Passaic County Technical Institute’s soon-to-be graduates Samantha Carrillo, Pooja Nahar, and Christopher Valencia have all been accepted to and will be attending Ivy League schools of distinction.
This year’s Salutatorian, Samantha Carrillo of PCTI’s Academy of Criminal Justice & Public Safety, will be attending Harvard University. Her accolades include being accepted into the National Honor Society, World Language Society, and New Jersey Girl’s State. She is involved in Student Council, Concert Band, FBLA, SkillsUSA, Gifted & Talented, and Mock Trial. Samantha ranks third in her class (after two co-valedictorians) with a GPA of 4.59 and has earned a potential thirty-three college credits. She will pursue an education in the Physics field.
Pooja Nahar will graduate with from PCTI’s Academy of Medical Arts and head straight to Brown. This young woman is a licensed CNA and is both First Aid and Basic Life Supported certified. She’s also earned her EMT certification. Pooja is a member of Gifted & Talented, Editor of the Yearbook Club, is a representative for the Class of 2017, and was selected for National Honor Society. She has the potential to graduate with thirty-six college credits and has earned a GPA of 4.45. Pooja aims to become a doctor and is interested in the field of Oncology.
Christopher Valencia, of PCTI’s School of Engineering Technology, has earned a place at the University of Pennsylvania .He has a GPA of 4.5 and has been declared an AP Scholar with Distinction – a title given to those who receive 4 or higher on the AP exams. He has also received the Honor Cadet award for having the highest GPA in all of PCTI’s NJROTC for three years in a row. Christopher has the potential to graduate with thirty-eight college credits. He was also selected for Gifted & Talented and the National Honor – where he serves as the organization’s Vice President. Christopher will study Biomedical Engineering.
All three students were selected as PCTI’s Students of the Month, a distinction that celebrates academic success, involvement in community outreach initiatives, and upstanding character. Samantha, Pooja, and Christopher all share the feat of ranking in the top one percent of the graduating Class of 2017.
Congratulations to this golden trio and best of luck at their Ivy League universities!
PCTI Student Trio Heading to Ivy League
Graduating PCTI seniors Samantha Carrillo (Paterson), Christopher Valencia (Clifton), and Pooja Nahar (Clifton) will be attending Ivy League schools: Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown.