The Junior Docent Alumni Party took place on Saturday, September 27, and was a smashing success, with more than 60 alumni attending from near and far! We want to thank everyone who came back to the HRM to reminisce with old friends, celebrate 30 years of this amazing teen leadership program, and honor the remarkable impact it has had on generations of students. Check out photos from the evening and see all the wonderful moments shared by our Junior Docent alumni community, who rallied from coast to coast to attend this anniversary reunion!

Our special thanks go to NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a longtime champion and supporter of the Junior Docent Program, for addressing the group and speaking to the importance of mentorship, self-confidence, and service to others. We were also delighted that Cathy Shiga-Gattullo, former head of HRM’s Education Department and founder of the Junior Docent Program, traveled from Vermont to speak about the early days of the program and how working with young people was a rewarding highlight in her own professional trajectory. All assembled appreciated that former Youth and Family Program managers returned to celebrate the current Junior Docents at the Hudson River Museum. Pedro Betanzos, HRM’s current Manager, Youth and Family Programs—and a Junior Docent alumnus (Class of 2012)—gave a poignant speech that culminated in a rallying cry that was cheered by all: “Junior Docents forever! ”

We are grateful to Junior Docent alumni and event sponsors Francis Cruz, Aimee DeCesare, Brian Dore, Austin Duke, Randy Duke, and Kleiver Gomez for their role in making this unforgettable reunion evening possible.

If you weren’t able to attend the party, and still want to support the success of a new generation of teen leaders, please make a donation at hrm.org/donate. And if you’d like to volunteer at an upcoming alumni career panel, we’d love to hear from you!

In 2025, the Junior Docent Program was generously sponsored, in part, by the New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader; Westchester County Youth Bureau; Eugene M. Lang Foundation; Lorraine O’Brien Foundation, Inc.; County of Westchester; City of Yonkers, Department of Planning and Development, through a Community Development Block Grant; St. Faith’s House Foundation; MGM Resorts Foundation, and NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester.

Individual support is also critical to the success of this program. Thanks to Brian Dore, Marion Greenup, Samantha Merton and Brett Humphreys, Christina O’Neill, Henry Schacht, and the Underwood Family for their gifts.

Photo: Jason Green.