June 12, 2024 00:00
We are proud to recognize Alyssa as Valedictorian, and John as Salutatorian for our Class of 2024. Both will graduate together with their classmates on Friday, June 14th.
As graduation approaches, we asked Alyssa and John to talk about their experiences at St. Andrew’s:
Alyssa will be attending Archbishop Molloy High School in the fall. She will be playing basketball and intends to pursue a basketball career in college. Alyssa has a lot of mixed feelings about leaving St. Andrew's. She says, “on one side, I'm overjoyed to continue my life at high school with new people and experiences. On the other hand, I feel sad and disappointed that the people I've known for multiple years will branch off. Still, I believe that this is an opportunity for me to grow and do better things.”
Alyssa will definitely miss the friends she made at St. Andrew's. She has known some fellow classmates since she was about 3-4 years old. She has “quite literally grown up with everyone, and made an unbreakable bond with the people surrounding [her].” She will also miss Ms. Hanna for the support in pursuing her academic and athletic future.
Alyssa’s favorite memory at St. Andrew's was the recent 8th grade trip. During this trip, she “got to experience a little vacation with kids I've known for ages. Additionally, I also got to make friends with people from other schools.”
Thinking about the academics at St. Andrew's, Alyssa felt it was rigorous, but she knows it has prepared her for high school. She felt she was challenged accordingly, and was able to revolve her basketball schedule around her academics. She says that “even though sometimes it was hard to balance both basketball and academics, [she] did my best to achieve it.“
Alyssa says she is “very well-prepared for high school because of the academic challenges I was put through. For example, I was responsible for taking notes, studying, and keeping my grades as high as possible. I was [held] accountable when I didn't do any of these things and when my grades dropped.“
During her 8th grade year at St. Andrew's, Alyssa was unable to participate in extracurricular sports teams due to the absence of a girls basketball team for 8th graders. Although disappointed at missing the opportunity to represent her school in her final year of CYO play, she continued to showcase her skills on the court with Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament (OLBS), contributing to their Diocesan championship victory. Back in 5th grade, Alyssa had played on the St. Andrew's girls basketball team, which won the Diocesan championship as well.
When asked about her current aspirations, Alyssa says “currently, I want to play basketball in college. I'm not really sure what I want [to do], but I think I would like to become an attorney. Still, I know I have to work very hard to pursue my aspirations both academically and athletically. “
John, whose father and two sisters are also graduates of St. Andrew’s, will be attending Archbishop Molloy School in the fall. As he prepares to graduate, John said he “feels so many emotions right now.” He is sad about leaving his friends and the place he has known for as long as he can remember; yet, he is excited about graduating from St. Andrew’s and starting the next chapter of his life. “I am curious to know what lies ahead of me in my journey. I know I have a great academic foundation, and I feel that I will excel at Molloy thanks to St. Andrew’s, and achieve my dream of attending an Ivy League school.”
One thing that John will miss most is Ms. Hanna’s policy of no tests on Mondays and no homework on Fridays. He will also “miss the safe and welcoming environment that St. Andrew’s has created for [him].” He will also miss all the fun events he participated in at St.Andrews, especially the CYO program, the Haunted Hallway, the Christmas Fair and the Chess Club.
John’s favorite memory at St Andrew’s is when Ms. Hanna announced that he was the Salutatorian. He says he has “spent countless hours studying that when [he] heard [his] name called, it made [him] realize that hard work together is always rewarded.” John would like to thank his parents for sending him to St. Andrew’s. “I am grateful to the teachers for helping me strive to achieve my goal, and I thank God for his unending love for me.“
When asked about the academics at St.Andrew’s, John says he likes “how [they] were always challenged and had the support and guidance to make it through every difficult subject.” He especially enjoyed the Science classes with Mrs. Busse, particularly the science lab experiments and frog dissection.
John really enjoyed the CYO program when he was at St. Andrew’s. He and his classmates were on the boys soccer team that won three Diocesan soccer championships, and on the boys basketball team that won a Diocesan basketball championship, which was the first one won in over 20 years. He says that “these experiences have taught [him] the value of teamwork and striving towards a greater goal.” John also enjoyed the afterschool music program, where he learned to play the piano and the violin. He will also start learning the cello next week! Because of these experiences at St. Andrew’s, John felt he was able to appreciate sports and the arts in addition to the academics, all while practicing his Catholic faith.
John feels that St. Andrew’s has prepared him very well for high school. He knows this because both of his sisters who also graduated from St. Andrew’s have repeatedly said this to him. John says that “the teachers at St. Andrew’s have encouraged me to work hard and have faith,” and feels that he will be able to overcome any obstacles he encounters academically or spiritually.
When asked about his current aspirations, John say he has “two career aspirations. [His] parents have always said to leave every option open, that if there is something [he finds] interesting then [he] should delve into it.” He has always found dentistry very interesting, as well as anesthesia, and someday he may even do both and become an oral surgeon and an anesthesiologist.
Our warmest congratulations to Alyssa and John!
We wish you both and the Class of 2024 good luck in high school and beyond!