Brooklyn Magazine’s annual “30 Under 30: The Envy Index” featured four New School alumni this September. Among the young and successful listed were recent graduates Yahdon Israel, 26, a literary advocate and social media maverick; Dean Buck, 26, and Daniel Ellis-Ferris, 27, co-founders of LoftOpera; and Alex Gleason, 25, a public advocate for New York City’s working people. The New School Free Press talked to each to get some insight into what drives them and how to make it in the real world, post graduation.

Click on the illustrations below to learn more about these alumni and their accomplishments.

Dean Buck & Daniel Ellis-Ferris

Alexander Lloyd Gleason

Yahdon Israel

Illos: Alex Gilbeaux