YMA Valedictorian Clara Baldwin, right, and Salutatorian Angelina Ramos
By Dan Murphy
Congratulations to Clara Baldwin, Valedictorian, and Angelina Ramos, Salutatorian, of Yonkers Montessori Academy (YMA). Both students have been part of the YMA community for 12 years and have thoroughly enjoyed their experiences.
Clara Baldwin will graduate with a 100.86 weighted GPA. One of her favorite teachers is Calculus teacher Richard Harman. “I love the way he teaches Math. He is helpful with our college applications, and he is there if you need advice.”
Clara’s favorite subject is Math, and she was a three-sport player on the YMA, Varsity Lacrosse, Soccer and Baseball teams. “My basketball coach Elie Moise encouraged me to play Lacrosse, and it was a district wide team. It was the best thing because it made me meet kids outside of YMA. And I love Soccer. Playing three sports at YMA kept me busy, and my academics.”
Clara will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall. “I originally applied on a whim. But it was a shock when I got accepted, and when we visited, the campus and the people were so nice. I basically got a full scholarship.”
She will study Aerospace Engineering. “My family travels a lot and I have always been fascinated by planes. I wanted to pursue a career in Math and Science, with hands on building and designing.”
Who were the key people that supported you in becoming Valedictorian? “My parents and my older sister. She also attended YMA and she was a big help, pushing me to do sports and to take on all that I could handle.”
Any advice for future students? “Take every opportunity offered to you and don’t be afraid to ask for help when things get tough, hard work does pay off in the end.”
Clara didn’t realize she was #1 until the 11th grade. “It wasn’t a goal for me”
YMA Salutatorian Angelina Ramos will graduate with a 100.14 weighted GPA. One of her favorite teachers is Irina Morgunova, (Algebra, Pre-Calc.). “I love the way she taught us, it was seamless. We would do 40 problems a day and I loved working through it. We had homework every day but Math is my favorite subject. It’s something that I can do for hours, it’s like a hobby solving problems.”
One of Angelina’s favorite extra-curricular activities was Y-Zone. “I started my freshman year and we did research on equity in Yonkers. It helped me talk to my community and I learned that a lot of people don’t have access to the internet. I enjoyed learning from other people and hearing their perspective.
Ramos will be attending SUNY Stony Brook University in the fall. “I got into the honors college and the women in STEM program. I can’t wait to learn from other women who have the same interests, and the campus is tightknit, not too close from home but a little far away.”
She will study Mechanical Engineering and hopes to pursue a career in formula one racing. My uncle owns an auto parts store in the Dominican Republic. I have always been intrigued by cars and used to work on them with my dad. My dream is to become an engineer for Formula One.”
“My parents are the reason I am here today, and YPIE also helped me get through the college process.”
