WHSAD Junior, Amina Clyde, did all work for this article. What is Summer Bridge? As stated by the WHSAD.org website, “WHSAD’s annual summer bridge program is designed to introduce incoming freshmen to the basic skill sets needed to perform efficiently in their CTE classes and Work-based learning projects. Students will learn through team project collaboration and feedback. This program is also open to middle school students from 6th and 7th grade who are interested in architecture and design.” It consists of two sessions, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. The morning session is from 9-10:30 and the afternoon session is from 11:30-1. The students have the option to stay for both or come for either time. … [Read more...]
2023 Valedictorian, Amelia Velez’, Commencement Address
Good afternoon family, staff, honored guests and fellow graduates of WHSAD. Thank you all for attending the graduation of the class of 2023! Our time at WHSAD has definitely been unconventional. With Covid-19 interrupting our freshman year, students were barely able to settle into school before being whisked away to learn online. However, even with this unanticipated challenge, students and teachers were able to continue on and persevere. Even with the loss of a year and a half, once back to in person schooling students wasted no time in reconnecting and socializing with each other. Students jumped headfirst into the different projects, events and clubs the school offered, even staying late nights or coming to the … [Read more...]
WHSAD’s CTA Architects Project
Some of the most rewarding moments in high school come during after hours. Students who seek opportunities will be taxed at times, but the payoff in terms of learning experiences cannot be denied. One of WHSAD's most notable extracurricular activities is its partnership programs with some of the most respected architecture firm in New York City. This year committed students attended weekly sessions with architects from CTA, a firm that, according to their mission statement, "strives to conserve our world’s natural resources and implement innovative and environmentally-friendly design strategies." Students gained first-hand knowledge regarding the sustainability movement in architecture, and how firms such as CTA are not only designing … [Read more...]
WHSAD Sophomore Cynthia Luna-Marcelino Reflects on Her ACE Experience
Hello, I'm Cynthia, a 10th grade student at WHSAD. I am currently in my second year in the ACE mentorship program. Thanks to this program I was able to learn and experience new experiences, from rendering software to improving and developing skills I currently have. Mr. Codio introduced me when he came into my 9th grade architecture class and started explaining ACE as a program with great benefits, a program that isn’t limited to people who want to pursue architecture or design. He explained how ACE is made up of many teams, which focus on sharing knowledge and experiences of their careers that don't necessarily involve architecture or design. Personally, I picked team 6 because it was the team that WHSAD is working hand in hand with and it … [Read more...]
Class of 2023-Amelia Velez
In this series, our graduating seniors provide some insights as to where they have been and where they are going. What are your post-WHSAD plans and why do you want to take such a path? My post-WHSAD plan is to start off by going to college. I plan to go to SCAD-Savannah College of Art & Design, which is located in Savannah, Georgia. I plan to major in Interior Design as I find interior design to be fascinating and interesting. However, I am excited to see the entirety of the campus and am up for any possible change over time as I am not fully sure about what my dream career is. I do, however, know that I want to follow the career path of either art or design in some way as I love the freedom it gives me. I love to be able to … [Read more...]
Class of 2023-Ian Perez Florian
In this series, our graduating seniors provide some insights as to where they have been and where they are going. My post-WHSAD plans are to attend college to pursue my dreams of becoming an architect. I believe attending college would help me better my knowledge in the field of architecture by being able to take advantage of all the resources the college has to offer. Through this it would further help me grow as a person by receiving opportunities in the real world such as job positions after college. I’ve been so blessed to have received the UFT Albert Shanker Scholarship Fund Award. My hard work and dedication were recognized through my academic excellence by the UFT Selection Committee and as a result, I’ve earned this award. … [Read more...]
WHSAD Students Win Second Place in Project Witness Design Challenge
The Project Witness program helps students better understand the Holocaust in an effort to eradicate the hatred and ignorance that caused such horrors. Through engaging curriculum, survivor talks, and culminating projects, WHSAD students have become more responsible and empathetic human beings. This year, another facet of the program in which students participated was a design challenge, which focused on Lager Shvesters, or Camp Sisters. Quite a few WHSAD students submitted entries, and freshman, Alonzo Jones, and Sophomore, Cynthia Luna-Marcelino, placed second in the categories of literature and art respectively. Below is their work along with their statements about their pieces. The Power of Friendship by Alonzo Jones The … [Read more...]
Generation Immigration-WHSAD’s 2023 CUNY CAT Residency
Over the course of two months, WHSAD seniors explored the topic of immigration. Supported by CUNY Creative Arts Team (CAT) facilitators, Claro de los Reyes and Jose Duran, students engaged in creative processes of developing dialogue, points of conflict, and engaging narration in order to investigate numerous facets of the immigrant experience. Above, you may watch the full video of the students' culminating presentations and below you may read some of the participating students' takeaways. The collaboration with CUNY CAT Generation Immigration program was funded by the Walentas Family Foundation. Ian Perez Florian Working with Claro and Jose has brought into light some hidden potential that I never knew I had in myself. Through … [Read more...]
WHSAD Work Learn Grow Students Reflect on Their Experiences
Alexander Diaz's Reflection Introduction The internship was a path between what we have learned so far about architecture here at WHSAD and the path ahead of us was with Gensler. Being more professional and attempting to meet deadlines was important throughout the internship. As the internship comes to a close, I'd like to go over what I've learned about myself and my work ethic. Personal Reflection Ever since freshman year, I always believed that these “afterschool” projects would have me working at night, sparing me no sleep and making it difficult to do anything else outside of school. After doing this internship, I can certainly tell you that is not the case. What really matters is your work-life … [Read more...]
Henry Diaz Shares His Mask-making Process
The process of making my mask was kind of complicated and fun because it was my first time doing something like it. The target of doing this is to understand the ways of building that are used in Architecture. The teachers taught the class about masks and different processes of building a mask. After this the class was tasked to design and build a mask. The teachers gave the class some tools to learn more about masks and some websites about the history of making masks and their meanings. This really helped me. Then the class had to make their own research about masks that we were interested in. I researched Mexican masks, how the masks were built, the materials that they were made of and the purpose and meaning. The masks from Mexico … [Read more...]