Michael Lerner likes to joke that maybe the reason he won the senior superlative for "least changed" is because he was destined to never leave high school. In fact, he's still a part of the MCPS system, teaching AP Stat and Calculus at Einstein High School. He even spends time back at Whitman; as Einstein's Varsity Boys Lacrosse coach, his Titans recently played the Vikings in their season opener. "My Einstein lacrosse team has made two straight Regional Semifinal games, the furthest ever for our school (Coach Pope would be proud)" says Lerner about his extracurricular coaching work.
And while coaching may seem like a predictable after-school activity for a suburban math teacher, Michael's other extracurricular may surprise you: he's currently ranked as one of the top professional poker players in Maryland [editor's note: according to multiple poker rankings sites, he's earned close to half a million dollars in tournaments alone, not too shabby for a side hustle]. Lerner says, "I have been playing poker professionally for approximately seven years, playing both tournaments and cash games. My home casino is Maryland Live, but I travel to play as well (definitely more of a time crunch with the newborn)." [Michael and his wife welcomed a baby boy in May 2023] "I often spend several weeks during the summer in Las Vegas for the World Series. I even shared a hotel room with my good buddy [and Whitman alum] Jordan Litt last time I was on the strip. I try to incorporate my poker math such as expected value in to my lesson plans when I can:)"
And if Michael's life as a teacher, coach, and poker player comes as a surprise to you, rest assured, he feels the same way: "I definitely did not imagine myself going this path. I thought I would go in to politics or finance... I was actually a career switcher - I was in hotel management after I graduated for a few years." Which makes sense when you consider that Michael majored in Business Management with a Marketing concentration at the University of Richmond.
Question: What was your favorite part about your high school?
Answer: Sports and Beach Week!
Question: What was your least favorite part about high school?
Answer: Getting up so early.
Question: Any long-held secrets or regrets you've been dying to get off your chest?
Answer: During Senior year, I often brought a pillow in to my car and would sleep during first period. Sorry Mr. Allen!
These days, Michael lives in Rockville with his wife, Sara, whom he married in a backyard ceremony at his parents' house during the pandemic. And while their son, Benjamin Ross Lerner, might only be a few months old, Michael says he's already "a sweet wonderful boy."
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