After 27 years of teaching, 23 of which have been at Great Neck South High School, Steven “Doc” Tringali is officially ready to retire.

Doc is known to students throughout South High as the Biology and Marine Biology teacher with a larger than life personality, perfectly summed up by his motto, “What your mind can believe and your heart can conceive, you can achieve.” 

However, what some might not know is that Doc was a chiropractor ten years before his teaching career, which is how he got the nickname Doc. Doc then started teaching in 1996 at Northport High School, where he taught biology and chemistry, as well as coached baseball and football.

Doc started teaching at Great Neck South High School in March of 1999, when he started teaching biology, his favorite class to teach. He has also advised numerous extracurricular activities, such as HOSA and Debate, and coached middle school baseball and softball. 

What Doc values most from his time at Great Neck South are the connections he has forged with his students. He imparts onto his students not only wisdom about science but also about life. He wants students to remember that “life has to be enjoyed.” Doc believes that “if [life] becomes too serious and you have to work too hard, then it is a job and you don’t want to live your life in a job.” Doc also adds, “Remember, if you love what you are doing, you will never work another day!” Doc plans to continue to live by this motto in retirement.

Outside of school, Doc is very passionate about music. Doc performs in numerous bands that have performed at the Paramount on Long Island and at the NYCB theater at Westbury. He will continue to play the trombone more seriously in his next chapter. 

Doc also looks forward to spending more time with his two grandchildren, Arianna and baby Antonio, who was just born a few weeks ago on May 1. He also looks forward to the possibilities of the future that have now opened up to him. Doc has plenty to keep him busy in retirement, including his new hobby, raising chickens. 

He is also very passionate about cooking and enjoying life to the fullest. While Doc is going to miss Great Neck South and the community that he has been a part of here, he knows that there is more out in the world waiting for him.