The last few weeks have been full of celebration and summer fun. CitySquash has so much to be proud of. In June, we celebrated many graduations, held our annual end-of-year party, and our team members headed to Massachusetts for SEA Individual Nationals, where they put their year of hard work to the test against our sister programs. Their results were impressive. Now into July, camp is underway. We have a full range of programming happening in the Bronx, and many students have taken advantage of our sleepaway opportunities and are off at squash, academic, and wilderness camps. We have been grateful for the many interns, volunteers, and corporate groups who have spent time with our students in the Bronx. Summer also brings the opportunity for us to visit with our boarding school and college students. We love having them in the office and hearing about their most recent adventures. Below, you'll read about one particularly inspiring study abroad experience. Finally, the most exciting news of the month is that the first points have been played on our new squash courts. We can't wait to officially open our doors this fall. Wishing all of you, our amazing community, a fun and fulfilling summer! |
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ON THE COURT
Success at SEA Individuals!
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CitySquashers had an incredible weekend at SEA Individual Nationals, held this year at Phillips Academy Andover, Brooks School, and SquashBusters Lawrence. We are proud of the sportsmanship, effort, and level of play that our team members displayed throughout the weekend.
The following students finished on the podium in their division:
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Victor Pichardo -- BU11 Finalist
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Eduardo Olan -- BU13 Champion
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Jayden Vazquez -- BU15 Champion
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Kathleen Vargas -- GU13 Finalist
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Lindyn Morocho -- GU17 Third Place
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Ariana Michaca -- GU19 Third Place
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Stephany Silva -- GU19 Finalist
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Janthony Paulino -- BU19B Champion
Off the court, many members of the CitySquash team were honored as well. The following people won individual awards:
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Will Pantle -- Coach of the Year
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Janthony Paulino -- US Squash NAO/GO Scholarship
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Gabriel Garcia -- US Squash NAO/GO Scholarship
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Ashley Amaro -- High School Sportsmanship Award
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Jayden Vazquez -- Middle School MVP
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ONWARD & UPWARD
Graduations & Awards Abound
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May and June are full of graduations for CitySquash students, families, and staff members. We try to have a CitySquash staff member at every graduation, so our team travels many miles throughout the spring. We were thrilled to celebrate these happy milestones with our 5th graders, 8th graders, junior boarders, high schoolers, and college students. One exciting moment was at the Middle School 45 graduation, when Brianna Castelan (above) was named the Valedictorian. We have partnered with MS45 since our founding in 2002, and we are grateful for our work together and the academic success our team members have had there.
At PS205, our elementary school partner, several CitySquashers earned graduation awards. Atziri Amaro received the Thomas C. Giordano Leadership and Perfect Attendance Award, Sophia Flores Lopez received the Frank J. Giordano Humanitarian Award, and Liam Aviles received the Parents Association Award for Social Studies.
At the Indian Mountain School's graduation, Sergio Reyes Nepomuceno won the Mountain Card award at graduation for strong leadership and community impact. This is IMS's highest honor.
At our high school graduations, Ariana Michaca won the Award for Language Other than English Studies at the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, and both Ariana and Gerardo Ortiz won New Visions Scholarships.
Congratulations to all of our students moving on to new schools and new chapters next year.
5th Grade Graduates
Aranza Bravo
Gael Bravo
Sophia Flores Lopez
Victoria Pichardo
Atziri Amaro Ramirez
Liam D. Aviles Rueda
8th Grade Graduates
Karla Ambrosio
Jhonny Aviles
Kevin Lucero Bravo
Brianna Bravo Castelan
Matthew Saldana
Jahaira Solano
Nalia Solano
Josue Sanchez
Junior Boarding School Graduates
Luis Escalona
Sergio Reyes Nepomuceno
Christopher Zapata
High School Graduates
Gabriel Garcia
Haydee Genis
Diana Hernandez
Keisi Lucero
Ariana Michaca
Seth Nieves
Elias Ortega
Gerardo Ortiz
Janthony Paulino
Jesus Pena
College Graduates
Elizabeth Barroso
Alan Lopez
Xitlaly Santos
Eslin Silva
Dainalee Velez
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LET'S CELEBRATE
Another Year in the Books (and on the courts!)
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The last Saturday in June was CitySquash's End of Year Party! We had a wonderful time celebrating the achievements of our team members with their families and many of our alumni. Every year, we recognize team members who have shown exceptional personal, academic, and squash growth as well as those who have helped shape our community in special ways. Congratulations to all of our award recipients and to all of our team members for completing an excellent year.
This year's award winners are:
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Sophia Flores -- Elementary School Academic Excellence
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Bryanna Villaman -- Middle School Academic Excellence
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Isai Borgua -- High School Academic Excellence
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Sergio Reyes Nepomuceno -- Boarder Award
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Brianna Bravo Castelan -- Marty Silverman Award for Diligence
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Atziri Amaro -- Rising Star Award
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Christopher Estill -- Volunteer Award
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Nathaniel Nuñez -- Most Improved Player
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Jayden Vazquez -- Most Valuable Player
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Yulianni Infante Ramos -- Most Improved Student
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Maria Carerra -- Parent Award
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Jesus Peña -- Brandon McKenzie Spirit Award
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Gabriel Garcia -- Leadership Award
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Ariana Michaca -- CitySquasher of the Year
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
In Her Own Words: Madalein's Adventure Abroad
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Madalein Amoako is a rising senior at Elon College, and she is spending the summer interning with us at CitySquash. Madalein just finished a life-changing study abroad experience with Semester at Sea. Below is her reflection on her time traveling.
My Semester at Sea voyage was truly a transformative experience. Over the course of the spring semester, I studied while sailing to three continents and visiting ten countries. I was able to explore unique cultures, histories, and global issues firsthand. In every country I visited, I was able to fully engage with the locals and learn about them and their way of life. My in-country experiences coupled with my academics on the ship allowed me to deepen my understanding of cross-cultural communications, sustainability, and international relations.
The highlights of my trip were volunteering at an orphanage in Mombasa, Kenya, seeing lions up close on our safari in South Africa, riding a camel in Morocco, and kayaking at sunset in India.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” — Saint Augustine
This quote encompasses my entire study abroad experience. Being able to travel the world meant opening myself to new experiences, perspectives and stories that I simply could not get from sitting in a college classroom and reading a book. Traveling allowed me to build connections with people who live completely different lives from mine and being able to listen and understand their stories was very important to me. It challenged me to grow and question ideals that I have. Each place I visited added a new chapter to how I understand the world and myself.
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VOLUNTEER DAYS
Corporate Connections
| CitySquash is lucky to have corporate partners that support our work in many different ways. Some companies sponsor the Bash and others provide internship opportunities and work experiences for our students. This summer, we hosted volunteer groups from RSM US (pictured above) and Lovell Minnick Partners. Our volunteers got on court with our students, ran mock interview sessions, and spent time learning about CitySquash from our students. For the second year in a row, CitySquash Board Member, Michael Luskin, organized a group from Morgan Lewis to teach a financial literacy class to our high school students, and we are excited about a new seminar on Women in Tech, taught by Mallory Gershenfeld, a Senior Technical Product Manager at Amazon. We are grateful for the many ways that the larger community shows up to support our work. | |
SUMMER IN THE CITY
CitySquash Summer Programming
| | CitySquash summer camp keeps students focused, fit, and connected to their community. Students spend five weeks focused on academic enrichment, squash skill building, and team bonding. Throughout the summer, students take part in community service activities like park cleanups and lemonade stands to raise money for organizations that are meaningful to them. They also participate in yoga classes and language lessons together. Theme days and team challenges build moral and bring fun to the summer days. Above, Alia Ruiz and Victoria Sanchez take a break from squash at Fordham University. | |
READY TO PLAY
The Courts are Complete!
| | On July 14, 2025, CitySquash Executive Director, Terence Li, and CitySquash Founder, Sanford Schwartz, hit the inaugural balls on the squash courts in the Julian H. Robertson Jr. CitySquash Center. The courts are ready for play and the rest of the building isn't far behind. We are thrilled that we will start our new year of programming in our new home this fall, and we hope you'll all visit soon. See you in the Bronx! | | |
August 25, 2025
Lake Placid Retreat
| Our annual retreat is fast approaching. Team members 3rd grade through college seniors, along with alumni and staff, will gather together in the beautiful Adirondack mountains. Hiking, swimming, the Cabin Cup, and campfires will give everyone lots of time to unwind and connect. | |
September 29, 2025
Programming Starts
| Team members in 4th through 12th grades will return to weekend and afterschool squash, homework help, academic enrichment, and so much more! We will be looking for tutors and mentors. Let us know if you're interested! | |
October 8, 2025
The Grand Opening!
| Save the date for the Grand Opening of the Julian H. Robertson Jr. CitySquash Center! Click here to RSVP. See you in the Bronx! | |
October 18, 2025
The Triple Threat
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Grab a doubles partner - no, even better, grab two doubles partners -- and join us for a tournament unlike any other to benefit CitySquash! Teams of three will rotate players in and out throughout games. Round robin play will result in semi-final and final matches in a number of different draws. All the fun will take place at the Heights Casino in mid-October. Date TBD. Click here to sign up!
| | Stay up to date on all that is happening at CitySquash by following us on Instagram @citysquash. |
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