“Don’t Let Anyone Count You Out!” Genelle Sonson’s Alumnae Profile
“It’s fascinating to see how a tiny baby could grow into anything – you never know what will happen in the future. And we all started at that point!” A freshman at St. Peter’s University, Genelle Sonson (SJHS ‘17) aspires to be a neonatal nurse. She has been fascinated by the beauty and excitement of pregnancy and childbirth since she went to her mom’s ultrasound appointment and saw the sonogram video of her youngest sister ten years ago.
Sometimes it is hard to see at first glance the amazing potential a person can have, and it’s often challenging to recognize one’s own potential as well. When Genelle came to St. Joseph’s she initially found much to complain about, and struggled to find her path. But several things happened during her senior year that changed her perspective, and now, after graduating and moving on to college, you’re likely to find her coming back to cheer on her former SJHS team at Track meets throughout the year.
The first big change came with taking the risk of trying a new sport. Having participated in dance for the previous three years, senior year found Genelle discovering how much she enjoyed running. With a new sport came a new coach, and she flourished under Coah Akil’s guidance. “Don’t let anyone count you out,” he repeatedly told her, pushing her to grow in dedication, discipline, and determination through rigorous daily training.
As Genelle found this new strength in herself, she saw it overflow from athletics to other aspects of her life; while her grades had always been fine, she found herself enjoying school more as she put more effort into her classes and engaged with her teachers and classmates. Her friendships improved as she formed lasting bonds with her teammates. She realized how much she had enjoyed studying history with Ms. Gallagher in junior year, and found herself excited to come to Calculus class with Mr. D’Agosto. She saw that so many of her teachers really desired for her to know and understand the subjects she was studying, rather than to simply memorize things for a test.
While school was becoming more exciting, tuition was also becoming a more serious financial challenge. With four siblings and increasing costs, it became almost impossible to make ends meet. Genelle remains awed at the endless sacrifices her mom continues to make for her and her siblings education, and she will always be grateful for what happened next; along with one other student, through the generosity of alumna Dr. Joan Tansey ‘54, she was awarded a full-tuition senior year scholarship.
A photo with Ms. Latham that Genelle took at the hospital
But soon, another obstacle presented itself; a hand injury she received while running turned into a serious infection, and suddenly Genelle was in the hospital on the verge of losing her left hand, missing classes and wondering if she would ever be able to run again. The healing and recovery process was lengthy, and her hospital was so far from school that it was difficult for friends to visit. The day she was getting discharged, she heard a knock at the door. She expected to see a nurse walk in, but instead it was Principal Latham, carrying balloons! Genelle was truly surprised and moved. She recalls this day as her best memory from high school because it was the moment she realized that SJHS is far more than just a school – it’s a community of people who care about you.
Genelle on the day of her high school graduation
Now, Genelle attends St. Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ, where she walked onto their Division 1 Track team this past winter. After high school, she had decided to stop running, but within a few months of beginning her freshman year of college, she found she missed the sport too much to quit. She also craved the discipline it brought to all aspects of her life – 6 am practice and 8 am weights lead to days that, while certainly tiring, are filled to the brim with engaging hard work in her classes and other activities. When she finds herself struggling with a class or assignment, she remembers the enormous progress she made getting her body ready to compete again after months away from her sport, and how that progress came from incremental daily choices to keep practicing and training.
As she prepares for a career as a neonatal nurse, where she will be able to assist babies and their families in the first steps of their new life, she remains convinced that SJHS offers all students an opportunity to discover their own potential the way that she did. She advises current students to take advantage of all the resources available to them here, and most importantly to discover the teachers whose classes they find both challenging and interesting, and foster a relationship with them. “The high expectations at SJHS lay a foundation for the rest of your life,” she explains. “Don’t take anything for granted; embrace it all!”