The Paw Print

Nicole Bracero is an 18-year-old Bronx native who attends Central Park East High School in East Harlem. Her take on life is very general and simple: She believes in living life without doubts and regrets. When Nicole faces moments when she just wants to give up, she keeps trying and doesn’t give in to her desire to quit. Her most favorable personality trait is her ability to make people smile, even when they are sad. She has strong childhood memories of spending time with her father at Six Flags Amusement Park. With dreams of being a preschool teacher, Nicole enjoys babysitting because it gives her first hand experience in childcare.

Stephanie Calderon, 17, lives in East New York, Brooklyn and attends Murry Bergtraum High School. One of her most memorable moments is when she and her two best friends went to Seaport and had a water fight and she won. She is talkative, hardworking and sometimes a little crazy (in a good way!). One of her favorite movie is Man on Fire with Denzel Washington (she cries every time she watches it). Her favorite hobby is listening to music and dancing. She is inspired by her mother and her uncle who have helped her become a better person and taught her to never give up. Her career in life is to become a lawyer or repoter.

Joshua Medas, 18, attends Murrow High School in Brooklyn. He grew up in Guyana and lives in Springfield, Garden Queens.  From his best friend Shanice he’s been inspired learn from others. He usually observes and analyzes people by the way they look and act but he never judges on a first impression. He believes that people grow and mature and change. “I find that the most important thing is getting to truly know a person before you die” is one of Joshua’s major ideals.  Using this skill, he plans on becoming a psychologist. If that doesn’t work out, his Plan B is joining the FBI under a psychology and criminal justice degree. Biggest regret so far? He wishes that he could’ve passed more French classes instead of failing them.

He lives in the Bronx but his sports allegiances lie in Boston. Meet Mohammed Hai a 16-year-old who attends High School for Health Professionals and Human Services where he maintains a 90 average in rigorous courses, a fact he is very proud about. Although he lives in New York, Mohammed is a huge fan of the rivals of the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox. Mohammed wants to visit Beantown and watch the Red Sox play. Two years ago, Mohammed found that he enjoyed writing a lot because he could, and continues to, express himself very well through it.

Melanie Carmen Gonzalez is a 15-year-old reporter/singer at Central Park East High School who indulges her two passions with involvement in her school’s choir and newspaper team. Melanie is Puerto Rican and Dominican and is very proud of her heritage. The weirdest dream she’s had involved her living in “a mythical world sort of like an evil Candyland,” which also happens to be her favorite board game. Melanie enjoys writing breaking news stories and is actively involved in the world around her by reading newspapers daily and staying updated on current events. She’d like for her writing to spark new thoughts in her readers. Melanie aspires to a college degree, but hopes to stay in New York, the city she’s known for all of her life.

Bria Murray is a 16-year-old junior at Central Park East High School. She grew up in Brooklyn and has a lot of wisdom for those who want to receive it. In 10 years, she’d like to be engaged and trying to start a family. Her best memory was when she attended anti-prom with her friends Melanie, Christian, Cassandra, Stephanie, Thomas, and Tony. Life experiences inspires Bria. She is an objectivist.

Shatovia Irvings is a 17-year-old high school student who likes to communicate with people. She is a very sensitive person with an open personality, but sometimes her facial expressions say otherwise. Shatovia is a mix of ethnicities – West Indian, Native American and white. She also has a mix of homes – Harlem, Connecticut and North Carolina. After her senior year, Shatovia plans to do four years of college and then medical school. Her motivation for success is to always out do her competition.

Xue Yun Gao’s favorite hobby is volleyball. The 18-year-old Brooklynite has had a variety of favorite colors – it was black and white then green and now it is blue. She thinks her passion for helping others will lead to a career as an advocate or government work. Her college dream list includes Columbia, West Point or some a CUNY and SUNY school.

Chazity Cruz is a 17-year-old girl living in the heart of the Boogie Down Bronx. She is of Puerto Rican and Spanish descent. However, if Chazity could spend the rest of her life in another country it would be England. Her favorite genre of music is urban, including hip-hop and reggaeton. If Chazity could only eat one food for the rest of her life it would be Chinese tacos or beef jerky. What sets her apart from her siblings is her beautiful and glowing personality. If Chazity won a million dollars she would give it away to someone who needs it.