By: Sarabeth Weszely Thorson, Writer
February 24, 2023
We work hard to keep close connections with our alumni, not only so that we can support them along their educational and career journeys, but also because their journeys are one of our greatest inspirations as we continue investing in the lives of future leaders each year. This month we spoke with an alum from our first graduating class in 2018, Gabriel Carpio. 
Gabriel has learned a lot about himself over the past four years, and his college story has taken many turns throughout the process. He began pursuing an associate’s degree in 2018 at the Borough of Manhattan and Bronx Community Colleges. It didn’t take long before he decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree and transferred to John Jay College, where in addition to studying full-time, he earned his EMT certification. “I really liked the EMT course but not so much my major, so from John Jay I went to Lehman, because they had a much broader variety of majors I could choose from.” Gabriel transferred to Lehman College in 2020 and will be graduating this Spring with a degree in Exercise Science. “Lehman’s great. It’s given me a lot of opportunity, a lot of knowledge, and it’s close by, which has been really helpful since I started raising a family last year.” Gabriel and his fiancé live together with their one-year old son in Upper Manhattan.
“Transitioning between all of these colleges has shown me that no matter where I’m at, there’s something for me to do there. As for what I really wanted to do internally, I just needed time to figure that out.”
We are so encouraged that Gabriel has been able to use his postgrad years as a time of personal exploration: trying new things, making decisions one step at a time, and adapting to life as it comes. His story is a great example for students and adults alike who worry about making the ‘wrong’ decision for their future.
“I’m proud of myself for not stopping. From getting my EMT certification, working, having a child, paying that NYC rent, all the while being a fulltime student, I’m proud I kept going and didn’t lose my momentum. Many people have done what I’m doing and come from worse situations, but I’m proud that I’ve been able to figure it all out–not alone, but figuring it out.
“My Inwood family helped a lot. The Alumni Support Team always reached out to check on me, offer space to study, connect me to opportunities like the book fund scholarship–those kinds of things.”
At Inwood Academy, we help students begin their personal exploration process as young as possible through our College & Career Success Program, which works with students from 5th grade onwards. Our CCS program is equally invested in extending this exploration process beyond graduation through practical supports such as mentorship, scholarships, and much more. We partner with our alumni to overcome whatever barriers they face as they carve out their own unique life path.
