Humans of Brentwood 2026
By Katelyn Ally
“What is something someone said that stuck with you for your whole life?”
“That I talk too much.”
She pauses for a moment before elaborating on how she overcame the insult.
“People are like leaves on the tree. They’re there for a season, and they come and go. Everyone has a right to their opinion, but it’s their truth, not yours. You have to learn who your people are.”
By Katelyn Ally
“A moment in life where I contemplated a lifelong decision but was proud of the outcome was when I became a gym teacher. I was a dedicated athlete in high school, but I originally wanted to be a detective. I decided to become a gym teacher because my high school gym teacher made a really big impact on me. As a gym teacher now, I always try to make that same impact to my students.”
By Katelyn Ally
“What is your favorite book and why?”
“The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It evoked a feeling of wanderlust.”
“What specifically gave you that feeling?”
“It inspired me to want to travel more, go to Europe, try new food, and do more sight-seeing of different places.”
By Katelyn Ally
“What is a skill you’re currently trying to learn and why?”
She laughed before answering.
“Probably crocheting.”
“Why crocheting?”
“I think it’s cool how people can make cute things likes blankets, outfits, or stuffed animals and make money from them.”
By Jorge Claros
“What’s the greatest memory you have from working here?”
“I have so many, but it’s not a memory, it’s the interaction with the students and seeing them grow up. Seeing the ‘aha’ moments they have when they realize that they learned something.”
By Jorge Claros
“As a younger individual, what do you think is the root of the major divide in our country?
“To put it simply: social media. If you’ve spoken to people in real life, you’d see that they are more neutral, but on the internet, you see the extremes from both sides. The only things that get clicks online are headlines with preposterous statements. For an example: the media paints republicans as rednecks who are fanatics of trump and likewise democrats as liberals with colored hair who has extreme social views. The truth is your political identity doesn’t give you a certain look, and social media exaggerates both sides to be something they aren’t to make people fight amongst each other. I think the best way to combat this is to stay grounded in reality and talk to your neighbor.”
By Ella De Paz
“What is the best decision you’ve made in your life?”
“To persevere, which is a decision I make every day to continue to work hard even when things are difficult. In my work as a teacher, sometimes there’s challenges with trying to help students understand the value in what we do in an English classroom. But in life, it can be so easy to be like ‘Well, I’m not gonna do that’ because it’s challenging. But when we work hard, we learn and we grow from that.”
By Ella De Paz
“If you could relieve any memory from your life, what memory would it be?”
She paused for a while. She began to talk about Green Machine marching band winning championships at Syracuse with a smile on her face.
“I already know the outcome of it, but you only experience that feeling of winning once in that moment, and you don’t know if it will happen again so you wish to stay in that moment forever.”
She looked down on the floor for minute.
“Can I say another one? When I was little, my trip to Salvi. If I were to go now, it wouldn’t be the same anymore. But my first time going on a plane, first time celebrating my birthday out there…I only remember by pictures, I was so young, so I don’t remember it as vividly. My mom lives out there now and so does my dad’s side of the family.”
By David Dominguez
“I went to college for nursing. It wasn’t the career I wanted to pursue.”
By David Dominguez
“My craziest experience working here at Brentwood was a senior prank, about 15 years ago, when a senior dove into the fishpond in Sonderling.”
By Julissa Flores
“When did you feel most proud of yourself?”
She looked at her painting and smiled.
“When I was given the opportunity to paint on the DP walls in the Ross art hallway.”
By Julissa Flores
“What academic achievement means the most to you?”
“I won an essay contest in 10th grade. I worked really hard on that paper and loved what I wrote, and it ended up getting me into a contest that I won.”
By Marilyn Fuentes
“What’s the best advice you ever received?”
“To be yourself and be honest.”
By Dylan Gomez
“I look up to my grandpa because he’s resilient and wise. He took care of me when I was child and always looked out for me, which made our connection strong.”
By Dylan Gomez
“When I was younger, I wasn’t close with my mom, and my dad was always in the city, and I saw my older sister as a mother figure who taught me everything. She set great examples for me and took good care of me.”
By David Martinez Romero
“What advice would you give your younger self and why?”
“I would tell my younger self to not be afraid to try new things because the older you get, the scarier it is to try new things, and you limit yourself.”
By David Martinez Romero
“Would you consider yourself a hard worker, and what attributes do you bring to the table?”
“Yes, I consider myself a hard worker because of my work ethic, just putting my time and my all into everything I do. Also, I try to go out of my way to help others.”
By Kelly Pajotte
“If you could solve one global problem instantly, which one would it be and why?”
“I would solve world hunger. Everyone should have access to food and live a healthy life because no one should have to face hunger or poor health simply due to circumstances beyond their control.”
By Kelly Pajotte
“I believe reading can solve any problem in this world because reading opens minds, builds empathy, and spreads knowledge. When people read, they learn from and understand different perspectives and can create better solutions.”
By Allisson Paz
“If I were a color, I would be pink because, in my opinion, I am a bright person.”
By Alexia Portillo Bernal
I approached her while she was keeping her friend company and I asked, “What’s something you would like to experience again?”
She crossed her arms and replied, “To go to elementary school again to feel free.”
By Alexia Portillo Bernal
She looked up at me a bit surprised and said, “I would like to be remembered as a good person and a good citizen.”
By Maira Siddiqi
“Have you ever wanted something to work out for you but it didn’t and felt it was for the better?”
“Where I went to college is one of my life-changing moments. I was set on my dream school but ended up somewhere else and that’s how I met my best friend whom I love dearly. I would never have gotten the chance to meet her if I didn’t go to that college.”
By Maira Siddiqi
“I think the saying ‘it is what it is’ from my mom has really stuck with me. It’s a thing kids say all the time, but at the end of the day, there are some things that are out of our control and you just have to step back and realize it is what it is.”
By Stephanie Velasquez
“Who inspires you the most?”
“My mom because she is a hard worker and she inspired me to be resilient.”
