Edwin attended our Columbus Avenue site and was in Classroom #5 with Beth and Miguel, and in Classroom #2 with Tyrone, Angie, and Betty. He had this to say about his time at Bloomingdale, “Although I don’t remember much about Bloomingdale, I do remember feeling a sense of family and more importantly, community. Bloomingdale was the place that started weaving my understanding of community and friendship.” He stayed connected with Bloomingdale, attending Homework Help and the chess after school program run by Bloomingdale teacher Adalberto Delgadillo.
After Bloomingdale, Edwin attended PS 163 Alfred E. Smith, The Ascension School (now sadly closed), and Manhattan Village Academy (MVA). He started at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the fall of 2019, and then the Covid pandemic interrupted his time there when the world closed down in March 2020. Edwin had this to say, “The college experience during the pandemic was very different and unique…the workload didn’t seem to change, but the difficulty did and surely increased…The same can be said about jobs. I currently work as a Physical Therapist Aide and engaging with people in a healthcare and wellness setting is quite different now.”
We asked Edwin for a bit more about himself: “To start, I am Puerto Rican and Cuban and I reside in New York City. I love to listen to classic Salsa, Merengue, Reggeaton, Hip Hop, Indie, and honestly any type of music that you can just vibe and find yourself to. I love watching movies and I am a huge Harry Potter fanboy. I love talking about and sharing my culture and experiences with others; I think that this helps maintain a sense of community and furthers education and understanding of numerous topics of conversation. I also really like to write creatively whether short stories, poems, or even just my thoughts on movies.” Edwin is planning a career in the health and fitness field, probably as a Physical Therapist, but would love anything that would allow him to help people, He is especially focused on his community, and hopes to help them better their body and their health. He is now a certified personal trainer with a specialty in flexibility training and pain relief. He is also training every day as a boxer working his way into the amateur fighting scene, and eventually into the professional scene. He is also enrolled in BMCC for pain management and health sciences, pursuing his goals in physical therapy and fitness.
We look forward to celebrating your success with you, Edwin!