Alum Sofia Reyes was surprised by how much the school had changed since her graduation in 2017.
”I walked in like, what is this?’’ she said. “They changed everything.”
Sofia, who went to college and served in the military, offered advice for current students. “Don’t settle for less,’’ she said. “If you don’t feel comfortable where you’re at, keep going.”
Mario Sepa, class of 2018, has a whole new life. “I am a mechanic now and I’m married with a baby,’’ he said. His advice? “Do what you can and try with what you got.”
Chelsey Martino, class of 2018, is now married to Mario and the mother of a newborn baby. She says life as a teenager was much less stressful and easier than life as an adult. ”Enjoy your freedom while you can,’’ she said. As a mother, she says, ”I have a lot more responsibilities and bills.”
Emily Holguin, class of 2024 and the former prom queen, came back to visit old friends and teachers. “Time went by really fast, but I made the best out of it and made things worthwhile,’’ she said.
Emily, a Mount Saint Vincent College student who hopes to become a travel nurse or a pediatric nurse, also shared advice. “Always stay true to yourself; never change for anybody,’’ she said. “ It’s gonna be hard, but as long as you’re determined and know what you want you’ll be fine.”
Former newspaper staff member Sanjay Singh ‘22 and editor-in-chief Sara Singh ‘23 reminisced about Bronx River. Sanjay, who felt at home while visiting, said it “feels like I never left.” His advice is, “Don’t forget where you came from, because you never know where you’re going.” Sanjay continues to do journalism as a minor in college at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Sara Singh, a student at Hunter College, said, “It’s good to see everyone now.’’ She also shared advice for high schoolers: “Try to get all the memories you can. Be prepared to be more dependent on yourself.”
As graduates step into their adulthood, they quickly realize that the freedom they always wanted was just a new set of responsibilities and lessons awaiting them.
Sofia Reyes, a mom of one with another on the way, describes her struggles as a 25-year-old. “Money comes and goes; like if my son wants something I’ll get it because I know I will get that money back somehow.”
Zaria Sota, graduate of 2019 and Hunter college 2023, is a nurse in the med-surgical department and postpartum. Zaria stepped into adulthood and gained a lot of responsibilities, especially by being a nurse. “Be cautious of the economy you’re going into,” she said. “It is better to do what you want to before life jumps at you.”
Teachers, students catch up on life
A reunion with former students brought waves of nostalgia for teachers, who caught up on their lives and praised students for their growth.
Concepcion Pena, an English 11 teacher, was all smiles while hugging and seeing her former students. ”It’s always nice to see graduates because after they leave high school, their maturity is visible.”
Pena enjoyed hearing stories about college, work experiences and family updates. “I was mainly overwhelmed with excitement to see everyone,” she said. “I missed so many of them.”
Dominick Pellettieri , physical education teacher and dean, enjoyed talking with the alumni. “It was a very nice experience to see how everybody has progressed in life and see how they’ve grown,” he said. ” Some of them have their own families now.”
And he let the graduates know the staff is always here for them: “The real world hopefully, we prepared you enough for it because it will slap you in the face so when you need someone to fall back on you know where to come find us.”
