Q&A
Where will you be in 2023?
While at Passaic County Technical Insitute, Victoria Eli explored her interest in baking by enrolling in the School of Culinary Arts. Eli’s intricately decorated cakes instantly made her popular with classmates, and her work has appeared at many PCTI functions. Eli is the Skills USA Parliamentarian for PCTI and has competed in numerous contests, winning many awards over the past three years. She will once again compete this year in the Commercial Baking division, at the national event in Kansas City in June, and stands to win a full scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America, where Eli was accepted to. The Cliftonite also earned a full scholarship to Hudson County Community College to study hospitality management. Outside of school, Eli works at Il Tulipano in Cedar Grove, where she organizes salads, cold food, sliced meats and cheese platters. Though it is outside of her baking comfort zone, the job has given Eli additional experience within the culinary arts, which she plans to apply to her career down the road. In 2023, you might just be ordering pastries from Eli in her own bakery. Jeahan Baeira: I expect to be working at the police station, coming home to my kids.
Kyle De Mattia: Giving back to my country in the Marine Corps or some other form of service.
Tyler Taranto: Hopefully ready to start a family and sustain a successful career.
Christian Marra: Out of college with a successful career and a family of my own.
Jamie De Dios: A mechanic, living with my wife.
Walixa Peralta: A successful person, working as a nurse, doctor or anesthetist, about to start a family.
Valentina Jaramillo: I will be married to a good man, have one child already, and be happy. Travis Wdowiak: Living on my own and being happy. Orville Maldonado: Working for BMW and having my own mechanic and body shop for cars. 52 June 2013 • Clifton Merchant
Dania Niwash: I don’t know! I hope to be working in a hospital or institution where I will be bettering people’s lives! I also hope to be married, and enjoying my youth! Renatta Chirinos: Working as a psychiatrist. Gregory Jobeless: Japan in finance.
Working in
Carlos Leon: Hopefully working in the field I studied for.
Janine Giordano: I will have a great job and married.
Alex Hurtado: I will be working at a hospital in New York as an orthodontist.
Alexzandrea Pleasant: Married and in my athletic training career.
Matt Miazga: I should be playing professional soccer.
Elizabeth Los: Hopefully I’ll have my doctorate degree in physical therapy, and be successful.