Unsung Hero

Who is the Unsung Hero of your graduating class?

Sports teams are a chosen family. Such is true for senior Mustangs Kyle Rogers and Marcos Betances.

Rogers, 17, credited coaches and upperclassmen for providing that environment. Now as team captain and an upperclassmen, he strives to do the same for younger players. It is also what he admires most in his fellow teammates.

“When we are in a tough situation in a game,” said Rogers, “[Betances] always puts it on himself to say something inspiring to help lift us up.”

There were games like that this season before things changed mid-May. Rogers and Betances were eager to help the underclassmen improve and, in Rogers words, “play more fundamentally sound baseball in the years to come.”

Rogers had 173 career strikeouts as of May 8. He was First Team All County, First Team All League, and Second Team All Big North in 2022. Last year, he had a 1.49 ERA and batted .436. He played Varsity for three years and became captain in his senior year.

This fall, he will attend St. Thomas Aquinas College on a scholarship. He’ll play baseball for the Top 20, D2 program as a pitcher and first basemen.

Rogers will major in Business Management and minor in Sports Management.

“My parents, Dan and Rosa, always pushed me to be the best possible version of myself. They are the reason why I am where I am today,” said Rogers. “I wouldn’t have ever hit the gym as much as I did if my cousin Christopher (CHS 2012) didn’t push me to go to the gym every day.”

Betances similarly finds inspiration from parents, Edwin and Maria, and younger sister Amilia (CHS 2026). They inspire him to seek new limits.

The senior joined Varsity this year and played baseball all four years as a left fielder. He was an outside linebacker for the Fighting Mustangs all four years and started Varsity for two years. He will study Sports Management at St. Peter’s University in Jersey City.

“I’d like to be a sports agent,” said Betances, 17. “I’m not going to play sports outside of high school, but I still want to be in the sports world. I want to help kids get recognized by big colleges and help kids get recruited.”

Edwin pushed Betances to work harder than the next person, which is something that Betances encourages the underclassmen to do. “Practice like how you’ll play in a game,” said Betances. “Baseball is a difficult sport as it is. If they make things easier on themselves, I think they’ll have a great upcoming season.”

Gavrielle Rivera: Romeo Gonzalez is most definitely someone who has gone unnoticed for the admirable dedication and devotion that he’s put into all of his years in the Mustang Marching Band. I have had the privilege to witness him grow since freshman year and his success story from then to now is one that I feel so many people could learn from. There is not a single thing that Romeo has earned that he did not work hard for. His drive and determination to achieve the impossible when given the challenge to do so is what makes him stand out from others. Romeo is selfless and motivates others to achieve success beyond their capabilities. He sees the potential for greatness in all of his peers and encourages them to accomplish more than what they believe they are capable of. Romeo’s legacy as Drum Major ’22-’23 has left a lasting impact on the Mustang Marching Band.

Romeo Gonzalez: My girlfriend, Gavrielle Rivera. Behind closed doors, she is a strong leader, mentor, and friend. She has always stood up to bullies and looked out for those that needed guidance. She is a great example of the type of person that anyone should be, and she inspires me to become better and face my fears.

Sergio Ortega: Alejandro Giraldo. He is a really good

Attila Tamas: Brayden Miller. He always helps out with everything to do with lacrosse and he is a great guy.

Kenneth Oliveros: Edward Mejia. He works hard at two jobs and always wants to find a way to make himself better. Having no major guidance, he still finds a way to

Yasmina Abufasha: One of the smartest and kindest individuals that I know, Allyson Mejia absolutely deserves to be recognized for her outstanding character and academic achievements. What makes her unique is her humility. She is always the first to congratulate and support her friends, but is always so humble about her own accomplishments. I know that so many people, including me, have benefited from her empathetic behavior and actions, and consider her a dear friend.

Gabriela Wojcik: Albaraa Gebril. He is a genuinely kind and helpful individual who strives to have the most positive impact that he can in our community.

Roman Albano: Spending countless hours at the robotics warehouse, Ishaan Kher is the engineering lead and team captain, who earned CHS three tournament gold medals and various engineering innovation awards this year. His unique personality and creative ideas separate him from his peers and truly makes him one of a kind.

Hisham Ettayebi: Jossue Xochipa is a determined man, who is always focused on his goals. I have seen him running on his own several times outside of practice and he shows that he cares about his goals when he wants to reach them. He is willing to put in the work that not many people put in so that he can see the results that he wants to see. He has also been incredibly supportive of me throughout these past four years in track and cross country. We support each other as a team.

Jeremiah Gerena: Alex Nunez is my closest friend because of the hours that he puts in at work. Sleep was never an option. Another important thing about him is that he provides me with the best Dominican snacks.

John Kilroy: William Mendez, who has a work ethic like no other and is very humble.

Ceasar Diaz: Hisham Ettayebi is a hard worker and the best distance runner in our school.