On Tuesday, Greenwich High School’s graduation for the class of 2025 will feature speakers including valedictorian, Justin Bernstein.
On Monday, Justin reflected on his education in Greenwich Public Schools, where he attended Pre-K and Kindergarten at Hamilton Avenue School, and grades 1-5 at Julian Curtiss School – both Title I schools.
Justin Bernstein at home in Greenwich. June 16, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Justin said he was grateful for the variety of opportunities he had over the years, especially at GHS where he described the options as so vast that it’s easy to be spread too thin.
“It’s easy to feel the need to join many different things,” he said. “But delve deeper into the opportunities you enjoy. That’s what I’ve found the most rewarding – with GEMS Explorers and the GHS science research program with Andy Bramante.”
“Focus more time on fewer things,” was Justin’s advice to undergrads.
Justin said the GHS Course of Study Guide was vast compared to what many other public high schools and private schools have to offer.
“GHS has more AP classes. We offer it all. And at private schools you’re not necessarily collaborating with people of such diverse backgrounds as at Greenwich High School. That’s something I have really enjoyed.”
Asked about school spirit, Justin noted he was part of the team to organize the recent successful GHS International Night that was open to the entire district. He said it had been rewarding to see so many people turn out for the event.
“I think when I came to GHS, especially after Covid, there was a lack of school spirit, and there still kind of is. So we tried to create new traditions. International Night is one of them. I think at a time when there is such division in terms of the general landscape we live in, that it was nice to have a night to celebrate such diversity that we have at GHS.”
Michelle Weissler, Justin Bernstein, Martin Rocca, Santi Lattuado, and Señora Maria Sol Yika at the May 1, 2025 International Night at Greenwich High School. May 1, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
GHS shared cuisine from from 50 countries at International night on May 1, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Sebastian Correa, Paola Jaramillo, Amanda Cabrera Santiago, Noah Barret, Sabrina Moreno and Samuel Bravo performed Bachata Dance – Propuesta indecente & Merengue – La dueña del swing at International Night at GHS. May 1, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
Earlier in the day on Monday, Justin spoke to 8th graders at Central Middle School.
“One of the things I said to the eighth graders was to prioritize what they want to do, not necessarily for college applications or a resume,” he said.
He noted that at GHS it was all too easy to feel the pressure to perform to get into college.
“I told them to prioritize what they are passionate about and what they enjoy doing. That’s one of the reasons students push themselves to their limits – because of those external pressures.”
Justin said with that pressure to get into good colleges, there is fierce competition among students.
“That’s why it’s so important for them to do things for themselves and not necessarily for others,” he said.
“Take advantage of all the teachers have to offer,” he added. “My teachers were all very willing to work with us, they were flexible and passionate, and I enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level.”
Justin said that even having honed in on his passions, his four years were somewhat stressful and time management was important.
“I know it’s something my peers and I are still working on – as well as staying organized. Sometimes it felt like I had so many things going on at once, my mind was all over the place, especially freshman and sophomore year. But by junior year, I worked on organizing myself to separate things and get things done as needed.”
For Justin the passions he pursued during his years at GHS were the science research program with Andy Bramante and GEMS Explorer Post, which fueled his interest in a future in medicine, possibly cardiology.
Having joined the GEMS Explorer Post his freshman year, he enjoyed the once-a-week meetings which focused on different medical topics.
“We’ve had a K-9 search and rescue come with dogs and we helped with a training exercise at Camp Seton,” he recalled.
After after sophomore year, Justin took an intense 14-week EMT course over the summer that he noted is also available to adults.
“It was a great time,” he recalled. “A lot of the kids there wanted to go into medicine, but many participate for the community service aspect.”
This past year Justin was president of the Explorer Post where the group is involved in community outreach, including Touch-a-Truck events a free CPR class.
He so enjoyed volunteering on the ambulance the past two years that he extended it to his senior internship.
“I saw birth once. There was a cardiac arrest,” he recalled. “There is an adrenaline rush when the lights and sirens are on. At first I was nervous, now I harness the adrenaline and it makes me more focused.”
Justin’s other passion during his high school years came in the form of Mr. Bramante’s science research program.
“We are so lucky to have him,” Justin said, noting the equipment is university grade, donated by professional laboratories to the school through Mr. Bramante’s industry connections.
“What the labs do is when instruments are a few years old they typically throw them away when they replace them,” he said. “That’s how we got access.”
Justin is headed to Yale University in New Haven in the fall. Having been accepted to Harvard, Stanford and Yale, he said he had a tough choice.
“I took a week off school to visit all of them during admitted student days. At the end, it was between Yale and Harvard for their east coast locations. Yale really has the collaboration I was looking for especially in science,” he said, noting he will be a premed student. “It’s less cutthroat, and less pressure – more of peers supporting peers.”
As for being the class valedictorian, Justin said he hadn’t found out until last Friday. As happy as he was, he said over his four years at GHS his goal had always been the learning rather than the grades.
“I really did try to learn and am grateful I had great teachers who are passionate about what they were teaching.”
As for graduation day, Justin said he was ready with his remarks, and looked forward to hearing the commencement speaker, Ben Van Leeuwen, a GHS graduate from the class of 2002, who went on to found Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Student government members had a committee to determine the speaker, and Justin who is one of two class senators, said he suggested Mr. Van Leeuwen to the group and was happy he was selected.
Justin’s parents, Valerie Rimmer and Peter Bernstein, have both been long time volunteers in Greenwich Public Schools, with his father having served on the Board of Education, including as its chair.
A special moment at graduation will take place when Justin is handed his diploma from his father, who presented older brother Lance with his diploma in 2023.