Every year, the torch of college application stress is passed down, as juniors become seniors and seniors become college freshmen. This stress, however, is alleviated by National Honors Society’s annual Alumni Day, where Fort Hamilton graduates come back for a day to give advice to current students. This year, on November 22, 2023, a total of twenty-two alumni, representing seventeen different colleges and universities, visited Fort Hamilton to speak to the rising college students of Fort Hamilton High School.
Alumni represented a variety of different schools from CUNY and SUNY Colleges, to New York University, and as far as the University of Southern California. Underclassmen were encouraged to speak to alumni from schools that they were considering, and those that they wanted to learn more about.
“Alumni Day is really important because it helps attendees get an idea of college life and applications from kids who were in their situation at Fort only a few years, or even months ago,” said NHS Recording Secretary Ava Canadé.
Alumni Day is a yearly NHS tradition, planned primarily by the Recording Secretary.
“I think what makes it special is that it brings back kids who may have graduated from Fort but are still engaging in the community and want to help those still at Fort Hamilton,” Canadé said. “Watching all the alumni see each other, sometimes for the first time since they graduated or since the previous year’s alumni day, was also very special. It was great to be able to bring them back and facilitate those moments.”
Alumni Day embodies the spirit of the Fort community, as those who were once active members at the school, come back to give back, even after they have graduated.
Attendees commented about how much they learned from the alumni. Students were able to ask them questions about college life, majors, and the specific environment of each school. Many found that talking to an unbiased source about colleges helped them have a better understanding of the colleges they were planning to attend.
“Alumni Day was awesome. It really helped me gain a more clear perspective on what the college experience is like,” said junior Kiran Ali. “It’s most beneficial to hear from an actual student’s perspective and it was very nice to see an array of colleges and universities present. I was able to get insight on things like dorming, meal plans, tuition, and application processes. It was a great experience.”
As college acceptance rates decrease, and the criteria for students to get into their dream colleges become more and more rigorous, Alumni Day provided relief to many. “Students can take away from alumni day that even if the college process seems daunting, there is a network of Fort Hamilton alumni who are happy to help and answer any questions a student may have,” Canadé added.
