The Feinberg Family

The Phyllis Feinberg Memorial Scholarship honors the life and legacy of Phyllis Feinberg.

Phyllis Feinberg taught math at Durango High School from the school’s opening in 1993 until 2007 when she retired after a long career of teaching.
She grew up in Brooklyn, NY in a tiny apartment where she shared a bedroom with her older sister, while her parents slept in the living room. Her father passed away when she was 14, making life difficult. Even so, she graduated from high school and received a scholarship to attend Brooklyn College. There, even though at the time “women weren’t supposed to study math,” she refused to give in to social pressure and stuck with it. She did well in her courses, graduated in only three years, and started teaching math to high school students when she was only 21 years old. She continued to teach math from that point on until she retired, only taking time off to raise her two children.

As a teacher, she not only passed on her knowledge to her students, but also provided loving care and support to many of them who faced difficult challenges in their lives. She was full of compassion, especially for those who came from disadvantaged backgrounds, and believed each student could excel if given the support they needed. She loved teaching math, but most of all loved her students, and loved helping them find their way in life.

In all, Phyllis Feinberg lived an honorable life, and we wish to honor her memory by supporting a young woman who, like her, comes from humble beginnings who wishes to pursue an education in one of the fields women traditionally “weren’t supposed to study,” such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The Feinberg Family
Marc (husband), Cori (daughter), Matthew (son)