Where Are They Now – Catching Up with PAVE Alumni

Tysean, PAVE Class of 2018, Freshman at Deerfield Academy
Tysean attended PAVE from Kindergarten to 8th grade, but he’s already feeling right at home at his new school Deerfield Academy. “I knew almost every ninth grader’s name the first week,” he says. Tysean especially loves drawing in his studio art class, learning Spanish, and discussing the school’s summer reading book, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. “I felt really prepared for Deerfield because the PAVE teachers were demanding and pushed my thinking. Both here and at PAVE, the teachers really draw you out in class and are very interactive.”

Camille, PAVE Class of 2017, Sophomore at Concord Academy
Last spring, Camille traveled to China for two weeks with a student group from Concord Academy. “I learned to barter, strike up a conversation with a foreigner, and make my way around by myself,” says Camille. “The most interesting part of the trip was when we went into people’s homes and learned about their different life experiences.” Camille, who also participates in the school’s engineering club and theater program, thanks PAVE for equipping her to take on a wide range of academic challenges. “PAVE taught me discipline, and I learned to manage my time. Now I just view school as challenging my brain muscles.”

Lizbeth, PAVE Class of 2016, Junior at Millennium High School
“PAVE taught me how to be a leader,” says Lizbeth. “Even if the road gets tough, you have to keep trying.” Lizbeth’s perseverance is evident both in and outside the classroom. Accepted to Brooklyn Center Stage’s competitive dance team, she now dances more than two hours a day after school. Last year, she took psychology and sociology classes at Brooklyn College and gave back to the community with a summer internship at Catholic Charities. “With the support PAVE gave me, I learned that if you approach challenges with excitement and the willingness to try, you can do great things.”