The graduation of the senior class of 2003 was special for two Jersey City Catholic High Schools. Both St. Dominic Academy and St. Peter’s Prep celebrated their 125th anniversary.
“It’s a privilege to be here at St. Dominic Academy during this historic time,” said Academy Principal Sister Vivien Jennings, OP. “The students’ efforts seem to be especially blessed this year, with a large number of academic, athletic and cultural successes.
Two of the prominent academic success stories were the Class of 2003’s valedictorian Viraj Patel and the salutatorian Heena Patel. Both seventeen years old and unrelated, the girls are going to pre-med school. According to Carolyn Smith, director of public relations and recruitment, for St. Dominic Academy, the two girls belong to a graduating class of distinction.
“This year we had 100 percent of the graduates go on to college,” said Smith. “Graduate admissions are usually near 98 percent.”
While Viraj will be attending New York University in September, Heena is moving out to Oklahoma City to start her pre-med training at the University of Oklahoma.
“My father’s business is out there so I’m going to school out there,” Heena explained.
Henna said she is going to concentrate on pediatric medicine for a career because she likes working with children. Viraj will study cardiac medicine and expressed no reservations about having to do heart-related surgery one day.
“I don’t think I’ll have much of a problem with that,” Viraj stated.
St. Dominic Academy was founded in 1878 by the Dominican Sisters to provide education for the large amounts of German immigrants arriving in Jersey City. The school relocated twice, once to Bergen Avenue in 1915 and then to its present location at 2572 Kennedy Blvd. in 1942. In the mid-1980s, the school saw a decline in the enrollment of its business elective courses and decided to make St. Dominic Academy into a college preparatory school.
Smith stated the class of 2003 fulfilled the school’s commitment to the community. Both Viraj and Heena participated in the Habitat for Humanity program.
“In March, we helped build a house in Newark for a person who had lost a spouse in the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” said Viraj. “We built the foundations for the house and later on we painted it.”
Heena said she was sad to leave her classmates after spending four years at St. Dominic Academy.
“I learned so much here,” she said. “I’m leaving a lot behind. However, the education I received here will help me succeed in the future.”
St. Peters Preparatory School, located at 144 Grand Street in the Paulus Hook section of Jersey City, has fostered a tradition of Jesuit education to create men of “competence, conscience and compassion.”
Ben Reed, the valedictorian for the graduating class of 2003, said he excelled in academics and athletics this year.
“I have to say all the hard work I did over the last four years has really paid off,” Reed stated, when asked about how he felt to be the student with the best grades in his class. Reed graduates St. Peter’s Prep with a 98 grade point average.
“It’s hard to tell what my favorite class was, but I would have to say physics and A.P. history,” Reed added. “I had a lot of good teachers for history, who made it very interesting to see what happened in the past.”
As a member of the St. Peter’s volleyball team, Reed was proud to be part of the team that were county champions and won the state quarter finals.
“Academics are nice and all, but being on the court was great,” Reed said. “I enjoyed the team spirit and the camaraderie on the volley ball team.”
Eighteen-year-old Ron Cardoso, class salutatorian, took a sense of social responsibility to his activities at St. Peter’s in his senior year.
“I was part of the SADD, which is Students Against Destructive Decisions,” Cardoso explained. “I have strong beliefs about making people aware of the dangers of drunken driving.”
Through the many anti-alcohol and drug awareness programs that he participated in with SADD, Cardoso believes he got his group’s message across.
“The efforts of SADD were definitely a success,” said Cardoso.
Cardoso described his approach to school work as “tenacious,” pulling a 97.2 grade point average. He attributes his academic success to hard work.
“I don’t believe in luck,” Cardoso stated. “I didn’t let things happen, I made them happen.”
“I loved all four years at St. Peter’s Prep,” Cardoso added. “I don’t know what kind of person I’d be if I hadn’t gone to this school.”
“I’m more aware of my future and the responsibility ahead of me,” said Cherry Ann Castilo, 18. Castillo is the valedictorian for the class of 2003 at St. Aloysius High School. “I am hoping to succeed in the future.”
Like her mother, Castilo plans to become a nurse and will attend Rutgers Newark in the fall.
“At first I was thinking of architecture,” said Castilo, who is a self taught artist. “But I wanted to get a job that was a little more practical.”
Castilo said her greatest learning experience in the four years she attended St. Aloysius was going to a multi-cultural school.
“I learned that everybody has a different personality,” said Castilo. “I got to interact with other people and know how to respect others.”
Also self taught on the acoustic guitar, Castilo combined her musical talent with her love for physics class.
“I usually play the guitar at church on Sundays,” said Castilo. “In class, I demonstrated how the guitar actually works.”
Castilo said she would not let her artistic abilities go unused in the future.
“I see myself designing my own home once I get my career in nursing going,” said Castilo. “It will be a simple house and one I can raise a family in.”
“I am so proud of my work this year,” St. Aloysius Class of 2003 salutatorian Shedly Jean-Ays. Jean-Ays graduated with 94.7 grade point average. “I studied for three hours after school almost every day and I tutored math.”
Tutoring difficult subjects like algebra and calculus taught Jean-Ays to understand people better.
“I saw that everybody is not a math student,” Jan-Ays commented. “Learning math is not a one-step process. I was taught patience by tutoring math.”
Jean-Ays also participated in the Teachers of Tomorrow program, which helped her learn about being a teacher, a career she has considered.
“I took part in the program for the last two years,” Jean-Ays explained. “You learned how to communicate with kids, plus self- improvement techniques.”
Jean-Ays said she plans to be a doctor and will attend Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck for pre-med.
“I have always liked helping others,” said Jean-Ays. “That was the best thing I leaned about myself at St. Aloysius School.”