YMA Valedictorian Laruen Restivo, right and Saltutatorian Monica George, left
By Dan Murphy
Congratulations to Yonkers Montessori Academy, YMA, 2026 Valedictorian Lauren Restivo and Salutatorian Monica George. Valedictorian Lauren Restivo graduated with a 101.9% GPA.
Her favorite teachers at YMA were Algebra and Calculus teacher Richard Harman.
Irina Morgunova: Algebra II and College Link Pre-Calc
Arnaldo Landrau: Spanish
“All three are much more than teachers. They go above and beyond to help all students understand the work. They have all created spaces in the classroom to make students feel safe and make us all want to spend time there.
Lauren served as a teaching assistant at her church, Christian Assembly of the Bronx, for the past two years. “We had a group of 3- and 4-year-olds. It was hard at first just to get them to sit down, but I found my niche, and the kids are cute, and it’s a great experience to learn patience.”
Lauren will be attending IONA this fall. “I love the environment, the campus is pretty, and I like that it is not a huge school. The staff is personable, and the students are involved on campus with clubs and sports. I like the idea of a student body that wants to do things.”
Resitvo hopes to pursue a career in speech pathology. She decided to commute to college. “As much as I wanted a full college experience and living on campus, I love my family, and I can still reach independence without leaving my home.”
Who helped you get to this point? “I want to give thanks to God for giving me the strength to get here and the knowledge and wisdom. My parents helped me, but without God I wouldn’t be here.”
Lauren didn’t care about the rankings early on. “I never saw it as a competition.
Advice for a future Valedictorian? “The moment you start competing with others instead of focusing on your own improvement, you have reached a dangerous place.”
YMA Salutatorian Monica George graduated with a 99.9% GPA. Her favorite teacher was Amaldo Landrau (Spanish). “He helped form me and taught me about advocacy and pushed me to do things I would do and become a voice for the student body. It gave me the opportunity to express myself. And it was an amazing Spanish class, and he made it fun.”
Monica served as YMA’s student government president for her senior year. “When I first joined student government, I ran for President but didn’t win. But I didn’t give up and ran again and won. I learned how to communicate and create events for the school community and bridge the gap between staff and students.”
George was also a member of the YMA Swim team. She will be attending City College of New York: Macaulay Honors Program. “I like being close to home and around my village. It takes a village to raise a child. I can’t be without my village. God spoke to me; I didn’t like the other colleges that I visited.
“Academically, I plan to pursue a multidisciplinary education focusing on public policy, law, and educational leadership to build a foundation in systemic advocacy. My ultimate career goal is to work at the intersection of education and law as an advocate for systemic change. Whether serving as an educational leader, legal advocate, or policy maker, my mission is to bridge existing institutional gaps, advocate for educational equity, and ensure fair resource allocation and student representation. Ultimately, I aim to be a practitioner of institutional change, empowering future generations of students by breaking down barriers to their success.”
Who helped you achieve this success? “My Village and God. My family at home and my family at YMA. My mom is a principal in the Bronx and has shown me what is out there. In a Caribbean household, you are told to do the best you can and keep working hard.
Advice for a young Salutatorian? “Before a caterpillar can earn its wings, it must endure a season of pain, struggle, and adversity. The struggle of the cocoon does not last forever, but the beauty of the transformation does.”
Congratulations!