Lisa Gaeta, a beloved and respected self defense coach at Marlborough, passed away on July 18. The news of her passing was shared with the Marlborough community over summer break and came as a shock to all. As the founder and longtime Chief Executive Officer of IMPACT Personal Safety, Gaeta dedicated her life to empowering women and providing them with the skills needed to take charge of their own personal safety. 

IMPACT was initially created in response to the World Health Organization’s statistic that globally, 1 in 3 women have been subjected to sexual assault. This statistic motivated Gaeta to develop a program to help train adult women to prepare for potentially dangerous encounters. She quickly realized that teenage girls are highly susceptible to assaults, so she extended her teachings to various high schools in the Los Angeles area, including Marlborough School. Ida Dahan, the director of summer school and enrichment programs, had a close friendship with Gaeta and commented on how intelligent and warm-hearted she was.  

“She cared — deeply — about the kids she worked with, about the young women she taught, about giving them the tools to feel safe and confident in their own bodies,” Dahan said. 

Gaeta supported countless Marlborough students by giving them skills to aid dangerous situations. Beyond Marlborough, Gaeta had an influence on countless people. Co-worker and IMPACT instructor Dani Joy talked about Gaeta’s uplifting spirit and work as a leader.  

“[Gaeta] impacted thousands of people,” Joy said. “We constantly hear back from survivors about how IMPACT helped rewrite their story. She created a program, not to erase the past, but to protect the future.” 

Gaeta’s teachings allow Marlborough teens and other women around the city to feel safe and prepared and protected at all times. Marlborough student, Aela Epstein ’27 shared how she felt about Gaeta’s Marlborough course.

“As a young teenager in a busy city like Los Angeles, walking around at night and even daylight can sometimes feel nerve-racking,” Epstein said. “The self defense class at Marlborough has truly let me feel safer walking around, and that’s all thanks to Lisa Gaeta.” 

Gaeta’s teachings allow Marlborough students and other women and teenagers around the city to feel safe, prepared and protected at all times. Her legacy will continue on through IMPACT Personal Safety, the company she has built and the courses offered here at Marlborough. Lisa Gaeta will always have a place in the Marlborough community’s heart.