From an aspiring restauranter to aspiring professional athlete, 22 students will graduate from the Menands School on June 25.
The eighth grade students will be celebrated during a tradition-filled 6 p.m. ceremony at the school before they depart to four area high schools—North Colonie, South Colonie, Watervliet and Tech Valley High School. Among them is Evie Blanchette, who will attend South Colonie in the fall.
“I chose there because they have a good drama program and they are smaller than Shaker,” she said.
Blanchette, who plans to launch a career as an airplane mechanic, credits Menands with keeping her grounded.
“It’s a very small school, but we have a lot of fun and everyone watches out for you,” she said.
Classmate Jesai WaNzambi will attend Shaker High School in the fall in pursuit of a career as a professional basketball player.
While his goal may seem far-fetched, it is based in reality. WaNzambi’s mom played basketball in the Olympics and his older brother is a standout locally who recently transferred to a Boston prep school.
“I hope to get really good at basketball, go to a prep school and go to college and the NBA,” he said.
The eighth-grade students completed a rigorous academic routine at Menands that provided many of them with advanced academic courses in a small school setting.
Avi Lopez, an aspiring restaurateur who will attend South Colonie, said the academics at Menands are great, but so is the school environment.
“It has a really diverse environment. The staff and students are all really diverse. The career day we have each year also gives you a lot of opportunities to learn and see how things are.”
There are approximately 300 scholars in grades PreK through 8 who are enrolled in the Menands School this school year.