Graduating seniors reflect on their time at DHS

by Vincent Trinh ’25

We placed five graduating seniors in a focus group and asked them about their past experiences at DHS and their plans for the near future. Their names were NS: Nicholas Sheridan ‘25, NF: Nyasia Ferguson ‘25, TD: Talia Dicapua ‘25, LM: Lubendjy Mathieu ‘25, and KD: Kaelyn Dimartino ’25. This interview was conducted with English teacher Jessica Yanes (JY) as the transcriber and Vincent Trinh ‘25 (VT) as the interviewer and author of this article. These are the people, and this is their story.

VT: How does it feel looking back on these past four years? Is there anything you regret or look fondly on?

LM: I regret switching so many schools, plus my freshman year was online.

TD: I regret not talking to more people. I wish I had more friends. I never really started talking to people until my senior year. There’s actually a lot of cool people.

JY: Why did it take you until senior year?

TD: I realized that none of this actually matters and that I should just be myself. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

KD: I like what she said about being yourself. I feel like I can’t be myself, and people are judgmental.

NS: There’s nothing big that comes to mind with regrets. If there’s something I wanted to do, I tried, and the things I didn’t want to do, I’m ok with not trying. I made myself well-rounded enough that I don’t have to regret anything.

NF: I wish I “stood on business” my first few years here. I usually just let people say whatever they wanted and act any type of way with me. I stopped doing that this year.

JY: What about fond memories?

NF: I’m glad I met Ce’Ajah; she’s my best friend.

KD: I actually wasn’t supposed to come to Derby. I was supposed to go to Emmet. But I feel like I made a good choice in coming here. My fondest memories are from the softball team because that’s like a family.

LM: I enjoyed the fights. [surprised laughter and audible gasps from the rest of the group, including JY and VT]

NS: Top memories were junior year Italian. Soccer was definitely up there, especially the last game of the season. We were losing 2-0 and then one 3-2, so winning my last game playing there, especially like that, meant a lot. Just every day being as productive as I can just makes every day a little bit better.

TD: I had a very small Italian class, and because it was so small, we all became friends, which was nice.

VT: I felt the same way with Salazar, one of my favorite teachers. What would you tell your freshman self if you could travel back in time?

NS: Just be a little nicer. I feel like everyone could be a little bit nicer.

TD: I’d tell myself to talk to more people and not talk to one person in particular.

LM: I would tell myself, don’t get attached. I should not have gotten attached to so many friends because I switched schools a lot.

KD: I’d tell myself to grow thicker skin, because at the end of the day, what everyone else says doesn’t really matter. You don’t need relationships, you just need friendships, family, and to focus on school.

NF: I would tell myself to stand up.

VT: I would tell myself it’s not like in the movies. Next question. How would you describe your growth as a senior in high school?

NS: I started to grow a lot the end of my junior year and a lot in the summer before my senior year. I tried to put a lot more effort into everything as possible. I do as much work as I can, I try to do as many nice things for my girlfriend as I can, I try to put as much effort into my day as I can, because I think that’s what’s important in life. It started to grow towards the end of my junior year.

KD: I feel like I definitely got more mature, as I think most of us have. I feel like for me personally, I started realizing what truly matters in life and I got a job, there was a point where I had three jobs, and I focused more on spending time with family because that’s important, and I also focus on my boyfriend because he’s important, and it’s getting to the age where things are serious.

TD: I started to take things more seriously. My freshman year, I didn’t really take things seriously or think it mattered, and then at the end of my sophomore year, I had a crisis and felt like I needed to plan the rest of my life, so at the beginning of junior year, I was like “sigh.” I figured it all out.

LM: I started taking things more seriously as a student.

NF: I think I’m more mature, but I can’t really think of anything more specifically.

VT: A lot of the perceptions I had freshman year were crushed. I am excited for college, but it’s really overwhelming to me, and I’ve accepted that I can’t do anything about it. This idea of success, the pursuit of greatness: I guess I’ve done things that are cool and that are good for my reputation and my image, but I never felt too accomplished after the fact. Last question. Is there anyone in your life that you have looked to for guidance, or that you will look to for guidance?

NF: My aunt and dad. I’m the most like them of anyone in my life, and they always give me advice.

TD: The librarians in Derby Neck Library. They are the direct inspiration for me for becoming a librarian. I’ve grown up with them since I was two years old. They’ve been helping me get a foot into that job and seeing how I feel about it.

LM: My siblings and Vinny. He’s usually good at giving advice.

KD: My mom and dad. And my sisters. They’ve already gone through this.

VT: What are your post-graduate plans? Do you feel like you have a set plan put in place?

KD: My post-graduate plans are going to nursing school at Southern. I’m going to work to get my RN, my registered nursing degree.

VT: Do you feel like there is a possibility that could change?

KD: Yeah, I guess if I don’t like nursing, but I want to stay in the medical field.

TD: I’m also going to Southern. I’m going for English. Once I get my Bachelor’s, I plan on returning to get my Master’s in Library Science.

NS: Next year, I’ll study at Purchase College and play soccer.

LM: I’m going to the military, and after that, I’m guessing I’ll go to Grad school.

NF: Going to Southern (Connecticut State University) for physics, but that might change because I’m going to work there this summer.

VT: How long did it take for you guys to come to these conclusions?

NS: Purchase was my last pick because I was only looking at schools where I could play soccer. I was between three schools at one point, and Purchase was my last pick.

LM: I don’t really like school, so my teachers recommended I join the military.

KD: This might seem weird, but I was so excited to go to Southern. That was my dream school, and from a young age, I wanted to work with kids, so that’s why I wanted to be a nurse.

NF: I don’t really know what I want to do. I don’t really like anything besides the arts.

VT: What are your housing plans?

NS: I’ll be living in athletic housing separate from the rest of the freshmen. I do get free laundry.

KD: I’m commuting because it’s way cheaper.

TD: I’m also commuting because it’s way cheaper.

NF: I’m in a dorm for the first year.

LM: I’m not going to college, but I’ll be staying with my boot camp.

VT: If dorms were cheaper, would you consider it?

KD: Personally, I wouldn’t stay in a dorm. I find them very gross, and I don’t like the idea of sharing a room with somebody I don’t know.

TD: I would think about it, but the dorms are very small at Southern, and there’s no air conditioning.