Meet the Team
Each student chooses a Senior Adviser in the spring of Grade 11.
That Senior Adviser will work with the student and the student’s family over the course of that next year, serving as a point of contact and guide through the college search and admissions process.
Senior Advisers
The Director
Mr. Michael Acquilano is the Assistant Director of Upper School and Director of College Guidance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Hobart College and a Master of Arts in History from Rutgers University. Mr. Acquilano came to the Academy in 1997 as Director of Development. One year later, he added college advising and teaching to his responsibilities. As a member of the History faculty, Mr. Acquilano has taught United States History as well as numerous Upper School elective courses. Also at the Academy, Mr. Acquilano serves as the Girls Junior Varsity Lacrosse Coach.
In 2001, Mr. Acquilano became the full-time Director of College Guidance. He is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling (NYSACAC) and the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS). Mr. Acquilano is a Past President of the New York State Association for College Admission Counseling where he also held the positions of Chief Delegate and Government Relations Co-Chair. He has presented on college counseling and admissions at numerous state and national conferences. Mr. Acquilano is also a member of the Princeton’s Review’s National College Counselor Advisory Board.
Prior to joining the Academy, Mr. Acquilano spent six years at Wagner College, four in the admissions office as Associate Director of Admissions and Assistant Director of Admissions and two in Development. He was an Admission Counselor at Hobart College and is a Past President of the Hobart College Alumni Association. Other outside interests include history-related travel and serving on the Board of Directors of the Conference House Association on Staten Island. Mr. Acquilano and his wife, Giovanna, are the proud parents of three children, all of whom are Academy students, Grace ’18, Kate ’22 and Nicholas '26.
Read more about Mr. Acquilano in The Princeton Review...
Mr. Crane
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Mr. Crane is the Academy’s Academic Dean, an office he has held since 2004. He joined the Academy faculty in 1991, and prior to his current position, he served as the History department chair and the Head of Middle School.
Mr. Crane is an independent school graduate, and he holds a Bachelor or Arts in History from Kenyon College and an M.A.L.S. in Social Studies from Wesleyan University. As Academic Dean, Mr. Crane is responsible for the new faculty, the professional growth and appraisal program, the Academic Leadership Council and the Grade 9 London trip. He also teaches Grade 9 World History and AP European History. Prior to coming to the Academy, Mr. Crane worked at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA and the Gow School in South Wales, NY.
In addition to his Academy responsibilities, Mr. Crane serves as his Kenyon College class agent, and he sits on the Board of the Staten Island Historical Society. He is the parent of two Academy students, Claire’15 and Charlie’22, and is married to Caroline Stirn Crane ’83. When he is not at school or with his family, Mr. Crane likes to read and to go fly-fishing.
Dr. Young
Dr. Antonia Young is a Latin instructor in the World Languages Department. She joined the Academy in 2016 and currently teaches Latin courses. She also has taught ancient Roman history and AP Art History in the Upper School.
Dr. Young earned her B.A. in Classical Civilization from Wellesley College and her M.A. in Latin and Ph.D. in History of Art from University of California, Berkeley. From 2004 until 2012, during her studies at Berkeley, she taught dozens of undergraduate courses in both the departments of Classics and History of Art as a Graduate Student Instructor.
Dr. Young completed her doctoral dissertation on the intersection of ancient Roman art and Latin literature shortly before joining the Academy. Having trained to enter Academia and having taught many undergraduate courses at Berkeley, she is well acquainted with the undergraduate experience and the expectations of college and university programs. She draws upon this knowledge and expertise in the guidance she offers to Academy students in their senior year, as they navigate the college application process and prepare for their first year of college.
Dr. Young is married to Dr. Marc Goodwin, Chair of the Academy’s History Department and fellow Berkeley Ph.D. Together they are the parents of Claudia Goodwin and Allaire Goodwin ’31. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting museums and spending time with her family in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.