Once this year’s graduation takes place on June 24th, 2021, the Class of 2021 will say their final goodbyes to Bronx Science. For many Class of 2021 seniors who chose fully remote learning due to the Coronovirus pandemic, they learned remotely at home from mid March of their junior year and for their entire senior year. Needless to say, the Class of 2021 learned to adapt to difficult times. For this year’s seniors, these unpredictable past four years of hard work and struggle have given rise to a lot of growth and triumph. It is without a doubt that we made numerous memories that will stick with us for a lifetime. And as we embark on the next chapter of our lives, we asked the Class of 2021 to reflect on their time at Bronx Science. 

For Tiffany Zhong ’21, some of her happiest memories were within the classrooms of Bronx Science itself. “One of my favorite pre-COVID memories at Bronx Science includes relaxing during SGI (now office hours) with my Pre-Calculus teacher. Ms. Won’s door was always open, literally, and she welcomed students to study, review, or to simply have a conversation. I still remember sitting on the floor with a friend to eat a sandwich despite the empty desks all around us. We were talking about everything from our physics tests to our future plans and even orders from Ned’s. Although SGI is primarily intended for academic improvement, SGI periods with Ms. Won were a safe space for Bronx Science students like myself to relax,” said Zhong. 

For Jenny Huang ’21, the fondest memories were with friends. “We did a mini pot luck for lunch one time, and that was pretty fun,” she said.

At Bronx Science, we grew in terms of our intellectual curiosity, our personal development, and our social lives. A lot of us learned to develop friendships that will last a lifetime, and to step out of our comfort zone. The special learning environment that Bronx Science cultivates led to many of us finding niche interests that we would not have had otherwise. We embraced our vulnerability, while adapting to the realities of high school. 

“I learned that there are always very supportive people whom you can reach out to, but it may take time to find close friends whom you can confide in. Everyone has their own timeline, and there’s no need to compare yourself to others,” said Huang.  

“Unable to articulate my desire to pursue neuroscience in the future as a ninth grader, I was just a quiet student who rigorously took notes on the nervous system during Regents Biology. After being a student in the Biology Research program, my teachers and mentor have opened up my interests towards the world of neuroscience,” said Zhong. 

As for advice for the classes at Bronx Science that will graduate in the near and far future, Zhong said, “Don’t forget to be human. PupilPath is right at our fingertips, and it’s easy to let the numbers and even the colors define us, but that 80 doesn’t mean anything in hindsight compared to the relationships that you will form with your peers and teachers.”

Zhong will be heading off to Princeton University this fall to study neuroscience, and Huang is off to Binghamton University to study nursing. Zhong, Huang, and so many others in the Class of 2021 will immortalize the lessons learned and memories made as they leave New York for college and the great world beyond. 

The years after high school represent change from our familiar routines. While a lot of us are staying close to New York for college, a lot of us are also moving out far away. Although many of us may move to different cities, states, and even countries for college, we will never forget the place that shaped us for a lifetime. Bronx Science will forever hold a special place in our hearts. 

As for advice for the classes at Bronx Science that will graduate in the near and far future, Zhong said, “Don’t forget to be human. PupilPath is right at our fingertips, and it’s easy to let the numbers and even the colors define us, but that 80 doesn’t mean anything in hindsight compared to the relationships that you will form with your peers and teachers.”