Gabriel Trindade is a senior in JFK High School. He has been to Brazil countless times, but actually stayed for half a year during quarantine. He’s also going to Rutgers University where he plans on majoring in buisness.
What was your most memorable experience in high school?
Gabe: I think my most memorable experience has to be showing up to the after school activities, like the talent shows and the grades participating against each other…. the lip syncing event was probably one of my favorites. It was really fun to watch.
Were you ever in any after school activities?
None of those. It’s nice to watch, but I could never be in one of those. It’s too embarrassing for me, especially because of all the people watching you.
Were there any teachers that were favorites of yours here at JFK?
Koch and Casem definitely… Casem is the music history teacher. Trenery and Essig as well. Trenery is Sports History and Essig is Graphic Novel…Those four are definitely the best teachers in the school, at least among the ones that I have had.
What was your biggest struggle in high school?
SAT’s, SAT’s are not fun. You don’t really even need them, but they’re not fun. Didn’t get a great grade on the SAT’s, and I still went to Rutgers.
Are you planning on doing anything after high school?
… After a year in college, I’m planning to apply for security there [at Rutgers], so I work around college to put my resume higher because I want to be a cop. I feel the security might help with experience for when I become a police officer.
Do you have any ideas for what you want to major in?
I’m going to be a business major, and have a minor in criminal justice because I want to be a cop. You don’t need a degree to be a cop, so I’m just going to have a back up plan, just in case.
Are there any specific reasons you want to go to Rutgers?
The food is so good. I’ve been there before, they have a sandwich place and that’s my life. I wouldn’t mind living right in the middle, but the sandwich place puts mozzarella sticks and pizzas inside of a sandwich. It’s called “R U Hungry?” They have the “Fat Mama”, the “Fat Vietnamese”. It really is amazing.
Are there any other reasons why you want to go to Rutgers?
It’s really good for law and business, which is perfect for me because I’m going for a business major. Although the food is a factor for sure, it is nice to have my back-up plan in case my plan to be a cop fails. It’s also pretty nice that Rutgers is fairly close by.
Did you learn any Portuguese while in Brazil?
I’ve been to Brazil a lot of times, I’m half Brazilian so I do learn the language, but I forgot so much. One month right after I left, I was doing so good, and then I forgot. Going back to America really messed with my Portugues,e but I know how to speak pretty well and I understand well.
How was your Experience in Brazil?
Pretty good. The food is so much better than over here [in America]. My favorite part of Brazil was definitely the food. The air is also just fresher over there. When you land in a different country, and you breathe in, it’s so weird. I don’t really know how to explain it. But the food is definitely the best part. You can just go in the street and get chicken wrapped around bacon with cheese inside on a stick.
