Eight Goshen alumni from the Class of 2023 were invited to return to Goshen High School last month to speak to seniors about their first-year college experiences. A few answered some extra questions to dive a little deeper into the ways in which college has been similar and different from what they expected. They also shared some of the teachers and experiences that impacted them most while students in the district, as well as the most useful advice they received.
Kayla Dupper
Quinnipiac University
Major: 4+1 MAT Special Education Program, Minor: Psychology
Q: What advice would you give juniors and seniors preparing for college that you wish someone told you about?
A: I would give the advice to be organized and also get involved! Getting involved plays a huge part in making friends and creating opportunities for yourself.
Q: What was the most helpful thing Goshen High School and its faculty/staff did to help you prepare for life after GHS?
A: Definitely the college fair. It introduced me to Quinnipiac and it is one of the best choices I have ever made.
Q: Who is your favorite teacher or staff member from Goshen schools and why?
A: Lisa Dombrowski showed me a part of myself I had never seen before. She is the most supportive person I have met. She believed in me and believed in my goals. She saw a confidence in me that I never saw in myself.
Q: Reflecting on your entire time in Goshen schools, what sticks out to you the most when you think about what inspired you to be where you are now?
A: COVID. COVID introduced me to who I want to be as a student and how I want my future to be.
Jolina Dong
University of Virginia
Pre-Law
Q: What advice would you give juniors and seniors preparing for college that you wish someone told you about?
A: Throughout my latter years of high school, I was constantly overwhelmed by stress and exhaustion as I strived to excel both in my advanced academic studies and my numerous extracurricular activities. But in the end, everything did work out . . . better than I could have ever imagined. I got accepted into a college that I never thought I had a chance at. This whole experience taught me that the universe always has a plan, even when it feels like everything is uncertain. So, my advice to juniors and seniors would be to just keep putting your best foot forward and trust in the process. You can only control so much, and sometimes you just have to have faith that things will work out in the end. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time enjoying those last two years of high school. They’re such a special time, full of unforgettable moments and memories waiting to be made. So don’t get too caught up in the stress and worry. Take a moment to appreciate the here and now, because you never know what the future holds.
Q: What was the most helpful thing Goshen High School and its faculty/staff did to help you prepare for life after GHS?
A: Throughout my time at Goshen High School, I found unwavering support in my guidance counselor, Mrs. Dubatowka. From my days as a wide-eyed freshman, Mrs. Dubatowka assumed the role of my advocate and dedicated herself to fostering my success. Her unwavering encouragement instilled in me the confidence to pursue my ambitions with determination and resilience. Under Mrs. Dubatowka’s guidance, I learned the invaluable lesson that with dedication and support, any goal is attainable.
Jack Moran
SUNY Albany
Major: History, Minor: Pre-Education
Q: What advice would you give juniors and seniors preparing for college that you wish someone told you about?
A: To juniors: I wish someone told me to trust my gut with college searching. I could have saved myself a lot of stress if I had realized that Albany was the school I needed to be at. When I first visited I got a feeling here that no other campus could replicate. So do your best to get out to as many college campuses as you can and try and find that feeling. To seniors: Best piece of advice I can give that I wish I could have gotten is when you move into college, be as social as you can. When college starts everyone is on a level playing field in terms of looking for friends, everyone is nervous and in the same position as you, in a totally new place and likely with no familiar faces. This is the best time to get out of the box and be as social as you can because you never know how long it’ll be till people settle in and find their people. I met my closest friend in Albany in the dining hall talking about the yogurt, completely random and something I normally wouldn’t do, but I would have regretted it if I didn’t do it. So forget usual social standards and be friendly.
Q: Who is your favorite teacher or staff member from Goshen schools and why?
A: Mrs Panzer, hands down. She is one of the reasons I want to become a teacher. Her example of positive impacts on students made me realize that is what I wanted out of a future career. Having her as a teacher in AP World through the COVID years also helped me get through those times. I will always remember those class Google Meets for the light it provided in life at the time.