Team Journeys: SONYC at J.H.S. 185

Read the firsthand stories of three team members who started as participants or launched a fulfilling career at this vibrant afterschool program.

The SONYC at J.H.S. 185 team: Back row, from left to right: M'Kayla Crumity, Ariel Goldberg, Romir Preenja, Krisnha Torres, and Jahnneisi Arango. Front row: Mehak Mahmood and Alexandra Mitrica. Missing from the photo: Marco Ortega and Theresa Tonis.  

Jahnneisi Arango, Group Leader 

My journey with The Child Center of NY at J.H.S. 185 began in the summer before sixth grade—I believe it was 2015. The theme for camp that summer was movies. I specifically remember my counselor choosing Inside Out, which had just hit theaters. My cousin was working here, and my mom decided to enroll me as a way of keeping busy during the summer.  

It helped me get exposure to a lot of things that I never would have thought of. I learned how to crochet here. I also got into baking. There was a comedy class, and I remember doing 3D wooden puzzles. I recall spending my time doing activities like these while also building relationships with people in the camp. To me, the program was all about learning new things, building relationships, and finding activities that I was not only good at but also enjoyed. The experience helped shape me into the person I am today: someone who likes to try new things and forge meaningful connections. 

So when I heard that the SONYC afterschool program at J.H.S. 185 had an opening for Group Leader back in 2021, I decided to apply. I became excited at the prospect of helping other young people discover their strengths and develop strong friendships, just as the Group Leaders in 2015 had helped me. 

I’ve been here four years now, and it's been great. I like working with the kids and developing relationships with them. One of the closest relationships I’ve built while working here was with a former eighth grader who is now in a specialized high school. I often helped him with schoolwork, and he helped me by assisting with cleanup and by suggesting ways I could make the activities easier or more interactive. It was a memorable experience, and I hope he remembers it fondly, too.  

I also enjoy teaching the kids new things, especially hands-on activities. So often, they can be preoccupied with screen time, and it's important to have them work with their hands and be active. That’s why I do a lot of arts and crafts. I teach crocheting, a skill I learned here, which has been especially meaningful. Participants went from having no knowledge of crocheting to making blankets and hats. I also do Gundam with them; they get to build their own figurines that they can take home and keep.  

I think it's important to facilitate activities that challenge them to do something new. Crochet, especially, is not easy, but it pushes them to test their limits by challenging their brains—and their idea of what they can accomplish. 

Divya Patel, Social Studies Teacher at J.H.S. 185 and Child Center Senior College and Career Advisor 

Divya with afterschool students and her colleague Ariel Goldberg, far right, at J.H.S. 185. 

I was born and raised in Queens, specifically in Elmhurst—one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world. Growing up there shaped who I am today and deeply influenced the educator I’ve become. Being surrounded by people from so many different cultures, and being a child of immigrants myself, taught me to value diversity, empathy, and community. My upbringing closely mirrors that of many of the students I work with now. 

I discovered The Child Center of NY (TCCNY) at a job fair and was immediately drawn to its mission. It was just after the COVID-19 pandemic. I was a full-time student at Adelphi University’s Scholar Teacher Education Program, an accelerated five-year program that allowed me to earn both my bachelor’s degree in education and my master’s degree in secondary education. I was looking for a part-time job that would allow me to gain experience in the education field while finishing my degree. There was an opening for a youth advocate position at TCCNY’s SONYC afterschool program at Edward Bleeker J.H.S. 185 in Flushing, another diverse neighborhood in Queens. Although I had never worked with middle school students before—and had never even heard of J.H.S. 185—I decided to apply for the position, and I’m so glad I did. 

When I first started at SONYC at J.H.S. 185, I was balancing being a full-time undergraduate student with my part-time role. I was admittedly a little nervous at first, trying to understand my responsibilities and how best to support the students. One of my main tasks was learning and implementing the Steps to Success curriculum—an evidence-based program designed to improve high school graduation rates by helping middle school students build academic, social-emotional, and motivational skills. Along with running program activities, I spent time connecting with students, learning their stories, and finding ways to engage them both inside and outside the classroom. 

Over the past two years, I’ve created countless memories with both the students and the amazing SONYC 185 team. Our end-of-year carnivals stand out as some of the best moments—filled with music, games, dancing, and laughter. What’s most fulfilling, though, is seeing how much students genuinely look forward to afterschool. Whether it’s for the “Punch It to Win” store, karaoke class, or simply spending time with friends, their excitement reminds me of how meaningful these programs are. Knowing that afterschool can be a place where students feel safe, seen, and supported makes every moment worthwhile. 

As the daughter of Indian immigrant parents and a first-generation American, I understand what it’s like to grow up balancing multiple cultures and languages. English was my second language, and many families in Elmhurst and Flushing shared similar experiences—navigating a new country, culture, and education system. That background helps me connect with my students and their families on a personal level. 

My parents came to the United States so my siblings and I could have the educational opportunities they didn’t. I attended public schools in District 24 of Queens, including I.S. 5 and Maspeth High School, and I am now a college graduate. I know the parents of the students at J.H.S. 185—and all parents, really—want the same educational opportunities for their children. It was my honor to help students succeed socially, personally, and academically, so that they can achieve not just their parents’ dreams, but, more importantly, their own.  

Now I’m a first-year social studies teacher at J.H.S. 185, and I still work at the TCCNY SONYC afterschool program, as senior college and career advisor. Teaching sixth-grade social studies has been such a rewarding experience—my students are curious, thoughtful, and make teaching feel less like a job and more like a passion. I’m also fortunate that some of my students from the school day attend the afterschool program, which allows me to continue building relationships with them beyond the classroom. Even small moments like greeting students in the hallway help strengthen our sense of community. 

The Child Center of NY has played such an important role in my professional journey. TCCNY has provided me with invaluable mentors, opportunities, and experiences that have helped me grow as an educator and as a person. I've met my mentor-teacher, Stephen Arthur—a fellow social studies teacher at J.H.S. 185—and made lifelong connections because of TCCNY. I’m so grateful for everyone I’ve worked with at SONYC 185 and for being part of the Bleeker family! A very special thanks to my directors Mehak Mahmood and Ashley Robertson (former assistant director at J.H.S. 185, now program director of SONYC at M.S. 74) for giving me this opportunity to begin with. The connections I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned here will stay with me throughout my career. 

Romir Preenja, Group Leader 

Though I’ve only recently started working at The Child Center of NY (TCCNY)’s SONYC afterschool program at Edward Bleeker J.H.S. 185, it already feels like home. That’s largely because I was actually a participant here during my eighth-grade year back in 2019.   

I joined the program’s chess club that year, which sparked a lasting hobby that I still enjoy today. That year, the program had a Harry Potter theme. I made a wand out of wood, and to this day, I still have it at my house. Then this past summer, I was working at an elementary school, where they were also doing a Harry Potter theme. I brought in my wand and showed it to the students. You could tell it really meant something to them—that I had been a participant just like they were now.   

Coming back to work here as a group leader feels like a full-circle moment for me. I grew up in this neighborhood. I was born here, I’ve lived here my whole life, I went to the elementary school right across the street, and I live just two blocks away. Returning to the program that made my junior high school experience so memorable has been a really meaningful way to connect with my community.   

Currently, I’m a sophomore at St. John's University and I work at TCCNY part-time. I was excited when I got offered the group leader position, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the students I get to support every day. I'm hoping that the students who are part of my classes will have as much fun as I did when I was in the program. That's my goal.