Senior Issue 2021

The
Senior
issue

[pilot’s log]
Hasbrouck Heights High School

Pilot’s Log Emily Condon 4
is committed to fair, accurate and Nick Valle 6
ethical reporting while embracing and 10
promoting the voice of the students. Katie Armonitis 12
It serves as a champion of First Editors in Chief 14
Amendment rights fostering public
discourse essential to democracy. The Markus Kulik 16
Pilot’s Log will not print any material Wyatt Bugge 18
that is obscene or libelous; or that News Editors 20
which substantially disrupts the school Victoria Vitelli 22
day, or invades the rights to privacy. Briana Mullins 24
The Pilot’s Log reserves the right to Feature Editors
refuse advertisements. Steven Antunez 26
Pilot’s Log Sports Editor 28
Hasbrouck Heights High School Amanda Boscarino
365 Boulevard, Alex Roseman
Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. 07604 Student Life Editor
Front Cover: Illustration by Sahara Serrano.
Samantha Tornambe, senior. Alexa Lafaso
Back Cover: Illustration by Sahara Serrano. George Totonjie
Samantha Tornambe, senior. Leeyana Marcelo
Sahara Serrano
Annabella Rubiera
Courtney Neumuller

Designers
Emily Condon

Nick Valle
Kelsey Parodi
Amanda Boscarino
Lead Photographers
William Thorne

Adviser
Lora Geftic
Special Consultant

Letters from the Editor senior 2021
Editors Emily and Nick give their final messages to the pilot’s log audience
BApaovginaeuto3sr:0sWahreeroefftthoe;
Best of the Best

Quotes from our Top 10%

The Carvel Girls
Olivia Trexler, Amanda Boscarino, and Anna Makris serve up fun

The Aviator
Gabe Valdes studies to be a pilot

The Advocate

Kelsey Parodi learns by living with Crohn’s Disease

The Small Business Star
Emily Condon turns a passion into a business

The Actress
Olivia Myers stars on the stage

The Cosmetologists
Emir Sejaric, Alexa Gonzalez, and Layla Katz make the world more beautiful

The Champion

Nicole Dallara earns high grades and raises the first ever volleyball banner

The Organizers
Nick Valle and Alexa Lafaso help to organize a film festival

The Fireman
Alessandro Ciminata is a member of the HH Fire Department

The Artist
Hayley Kaser leaves a lasting impression in the halls of Heights

Letters tfrhome

Dear Aviators,

Cambria size 9 font will forever resonate within me, a sense of pride and
dedication: the same ideals of an Aviator. Being on the Pilot’s Log staff for my four years
of high school, Feature Editor my freshman year and Editor-in-Chief sophomore, junior,
and senior year, has taught me what it means to be an Aviator and has given me the op-
portunity to highlight those in our school community who similarly radiate these ideals.
Dedication: what brings us together, from the athletes to the students to the
members of our community that Pilot’s Log has covered. On the last day of school my
sophomore year, the bell rang at 12:24. School was out for the year. Well it was for ev-
eryone except me. I stayed in room 216 until about 2:30 P.M., finishing up submissions
for the Pilot’s Log to the National Scholastic Press Association so that myself and my
staff could be honored. From what I submitted that day, Angelina DeGuzman, one of our
artists, was awarded top ten in the country for an infographic on the teachers’ commute
times to school.
Maturity: how the Aviators present themselves. Being a Heights athlete and
Heights student demands a sense of presenting oneself with a mature demeanor, which
warrants respect from others. In my experience with emailing the NJIC director and
even the head of sleep research for the CDC, I learned to present myself professionally
and maturely.
Teamwork: the way the Aviators come together. With my staff and advisor Mr.
Thorne, learning teamwork was an important development for me. In my first year as
Editor-in-chief I tended to do things myself, but eventually learned that we see more
success when the team’s parts and strengths are embraced. Thank you to Mr. Thorne
and my staff for always being there to support me. To the whole school community
-- teachers, coaches, administrators, Dr. Helfant, Mrs. DeBonis, Mrs. Simmons, and my
classmates -- who helped me in efforts to complete publications, I will forever be grate-
ful. With me steering the plane, the Pilot’s Log was only successful with the cooperation
of the whole school community.
Perseverance through failure: something that the Aviators showcase in the
classroom and in sports. Upon publication of each Pilot’s Log, the day was filled with
criticism from students. Who didn’t like what and what typos were present were the
only feedback I would hear. This taught me that much like life, everything you do will be
critiqued. People will try to bring you down, but at the end of the day, we must perse-
vere through these mistakes and take pride in our work, which brings me to my next
lesson.
Pride: the epitome of what it means to be an Aviator. In all our successed, in
all that we do, we must learn to “reach for new Heights” and be content in our own
work. Holding the printed Pilot’s Logs in my hands upon publication was the epitome of
pride in my high school journalism experience. Then on top of that, I found myself on a
PaceMaker award winning staff and with an award for the number seven digital design
in the country under Covid-19 Recognition. Most important, though, was when I did not
win awards to feel confident in my work and proud of what I had accomplished. As the
Class of 2021 departs from this runway, I hope that my classmates continue to strive for
greatness in all that they do.
This pilot is signing off, leaving the legacy of the log, which I received from
Maddy Kalmowitz, Bhardwaj Chirravuri, and Vanita Patel, to another crew. Continue to
embody the ideals of the Aviator through the Pilot’s Log staff.

Departing,
Emily Condon, Editor-in-chief, Class of 2021

Editors

Aviators,
Senior year. Graduation day. As I come to the end of my time at Hasbrouck Heights High

School (HHHS) I’ve come to look back on my experiences throughout these past four
years. While it includes riveting ups and downs, in person and virtual classes, as well as

snow storms and pandemics — I feel molded by Height’s work towards creating who I
am as I walk out it’s doors.

While I’ve done a lot during my time in HHHS, I feel the most proud and passionate
about my time writing for this very paper. Though I’ve only been a part of the Pilots Log

for 2 ½ years, the relationships found and ethics grown throughout this period have
been unpredictably amazing. It was here that I found a certain love for writing about
world issues, not just those that affect myself or fictionalized fantastical elements. It
was here that I learned the power of teamwork and professionalism and even confi-

dence in myself, my writing, and the power of mine own voice.
To those who will come after me, know that the Pilots Log is something you won’t
regret being a part of. Thank you to Mr. Thorne, Emily Condon, the Pilots Log class of
2018-2019, 2019-2020, and the class of 2021. You have truly molded me into who I am,
you have given me opportunity, love, friendship, and strength when I needed it most.
With this I bid you farewell, but not goodbye, as I know that I’ll be seeing you one day

soon
- Nick Valle, Editor-in-chief , Class of 2021

5senior

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

class
of 2021
top 10%
& their most
memorable
accomplishments

Emily Condon, editor-in-chief

Ahmad Khawam - Valedictorian Emily Condon

“I felt the most accomplished and proud when I found out I was the “The moment in high school that I felt my accomplishments had
Valedictorian of the Class of 2021. It was the culmination and climax peaked is tied. One was over the summer of 2020 when I was
of all my accomplishments in high school. It was a difficult process notified I got 7th for an NSPA journalism design award. it meant that
and I sacrificed a lot in almost every aspect of my life. Finding out I my time and work to the Pilot’s Log had been worth it. The other
was top 1 in the entire class, was the acknowledgement of my hard time was most definitely when I handed in my AP Chem midterm
work and dedication. It really meant a lot after studying for countless — definitely the most difficult test of high school experience — and
hours and many nights in order to see success on quizzes, tests, found out that my hours of studying had landed me a B.”
midterms, finals, and AP exams.”
Olivia Myers
Olivia Trexler - Salutatorian
“The moment I felt most achieved in high school was seeing my
“I’ve had a lot of moments throughout my high school career report card. I received all As and seeing that makes me feel like all
that have made me realize my hard work was worth it. Making my hard work payed off. I put a lot of effort into my work and seeing
my parents proud is always something I have strived to do, but that reflected in my grades makes me very happy and proud of
ultimately I have been my harshest critic. Academic validation myself.”
and friendly competition with my peers fueled my fire, and soon
anything less than an A wasn’t good enough for me. I always felt most Samantha Migrino
accomplished and proud of my academic achievements during my
math classes. I became one of the people my classmates turned to for “The moment I felt the most achieved in high school was when I
help and studying. Being able to help others definitely validated my heard that I was in the top 10% and that I got a large sum of merit
hard work. Being awarded salutatorian of my graduating class also scholarships from my colleges. Getting the merit scholarship amount
was a pivotal moment. This achievement made me understand that I did (only to pay to live there) from a college that usually does not
hard work does pay off, and i even exceeded my own expectations.” give out money felt surreal to me. It had felt like everything I worked
for had paid.”
Nicole Dallara - Third Honors
Valeria Dianderas
“I felt the most accomplished when I found out that I passed my AP
Chemistry exam. It was an extremely difficult course that I worked “There is not a single moment I can recall where I felt the most
really hard in and I was glad to hear that my hard work paid off.” accomplished, but instead it is a collection of multiple events that
shaped my four years in the school. I feel accomplished from all the
work I’ve done as a student, from all the friendships i’ve made, and
the bonds i have formed with my teachers. Having to manage sports,
a job, and schoolwork became difficult at times but being named a
part of the top 10% made it all worthwhile.”

Halyn Xheraj Jake Porco

“The moment I felt most accomplished in high school was when I “My biggest accomplishment was getting a 5 on the AP Chemistry
received a 5 on my first ever AP exam. I worked hard all throughout test. All year despite being very limited on time with track,
the school year and continued during the unknown times the volunteering, and other classes, I still managed to get in the
pandemic presented us with. After all of the time I spent, receiving necessary hours of time to study and not just memorize, but
that score was the icing on the cake. It also showed me that with understand the concepts. There were times that I lost sleep and
hard work comes great reward.” really questioned why I put myself through this, but through hard
work, I got the score I wanted and earned the credits.”

Veronica Legaspi Ryan Calvache

“I felt the most accomplished when I was acknowledged by the “My biggest accomplishment in high school was when I passed both
school in becoming the top 10% of the class. It made me really look my AP Calculus and AP Chemistry exam. Both classes had heavy
back and appreciate my hard work and realize that everything I had workloads that would keep me up late, and I am glad that it payed
done had a purpose. It also showed the people around me that my off at the end. It also taught me a valuable lesson that if you put your
accomplishments were something to admire.” time and effort, you can accomplish anything that’s in your way.”

Julia Trexler Joseph Delfino

“I realized I accomplished a lot, during these last four years, after “I felt I had accomplished the most throughout high school when I
I received my first college acceptance. All throughout high school heard I would be graduating in the top ten percent. I felt proud as I
I worried about not getting into a good school because I never felt realized all the sleepless nights were not for nothing, and although
like I was the smartest person. Seeing the acceptance made me it may be shallow, materialistic possessions and titles help one to
appreciate the effort I consistently put into my education. From visualize the magnitude of their accomplishments.”
that moment on my perspective shifted, and now I know that I can
continue to achieve my goals.”

7senior

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

in
their
own
words

The following pages highlight some of the class of 2021. These
seniors stood out for their own reasons - some overcame incredible
physical obstacles while others persued passions far beyond the
classroom. Pilot’s Log presents these seniors as represenations of the
stories that you may not know about your classmates that you may
not be familiar with.
This year’s graduating class brought incredible academic and athletic
achievements to our school - national awards, state championships,
and overwhelming successes all wrapped up in a high school
experience unlike any other.
Pilot’s Log isn’t able to tell all of the stories, but we hope that you
appreciate those that are highlighted - students who have stood out
in a class that has sincerly left a mark on our school.

Photos & layout by: Staff
Quotes by: the seniors themselves

9senior

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

C

Carvel
Girls Amanda Boscarino

Olivia Trexler
Anna Makris

have worked together at Carvel while balancing their
busy high school schedules - the girls have become a
hit with their customers.

Olivia - I have been working at Carvel for about a year and a half. I started in January of 2020.
My sophomore year I played softball with Anna and Amanda while they were applying for the job. At practices
they would tell the team stories about working at Carvel, and once we even went there to celebrate a win. One
night visiting Amanda at work, I asked her about possibly applying there. From there, I got an application, an
interview, and eventually the job. I can definitely thank Anna and Amanda for influencing me. I also figured
working at an ice cream shop would be a fun first job in general. I really enjoy that each day at Carvel is never
the same. You’re always working with a different group of people, and interactions with customers are always
different. Having this job gave me the opportunity to make a bunch of new friends as well as to become closer
with some I had already.
As a junior and senior, working from 4pm to 10pm really took a hit to my schedule-- especially since I always
had a lot of homework to do. I also had to miss a lot of friend and family events because I was scheduled for a
shift that day. Having friends to catch up with makes the job a lot more fun during long shifts. I also like being
comfortable enough with my coworkers to tell them when something is wrong, and they can also correct me
without me taking it personally.

Anna - I starting working at Carvel a little over two years ago in the spring of 2019. One of my favorite
memories about working at Cavrel is being with the other staff members. Over the years we’ve all gotten so close
and love spending time with each other. Working with my friends makes the job a little harder. I do notice we
tend to be more off task when we are scheduled together and end up having to stay later to clean and do the
closing jobs. The best memories from carvel are from watching the camera footage. Anytime someone falls we
go and get a video from the camera and it makes everyones night so much better.

Amanda - I started working at Carvel in March of 2019. I was excited to be independent and make my own
money. I always went there as a kid and knew working at an ice cream shop would be fun in the summer.
Everyone I work with is my best friend, so going to work is like getting paid to hang out. Cravel is one big family
no one will understand until you work there, our bonds are unbreakable. There are defentifly challenges at
carvel, the biggest one being to handle angry customers. Having a customer who doesn’t understand something
and gets upset easily can be so frustrating to calm down especially during a pandemic. I love Carvel but the only
thing I would change is the hours because being a teenager and working Fridays and Saturdays until 11pm can
be annoying and take away from my senior year. By far my favorite memories are all the funny security camera
footage we get and also all the stories it comes with.
senior 11

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Gab
V

birel
Valdes

has spent his senior year learning to be a pilot. A true
“aviator”, Gabe will be persuing his love for the skies
after high school

I was introduced to aerospace engineering just about a year ago, and the more I learned about it, the
more exposed I became to airplanes/aviation. Eventually I became more interested in flying airplanes
than designing them. I found my first love for flying after I took my discovery flight which is an hour
long flight with an instructor. He shows you the basics of flying and gives an introduction to what
you’re getting yourself into. Being able to take control of an airplane was pretty crazy and I realized
that it’s something I want to do for the rest of my life. My environment really had no impact on me
wanting to be a pilot. None of my family have any ties to the aviation industry. Although I always
loved going on airplanes during vacations, I had no interest in pursuing it as a career. Even I surprised
myself when I decided this is what I wanted to do. For a long time I actually despised the idea of being
a pilot. My experience has been amazing. It really is a privilege to be able to say that I fly airplanes. It
truly never gets old. There’s always a challenge, whether it’s weather, new airport, or new maneuver.
None of this would have been possible without my mom. She’s always involved whether it’s reminding
me to study, paying for the school, or even sending me YouTube videos on how to be a better pilot. I’m
going to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school is based around
anything Aerospace/Aeronautical related. Plenty of Pilots, astronauts, and rocket scientists graduated
from Riddle making it a great environment for people like me. I’m currently majoring in Aeronautical
Science and plan on flying as well.

senior 13

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Kels

P

sey

Parodi
has advocated on behalf of Crohn’s Disease - a
disease that she suffers from all while maintaining her
life as a succesful student athlete.

Living with Crohn’s Disease has impacted my life tremendously. Before all of this happened, I had
the biggest fear of needles, hospitals, doctors, etc. It has made me grow stronger as an individual
and fearless as some like to say. I grew out of my shell and took the bad and turned it into the good.
There are some days where all I want to do is lie in bed because the pain is so bad, but then there are
the days where I don’t even know I have it. One memory that I remember was when I had to have a
surgery that I would be in out patient at the hospital and I went to volleyball practice 10 minutes late
and still played my heart out. Was it painful? Of course! But in the end it was all worth it because I
didn’t let it stop me and I powered through another hurdle. When you are diagnosed with something,
the first thing you typically do is look up symptoms and ask questions. One major thing I did was
ask millions of questions about everything that was going on when I was hospitalized. Every single
instrument, machine, etc that was used, I made sure I knew. I advocate for Crohn’s in many ways by
which I created a blog as well as sold rubber band bracelets with the proceeds going to the Crohn’s and
Colitis Foundation. With the blog, I try to tell my story but I also try and nurture others that are going
through similar problems. The worst thing I faced when I was sick was the feeling of being alone. I
thought to myself many times how alone I felt and how no one would ever understand the pain and
agony I was going through as all of a sudden my world was turned upside down. The bracelets were a
conversation starter because as more people wore them, the more people asked about it and brought
awareness to it. One of the hardest obstacles I had to go through was working my way up mentally
and physically after being sick for so long. My body was completely withered and weak from all the
hospitalizations, tests, surgeries, etc. Trying to get my body back into shape as well as accepting that
my life will never be the same was something I struggled with a lot. To this day I still try and fathom
the fact that I have a lifelong, incurable illness that can flare up at any time, impacting my day in any
way possible. Crohn’s Disease awareness is something I will always promote due to the fact that I hope
to find a cure someday. I want to be able to continue promoting fundraisers in hopes of finding cures
so that I don’t have to worry about surgeries, colonoscopies, MRI’s, CT scans, and every other test.
Not many people know what this is and I think it’s very important nowadays to educate people on the
unknown and foreign things.

senior 15

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Em
C

mily
Condon

has served as the Pilot’s Log editor-in-chief,
graduated in the top 10% of her class, won
champsionships in track, and has started her own
business.

I got into sewing in third grade when my Nana taught me how to use her machine. The first project
we ever made was a quilt blanket out of old shirts. In middle school, my aunts bought me my own
machine and I would make pillows. When Covid hit I decided to get back into sewing. I launched Oh
Sew Fly, my sewing page, and began by making dog bananas, scrunches, and sweatshirts. Photos of
dogs in the bandannas are some of my favorite things. Then in the fall I started to make quilts out of
old t-shirt’s. This is definitely a hobby that I look to bring into my future, as it is coming and something
that commemorates my Nana. Sewing is something that brings patience and calmness to my life, as I
have learned to give up control to the machine and that I have to be careful for things to come out cor-
rectly. Next year at the University of Maryland, I am considering bringing Oh Sew Fly and my machine
to campus to sew and sell tailgate clothes. Follow @oh.sew.fly_designs on Instagrams.

senior 17

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Oli

ivia

Myers
is the star of the stage for this senior class. She has
participated in school plays and plays with her
theater group - Spotlight Playhouse.

I had originally joined theatre in middle school as a casual after school activity, but I got more serious
after joining Spotlight. I just loved the cast so much, and the atmosphere was euphoric. It really helped
me find a group of people that I loved. I started doing plays in 7th grade with Heights, and I joined
Spotlight Playhouse the summer before my freshman year. Doing shows has really helped me become
more confident in myself. My most recent role of Val in A Chorus Line helped a lot in this. My other
roles had helped my stage confidence, but this part really helped me outside of the theatre as well as
inside. Doing theatre has also made me a better person and friend overall, and I couldn’t have become
the person I am without my cast mates and friends. My favorite moment is right before curtain when
we do our rituals backstage. It’s just a little exercise to shake out our nerves, but I love watching ev-
eryone before we go on stage. It’s so interesting to see who’s the most nervous and who’s running their
lines. I love seeing the anticipation grow in everyone’s face as we’re about to show the audience what
we’ve worked so hard on for months. I haven’t had the chance to do a lot of theatre productions since
the pandemic started. I did Annie with Spotlight Playhouse in October of 2019, but until recently I
wasn’t able to do any shows. I was very lucky to be given permission to join Becton’s High School show
this year, which is separate from the theatre group I am in. Unfortunately, since I will be away at col-
lege, I most likely can’t be in Spotlight Playhouse anymore. I would love to keep doing theatre at Marist,
though, and if any Spotlight productions line up with any breaks, I would be happy to audition. I’m not
really considering a career in acting. Although it would be very fun, I don’t think I could make a living
off of it. At Heights, the Scarecrow was my favorite role. It was a lot of fun to be one of the characters
that provided comedy relief to the audience. The song I had always made me smile, as well. While I was
originally sad about not being able to perform at Heights in my senior year, I feel very lucky to have
had the privilege to perform with the Becton students. They were all welcoming, and I loved the show a
lot. With that being said, I wouldn’t change anything if I could.

senior 19

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School



Alexa Gonzalez
Laila katz
Emir sijaric

have all honed their skills in cosmetology and look to
continue the art of beautification after high school.

Alexa - Since I was a little girl I was always intrigued with makeup. I was the typical little girly-girl that
snuck into moms makeup to play. I always wanted my older cousins to do makeovers for fun and as I
grew older, it stuck with me. By the time I was 15, I realized that my talent was growing and I would
be able to seriously do more with it. As soon as I found out about the Bergen Tech Skin Care Program,
I was all in. My favorite memory was definitely the beginning of senior year. We had an assignment
to do our own makeup looks and present them to the class. We also looked back on our older looks
from sophomore year; in that moment I had seen how much growth I had. It was amazing to see
that without even fully noticing, my talent and passion grew immensely from school. In the future, I
hope to have a small side business as a makeup artist. I am already the girl to do all of my friends and
families makeup for special occasions. I definitely wouldn’t mind growing some more and making it a
more serious job.
Emir - I’ve always admired haircuts. Cutting hair started as a joke while my friend was sleeping
over - as I was cutting I had the vision in my mind and had a lot of creativity while doing it. I have a
cosmetology license which is more significant than a barber’s license. It allows me to do more services
and provide service to both men and women. I currently work as a barber at the Grooming Cove. I
completed a 1200 hour cosmetology course while going highschool. I hope to continue to grow my
book and improve my skills and eventually own my very own barbershop.
Laila - I got into cosmetology because I like to make people feel beautiful. I have my aesthetics license.
Next year I will be studying fashion design at fashion institute of technology; I’ve always had a passion
for fashion. I can use my love of beauty with my career in fashion design. I just love the reaction people
get when they look in the mirror and making people feel beautiful in their own skin because makeup
has helped me feel comfortable in my own skin and i want to help others with that.

senior 21

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Nic

D

cole

Dallara
is the star of the first ever league championship
volleyball team who managed to balance an
incredible athletic career with top tier academics.

Throughout my four years of volleyball at Hasbrouck Heights High School, I feel that my teammates
have become some of my closest friends. Playing a sport like volleyball, it is almost impossible to not
get close with your teammates. You really need to connect and cooperate in order to form a team that
has a chance of getting anywhere. While playing at Heights I have found that it is an environment
where everyone pushes each other to become better. I feel that my teammates really pushed me to the
next level and helped me go all out. I feel that I did the same for them as well. Helping teammates out
and reassuring them that they are doing good is extremely important to me. I started playing volleyball
in sixth grade, but I have always been around it since I was little because both my mom and my sister
played. Volleyball was never my main sport, but I slowly fell in love with it. I played on my first club
team in eighth grade and I have been playing high school and club volleyball ever since. I have always
loved school and high school was no different. I feel that as I grew older, I learned new ways to be a
better student. I was always finding better ways to study or better ways to manage my time. I think I
became a better student as the years went by because I had more experience and I was able to handle
the workload that was given to me.

senior 23

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School



Nick Valle &
Alexa Lafaso

Nick - The Teaneck Film Festival has impacted me in ways I couldn’t imagine. Whether it’s meeting amazing
and supportive people or learning about the industry I’m in love with, I’ve been consistently able to grow under
everyone’s guidance and caring attitude. I first joined Teaneck in the beginning of my junior year of high school
through the YWCA and my mother. The idea of being a screener for a local film festival, viewing lesser known
films and seeing how they work as well as the behind the scenes acts that go on within festivals such as this was
an exciting dream made reality. The Teaneck Film Festival is like any other film festival with a riveting activist
twist, giving spotlight to people not as often put in front of and behind the camera. The films are promoted and
displayed in theaters throughout Teaneck as well as on our social media accounts, which Alexa and I have a large
hand in running. Being in the film industry is a dream of mine, one that I’m proud to say I’m slowly growing
towards. Being with TIFF has allowed me to view films that hone in on beautiful shooting and script writing
that’s allowed me to open my eyes to new concepts in techniques within my own works. It’s also opened a door
for me to talk to and learn from those involved with the industry behind the scenes, another part of film I hope
to venture into when the time comes. When I was a child I played with my action figures and LEGOs non stop.
Through these moments of typical youth, I hadn’t noticed until I was older that what I loved so much about
them was not the actual act of playing with them, moving their legs and arms to give a good punch in the face
or basic mannerism, but it was the fact that throughout my time I was creating and visualizing these fantastical
stories. I kept myself excited as to what would come next and was moved every time I made a decision to take
the story in a certain direction. Ever since then it’s been my dream to move forward into that career, achieving
the same childlike wonder I did once before, and hopefully allowing more children like I was to have the same
feeling. I’ll be starting college in Boston University this September, my undergraduate major being in Film and
TV with the College of Communications.
Alexa - Working with the Teaneck International Film Festival has impacted me a lot. I have learned a lot of good
marketing and promotion skills, along with a good work ethic that I will definitely need later on in life. The
festival has taught me strength in numbers, and that we can overcome any obstacle while working together, such
as the pandemic that so graciously hindered the 2020 and 2021 festival. I joined the film festival committee in
my Junior year of high school. I had heard through my friend Nick, who has been my work partner throughout
the entirety of my volunteering with them. I believed that working with the Teaneck film festival would be
a great opportunity to better myself, while joining a new community and having a unique experience. The
Teaneck Film Festival is a film festival that revolves around social justice. The festival usually has a set of films
shown either in theaters or virtually, with this year being the first ever fully virtual festival. There is a movie
shown for just about everyone, meaning every person can find something to enjoy at the Teaneck International
Film Festival. I believe a future in film would be amazing. I have definitely thought about a future in film, and
have had several ideas for what I might do if the opportunity presented itself. I love film and everything about
it, and I think making it would be something very special. I am going to Pratt MWP in Utica, New York, and I
am studying fine arts drawing. My program entails learning different mediums and studying art pieces. I will be
doing a lot of hands on work with other artists and I am very excited to learn more about the art that I love so
much.

senior 25

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Ale
C

essandro
Ciminata

is a student athlete and member of the Hasbrouck
Heights Volunteer Fire Department.

I have always wanted to do some good in the community and I was always interested in firefighting so
when the opportunity came, I took it - I’ve been doing this for a year and 4 months. I think I’m qual-
ified in this work because of my command dedication to the department. You don’t have to be super
strong or big to be a firefighter. A lot of it is not only physically challenging but also mentally challeng-
ing. I would recommend this for volunteer work, but only if you are a 100% committed to it. In the
future I am planning to become a police officer somewhere in New Jersey. I still would like to consider
being a volunteer firefighter in whichever town I live in

senior 27

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School

Ha

ayley
Kasper

leaves a physical legacy behind in Heights -
the Jr. Aviator logo. Kasper’s illustration has since
become to official logo of the HHMS.

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was dancing in my old studio I
always had a notebook on me at the dance competitions. Back then, it was “attempting” to draw cos-
tumes, and I’d always have drawing challenges with my team. To this day I sketch at least one thing
everyday, whether it’s a whole project I’m working on or an idea for something else. Art will most likely
just be kept as a hobby for me. For my studies in college I’m focusing on social work and case man-
agement, but I will never stop doing art. I’ll be joining any art clubs that are available to me to keep
art close always. My main inspirations are music and animation. Japanese animation as well as stop
motion picture animations always inspired me to create my own. Listening to music also can allow me
to create a character through a song. Any song is telling a story and I like to interpret some and create
a character or story for what the song is about. Of course my mind is also an inspiration itself. I have
always been able to vividly picture things in my mind whether it was just reading and visualizing or
putting traits together to create something on paper. In the beginning it was not something so sim-
ple since my artistic traits were definitely not there in elementary. It took time to develop my own art
style and sometimes it still changes. As for my mascot, I feel proud that it was something I was able to
accomplish. Never in a million years would I have thought that my creation would be used as a logo/
mascot for the school I grew up in. It will be something I’ll always be proud of.

senior 29

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School



senior 31

Senior 2021// pilot’s log // Hasbrouck Heights High School