RHS Valedictorian Alexandra Daley
RHS Salutatorian Andres Arroyave
By Dan Murphy
Congratulations to Roosevelt High School Valedictorian Alexandra Daley and Salutatorian
Andres Arroyave.
RHS Valedictorian Alexandra Daley will graduate with a 103.14 GPA. Her favorite teacher is Ann Marie Dononue, her kindergarten teacher at School 22. “She is the one teacher who always stuck with me. I still visit her-she is everything I want to be,” said Daley.
Alexandra’s favorite class at Roosevelt is Foundations in Education, taught by Mrs. Schwan. “It helped me get a look into what I want to do, which is become a teacher. I’m passionate about it.”
Daley played on the Varsity Volleyball team and served as a Yonkers Police Cadet. “I joined in my freshman year. It’s a program where you learn about becoming a police officer and provides classes in physical and mental fitness and forensics. It was really educational, and when I first joined, I wanted to go into the FBI.
Alexandra was accepted into SUNY New Paltz, Manhattan, SUNY Oneonta, Pace, SUNY Cortland, Manhattanville, Adelphi, Iona, Marist, Fairfield, Providence, Fordham, and Mercy Colleges. She will be attending Marist University in the fall.
“It’s been my dream school from the beginning. I like their program, and I can complete both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. It’s on the expensive side, but my parents pushed me to go there,” said Daley, who will be majoring in Early Childhood Education and hopes to get her Master’s Degree in Special Education and then become an elementary school teacher.
“I always wanted to become a teacher, and my parents thought I would make a great teacher. I like being creative and working with kids. I enjoy interacting with younger students, and being a special education teacher would be an ideal job. ”
Alexandra said she likes Roosevelt High School for “its sense of community.”
“I was shy coming into Roosevelt and super nervous about making friends. I joined the volleyball team, and the girls were so welcoming. There were no clicks, it was easy to make friends, and my teachers were kind and supportive.”
She thanked her parents for getting to this point of academic achievement. “My mom was always motivating me and pushing me, especially in my senior year.”
Any advice for future valedictorians? “Find a balance between school work and well-being. Don’t let your grades consume all of your thoughts; make sure you enjoy your time and have fun. You don’t get to experience high school twice.”
Daley said that she started taking notice of the rankings in her first year, and she enjoyed a friendly rivalry with Salutatorian Andres Arroyave through their years at Roosevelt for who had the best grades.
Alexandra said that while she would consider returning to Yonkers to teach, she would probably move out of state to Massachusetts or Connecticut.
RHS Salutatorian Andres Arroyave will graduate with a 101.96 GPA. His favorite teacher is Mr. Giancaspro, Business Law. “I’ve taken his classes in my junior and senior years. He makes connections with his students and is a kind person to speak with about your day.”
His favorite subjects are Math and Gym. Andres has played soccer for most of his life and at Roosevelt for the varsity soccer team for all 4 years. “After COVID, we grew the program at Roosevelt because there were so many middle school students who wanted to come to Roosevelt to play soccer. Now, we have a JV and a varsity team. Last year, we went undefeated and made the sectionals. We also won the city tournament this year.
Another enjoyable extra-curricular activity for Andres was his participation in Unified Basketball. “We help special education students play basketball. The way they got so excited touched me. We had a team of students who played other schools and every time they made a basket it brightens up your day.”
Andres was accepted into Penn State, Marist, Mercy, and Manhattan colleges and will be attending Pace University in the fall on a full scholarship. “I was looking to play soccer, and I got a good financial package to play and study computer science at Pace. I will be staying in the dorms at Pleasantville.
“I wanted to stay close to home so that I could still have that connection to my mom and my sister. I want to come home for the weekends. Initially, I applied to be a commuter student, but my parents and coaches advised that, as a first-year student-athlete, it was best to live on campus and get accustomed to college life.
Andres will major in computer science and hopes to learn website design as a possible career. “During the pandemic, I gained an interest in computer science, making video games, and making websites. I built my own desktop and had a passion for it. I decided that is the major to go for in college.
But Andres will continue to pursue his dream of one day playing professional soccer, and enjoyed his years at Roosevelt.
“All of my counselors and teachers were open to feedback and willing to work with us. When one student came forward with the idea of a spring formal, they helped us.”
Who helped you get to this point of academic achievement? “My parents, they always supported me and helped me with any opportunity, like driving me to soccer tryouts.”
How did you balance playing soccer all 4 years and being the Salutatorian? “Having a balance can be challenging. I had to go to bed late some nights to meet deadlines. But time management is the most important thing.
How did playing soccer help you build your character? “I was in a shell going into high school and was very shy. In my junior and senior years, I was named Captain, and I took the leadership role and ran with it. I flourished on the field, and my coach said that I am more like a man now and know how to take charge.”
