By Dan Murphy
This year’s valedictorian and salutatorian from Saunders Trades and Technical High School are two motivated and conscience women who are looking forward to college and beyond.
Valedictorian Esha Hafeez will graduate with a 100.36 grade-point average. Her favorite subjects are physics, architecture, college algebra and geometry, and her favorite teachers are Catherine Gallucci in English, Richard Savage in economics and government, and Joseph Zappia in physics.
“I thought that physics was going to be hard, but Mr. Zappia taught us with a lot of hands-on experience and I enjoyed it,” she said. “All of my teachers know how to teach and take the time to teach you and make it fun. I created a bond with them.”
Hafeez, who has taken 10 advanced placement and college level courses at Saunders. Her extra-curricular activities include volunteering with AFYA, a local non-profit that sends supplies overseas to victims of natural disasters and war. “I worked with medical supplies and getting it to the people who need it,” she said.
Hafeez also volunteered on the Yonkers Science Barge, with the Volleyball Club, and interned with the Yonkers Federation of Teachers. Her work with Girls Who Code also gave her invaluable experience in the corporate world in New York City leaning coding at KPMG. “It was a great experience, taking the subway and going to the city to work,” said Hafeez.
She applied to 18 colleges and was accepted to 10, including SUNY Purchase, Fordham, Mercy, St. John’s, Pace and five CUNY schools. She will attend Fordham University in the fall and study at its Manhattan campus. “It is a small, tight-knit campus and I can stay home but still experience New York City,” she said. “I also received a scholarship and a good financial aid package.”
Hafeez will study biomedicine with a computer science minor and said she hopes to pursue a medical career. She is one of five sisters, and one of her older sisters was ranked in the top five at Roosevelt over a decade ago.
Hafeez credits her family for helping her succeed. “Education means a lot in my family,” she said. “We came here from Pakistan when I was 3, in 2004. They came her so that I can have a better future and we met a lot of nice friends along the way.”
One of those friends is Saunders Salutatorian Cindy Mata. It is not unusual for the valedictorian and salutatorian from each high school to become friends every year. They both experience the same academic challenges and can talk to each other about common problems they encounter.
Mata will graduate with a 98.43 GPA. Her favorite subject is math, because “I love the logical sense to it and that there is only one answer, but there are different ways to get it.”
Her favorite teachers are the same as Hafeez – Gallucci, Savage and Zappia. “They are like parents and role models,” said Mata. “I have learned about their paths to success and that has helped me. They are more than good teachers, they are good people.”
Mata took 11 AP and college level courses. Her many extra-curricular activities include serving as president of the Saunders Youth to Youth Club, which helps students stay away from substance abuse. She started the club with two others in her sophomore year and “we go bowling and had a bake sale. It helps with team building and we can have fun without drugs,” she said.
Mata applied to 11 colleges and was accepted to New York University, the University of Miami and Westchester Community College. She will attend NYU in the fall. “They gave me a good financial aid package and I love the campus in New York City,” she said. “I will enjoy the fast-paced life, with diverse cultures and hope to travel abroad.”
The salutatorian will major in computer science with a minor in journalism. She said she hopes to pursue a career in software development or engineering at a major technology company, and gives thanks to her mom and sister for helping “to give me the chance to be a great student and pursue my dreams. My mom started a small business and showed me that there is so much opportunity out there that I can do it,” she said.
Words of advice from the Saunders valedictorian and salutatorian include:
“Make the impossible possible,” said Hafeez. “Know what your priorities are and understand that there will be setbacks, but those setbacks will make you stronger.”
Mata quoted the great Dr. Seuss, saying, “You have to be odd to be number one!”
