and Nela Older, two seniors who are co-presidents of the Student Government Organization, shared a few thoughts of what it meant to them to have met the honorees.