Seventeen faces in the Class of 2017
Every graduate has a story. To get a sense of PV’s Class of 2017, here are 17 stories about students from our class.
Emilio Quevedo
Star of the soccer field and of the student council, Quevedo is “el presidente” of Pascack Valley. Quevedo is both the poster child and the human embodiment of our school. We have also learned to love his vocal and fiery grandfather, who we’ve taken to calling “abuelo,” after seeing his unwavering support at every soccer game.
Nicole Beckemeyer
Try to start an argument with Beckemeyer; we dare you. Many have tried and ultimately have failed, succumbing to sharp wit and quick rebuttals of the president of Pascack Valley’s debate team. A very vocal supporter of Republican Sena- tor Marco Rubio, Beckemeyer will be studying business in the state and alma mater of her idol next year at the University of Miami.
Lauren Kraus
Kraus is known for her unique and dark art style— which can be seen through her daily flashy and bold outfits. Her fashion is part crust punk, part glam punk, and part what- ever she wants. An aspiring musician and tattoo artist, Kraus is waiting to see where life takes her. In any case, we doubt she’ll end up lost in obscurity, since it’s so easy to pick her out of a crowd.
Jake Aferiat
A Smoke Signal sports writer since his sophomore year, Aferiat has developed a passion for covering all things related to high school sports. Known for his blunt and ven- omous attitude, we have dubbed him “Jake the Snake.” He interned at the sports department of nj.com throughout his senior year and is planning to major in journalism at Pennsylvania State University next year.
Gwyneth Thomas
Behind her quiet demeanor and shy smiles, we would never expect Thomas to be such a skilled musi- cian, playing the clarinet in the Pascack Valley Marching Band and Wind Ensemble and the guitar outside of school. She was even part of the spring musical “Pippin”, serving as part of the pit orchestra. And Thomas is not one-dimensional, as she also impresses us with her many computer skills.
Nick DiBari
Did someone call for Prince Charming? We could swear that this handsome man was just whisking Cinderella away from her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. You might not think DiBari has much more than looks, but think again. He’s a guitar player, a singer, a decent Spanish speaker, and an all around well-respected member of our class.
Greg Tomanelli
Notorious for sending crazy mass emails throughout his freshman and sophomore year, Tomanelli has come to be the wild card of the Class of 2017. Whether it is posing with a pasta strainer on his head for his driver’s license picture or playing his guitar in the middle of an engineering class, we have learned to expect the unexpected from Tomanelli.
Ariana Aguero
While she didn’t plan to make a career out of it when she joined, Aguero has become a master stage manager in PV’s theatre, praised for her ability to quietly command a group. We have never seen someone call her cues and manage a play quite like she can. Whatever career direction she ends up choosing, whether it be in medicine, marketing, or stage management, we know she will find a way to continue utilizing her talent of leading by example.
Legend Dominguez
Dominguez certainly lives up to his first name, both on the basketball court and in his personal life. We instantly think of Dominguez as PV’s star point guard, but are continually charmed by his charisma and character off the court. We look forward to watching him ball at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and giving us that signature smile afterwards.
Valery Berenshtein
Having long struggled with eating disorders and depression, Berenshtein has used her personal experience to become a voice for change. While we were focusing on her operatic singing voice, she was starting up her “Need to bEAT” campaign, which aims to raise money for research about eating disorders. Despite all the challenges she has faced—and continues to face— Berenshtein is a true advocate in our class.
Tyler DiLorenzo
Check Instagram and you might be able to catch some sick beats or bars from “Tylersraps”. We were blown away by his debut single “Too Late” and hope that there’s more on the way for this aspiring rapper. Judging by the talent he displays on social media, the future is bright for DiLorenzo. It’s definitely not “Too Late” to jump on his bandwagon.
Shannon Culloo
When not on the basketball court in Pascack Valley’s starting lineup, Culloo is hitting the books, study- ing hard for her next exam. We’ve learned to go to the valedictorian of the Class of 2017 whenever we need advice, help with homework, a laptop charger, or just moral support. We know Culloo as one of the most genuinely kind-hearted people in our class.
Lucas Ochoa
Whether you agree or disagree with his political views, we can all agree that Ochoa loves his country. A controversial figure because of his staunch conservative beliefs, Ochoa is never afraid to stir the pot through his pointed Tweets and replies. He leaves to serve his county as part of the Marine Corps Infantry on July 17.
Rita Kochakian
Loud and proud is the name of the game for this charismatic and energetic gal. We have seen both Kochakian and her boisterous voice bounce off the walls of Pascack Valley for four straight years. Never afraid to burst out into song or tears in random classes, Kochakian is all about expressing herself and not caring what anybody thinks.
Andrew Favorito
You may have seen Favorito around, perhaps dressed as Santa Claus during the holiday season. You may have heard his dramatic “narra- tor” voice when he reads things aloud in class. We all know Favorito to be an active member of the Pascack Valley’s award winning robotics team, but you might not have known that he’s also an avid filmmaker. He placed third in the New Jersey Filmmakers of Tomorrow Festival in 2014 and 2015.
Ben Daniel
Daniel lives and breathes the art of performance. We knew he could act from his many appearances in PV Theatre, but we were surprised to find he can also sing, dance, and even direct at one point. Since he plans to major in Musical Theatre at Montclair State University, it would not be a surprise if we are one day watching him on the big stage.
Hannah Wrede
Wrede is one of the strongest people we know, both physically and mentally. Inspired by the tragic passing of her mother when she was a freshman, Wrede has undergone a lifestyle change throughout her time at PV, losing 90 pounds and transform- ing from the freshman we thought we knew. She’s also one of the most artistically talented people we know, and who could forgot about her love for horses?