Brandon Garrido is an 18-year-old senior who attends JFK Memorial High School in Iselin, New Jersey. He was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States when he was 7 years old. He plays volleyball, basketball and football. He drives a Honda and is currently studying to be an EMT. I interviewed Brandon to get a better understanding of his high school experience.
What were your hardest accomplishments throughout high school?
My hardest accomplishment in high school was focusing on passing my grade because when I was a junior, I did’t really care about my grades… it was hard to focus on making the right decisions in school.
And what type of bad decisions did you make?
The bad decision I probably made in school was hanging out with bad friends who would just make me do bad things, and then I just realized it’s not what I want. High school is going to change you. It will change the way you are as a person, the way you see things, how you feel…
If you can change anything about how you perform academically in high school, what would it be?
I’m good at math so I would probably change how I did in my math classes. I’m really good with numbers and solving problems, so I feel like maybe if I would go back, I would have studied more math and see if I can get a degree or something. People don’t really like math, but at the end of the day, you’re gonna need it in life.
What was your favorite high school year?
My favorite high school year was probably my sophomore year. Sophomore year was the year we came back [from COVID], and that was when I was back with my people, so it was easier. I used to be super nervous in school, but when I got back with my friends, I was like, “this year I’m going to shine,” so we were doing anything we could… and just having fun and experiencing high school like you’re supposed to.
Was high school what you expected it to be?
I thought that high school was gonna be like a “High School Musical”…but it wasn’t. I thought it was going to be like that because, you know, that that’s how they showed it in the movies. They were living life.
What teacher helped you out the most throughout high school?
Mr.Kirk helped me through a lot of it. He knows me really well and we have a good bond. I can talk to him because he knows me better than anyone else. I have trust in…
What was your favorite thing about high school?
My favorite thing about high school is probably playing a sport. I played sports in middle school, but in high school it is different, you actually get the feeling like you want to take a sport seriously, and when you get that feeling, it motivates you. I was doing football freshman [year] and I did it for like two or three years, and then I quit because I had to take care of my grandma. But when I would play, I would get that feeling and it was nice.
What type of cliché did you dislike the most?
The type of friends that you have is important in high school, because during high school, you mature a lot. So I didn’t really like the groups of the people who you would know do bad things, because I used to be friends with people like that, and it honestly wasn’t the life for me.
How bad did senioritis hit you?
I mean, not going to lie, being a senior is not even that hard. All you have to do is do the work and pass. If you have enough credits, then you don’t have to worry about much. You can do senior leave if you are able to, so you can just go to your classes and leave, so it’s kinda easy.
What advice would you give the new seniors?
Think about who you hang out with. Make sure you study in school because they [teachers] are here to prepare us. Like, if you plan on going to college, they prepare you for that. Be yourself and participate in the school activities because you’re gonna then regret not going. All the senior activities they give you, just do it, even if you’re embarrassed, because you’re gonna have fun.
How did high school change your view of the world?
In high school they prepare you for the real world. So don’t do what other people tell you to do, because I had friends that would do that, and it did’t work out. So it shows you who your true friends are, and it gives you almost a glimpse of the real world.
