Meet WHSAD's Students

1. What have you learned so far in your work in the Makerspace? I learned both personal and professional skills through my work in the Makerspace. For example, I learned different programs in which I can interact with my peers easier. I also learned important components needed to be controlled or taken into account for constructing a design. Some components may be the local laws, law codes, community laws, community input, etc.  2. Based on what you have done so far, what do you think is your greatest strength and why? I believe that my greatest strength is leadership and managing. Although I am not the project manager, I have played the project manager role in many other projects. With this being said, I have the experience to … [Read more...]

1. What have you learned so far in your work in the Makerspace? Makerspace has taught me a lot, especially about how to be effective with my time. Throughout the duration of Makerspace, the facilitators have helped my team and I use our time to actually end up with a beneficial result, rather than having nothing. One of the facilitators uses miro.com, which I find is very useful for creating tasks and making sure they are completed. 2. Based on what you have done so far, what do you think is your greatest strength and why? Based on my work so far, I think my greatest strength is organizing information, especially when creating a presentation with Google Slides. I believe this is my greatest strength because when presenting to a … [Read more...]

1. What have you learned so far in your work in the Makerspace? Makerspace has provided me a very interesting experience and my first ever official project. It also helped me get out of my comfort zone since I don’t really talk to people who are not my age beside my teachers. Now, I am able to talk to two members who are younger than me without a problem. One challenge I faced is knowing more about the laws and regulations at Snug Harbor. I was able to find out some info with a website provided to me by my mentor. 2. Based on what you have done so far, what do you think is your greatest strength and why? My greatest strength is being very flexible since I was unable to be part of my project instantly. But once I was able to take … [Read more...]

During their senior years, WHSAD seniors engage in collecting their work from their previous three years and select which of those works to feature in their portfolios. In the following interviews, three WHSAD seniors in Mr. Alain Codio's class, The Business of Architecture, provide insights as to how they went about creating their portfolios, challenges they faced, and why a portfolio needs to be a staple product of any architect or designer. Mekhi Brown How would you describe the process of creating your portfolio? "I’d describe this memorable process, as a trip down memory lane. I was required to search for my pieces of work, dating all the way back to freshman year. Seeing how I started out, and then, how much I’ve grown … [Read more...]

Below are a series of questions and responses exchanged between myself and newcomer Deshawn Gould. Why did you choose WHSAD? "I chose WHSAD because I wanted to learn about building and designing." Do you think WHSAD will help you in your career choice for college? "Yes, they will help me succeed so I can reach my goal. I would like to be an Architect. I would like to be an architect because I always loved to build things. I would build houses and cities with toys that I got, for example, I would use legos to build most of my structures." What is your favorite form of art? (Sculpture, Music, Poetry, Performance..etc) "My favorite form of art are sculptures. I like animal sculptures because it shows their pride and how … [Read more...]

How did you feel after finding out you were going to be a finalist for the Posse scholarships? Excited, very, very, excited. The whole process was a huge ego boost, as I got chosen again and again out of many other candidates through the first and second interviews. Being a finalist was like an extra ego boost because you're one of the special selected 20 out of the 3,000 something that applied. Plus, you have the opportunity of going to an elite school, like Vanderbilt, tuition free for four whole years, so, yes, I was absolutely ecstatic.  What made you apply to the Posse? My guidance counselor, Ms. Terraferma, is the one who told me about Posse and encouraged me to apply. I thought I should listen to her and try it out to … [Read more...]

Due to the current pandemic, education has been confined to online classes. Though teaching has become more complicated, there are students who continue to stand out despite the change in learning. One of these students is Derek Ramos Matos, a freshman who has managed to give a prominent impression through his attendance at the WHSAD Summer Bridge and WHSAD Makerspace Studio Programs. The element that made him stand out the most, however, was his project created during the Summer Bridge Program. When posed the opportunity, Derek was willing to answer a few questions on himself and his experiences at WHSAD thus far. Can you share a little about yourself? (Such as hobbies, goals, motivations, etc.) "Well to start off, my name is … [Read more...]

In this video, Matthew Zaczeniuk walks us through the build on which he and Brianny Estevez collaborated during their remote experience in their freshmen architecture class. Thanks to the flexibility and creativity of their teachers, Mr. Ira Geringer and Mr. Abraham Rodriguez, students stayed engaged and learning during the tumultuous spring months of the pandemic. The project illustrates the potential for platforms, such as Minecraft, to heighten the design and creation process, develop partnerships in order to achieve exemplary results, and display final products through deliberate planning of presentations. Below is both their artist statement, written by Brianny, and the video. Our entire thought process surrounded current … [Read more...]

The following is an interview with the new transfer student of WHSAD, Raiven Rowl. Learn more about the junior below. Why did you choose WHSAD? "I chose WHSAD because this school had everything I wanted in one. I saw pictures of you going on trips and not just being closed in a classroom. I saw the all the opportunities I could take to give myself an even brighter future."  How do you feel about transferring during the pandemic? "How I feel about transferring during the pandemic is making me feel nervous because it’s a whole new city and I know it’s going to be different from Philly, especially with how my city is handling it differently than NY. I also don’t know too many people so that makes it a little more … [Read more...]