THE CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNAE MAGAZINE | FALL/WINTER 2015 SCHOOL NEWS
My Ultimate STEP Experience Cathedral High Student Jamaris Tirado shares her story with Fordham's program
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or the past three summers, I have been attending Fordham University Lincoln Center Campus Science Technology Entry Program, also known as STEP. This is an exciting and rigorous academic enrichment program designed to help prepare junior high and high school students for licensed professions and scientific, technical and health-related careers. At first, I did not know what I was getting myself into but after completing my first summer session, I knew I wanted to spend my summer there. The professors know how to reduce the pressure and make the class enjoyable while you grasp the dense material of the subject. As part of the summer session, the STEP program provides their students with a writing initiative class and an elective based upon grade level. Examples of some electives are spoken word, robotics, creative writing and college prep. All the classes that STEP has offered me have been a great experience and have opened up so many doors for me. This past summer, I was given the amazing opportunity to work alongside Fordham's business program to create and construct an analytics project. My group and I analyzed data showing the correlation between greenhouse gas emission and food production at region level. With the support and encouragement of the STEP program as well as Fordham, I am expanding my knowledge further to excel in science and mathematical fields. I have learned so much and would not be where I am today academically without my classes at Cathedral, and the STEP program. Both Cathedral and Fordham have encouraged me to exceed my own expectations and strive for higher goals.
Mr. Renaldo D. Alba, Assistant Director, and CHS Student Jamaris Tirado, during the summer academic awards ceremony.
Faculty, Alumnae and Students Doing Good in Community Over the summer, Cathedral High School teacher Anna Pipchinski serves as the Co- Director at Camp Abilities in Long Island. Camp Abilities Long Island is a four-day, overnight developmental sports camp for children who are visually impaired, blind, or deaf/blind between the ages of 9 and 19. She was joined by other
CHS alumnae and students who volunteer as counselors, working 1 on 1 with an athlete who has a visual impairment. Participants include: Tayla Medina ’16, Jada Maldonado ’16, Katie Contes ’14, Erika Valdez ’16, Chelsea Arno ’16, Anna Pipchinkski, Tayla Medina ‘16, and Samantha RodriguezReynoso ’16.
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