Both Victoria DeMatteo and Robert Wertheimer beam with pride when they talk about their son Trevor’s acceptance into Regis School in New York City. And they should. According to Wertheimer the prestigious Jesuit college preparatory school has only about a 14 percent acceptance rate. “It’s extremely competitive,” he said. But he added, so is Trevor.
Trevor, now 14 and an eighth grader at Wisdom Lane Middle School in Levittown, said he is up for the challenge. A successful two-time Science Olympian, Trevor’s seventh grade team beat his school’s eighth grade team, and his current eighth grade team is now also headed to the demanding state competition in Rochester, said he’s ready to test some new skills. Regis, Trevor said, has a very strong debate team. “I’m considering taking that up.”
And the debate team might be just the place to put his vast knowledge of American History to the test. While he recently read the books “Killing Kennedy” and “Killing Lincoln” for enjoyment, one would be both surprised and impressed to hear his familiarity of a more recent president, but still before Trevor’s time, Gerald Ford’s tumultuous relationship with New York City, and Trevor’s understanding of the actual nuances behind the immediate headlines. But his mom isn’t surprised. “Trevor is very unique. He is beyond his years,” said DeMatteo.
The Journey To Regis
While Trevor will be commuting to his new school starting September 2014 by LIRR and possibly subway or bus, his true journey to Regis started in spring 2013 with a teacher recommendation. Trevor originally planned to go to Chaminade, but heard accolades of
Regis through a teacher and decided to set his sights on that academic opportunity.
Trevor needed to be at the top of his class to even apply. The application process included a test, an essay and an interview discussing his opinion on the recent government shut-down and who was to blame for the fiasco.
Trevor knows his new school, as a Jesuit learning institution, will focus heavily on community service, giving back to others and helping those less fortunate. Trevor said, “Anyway I can help people is nice.”
Trevor said his though favorite subjects are Social Studies and history, but he also excels at Science and Math and has informally tutored peers in those subjects during final exam time. He also assisted teachers in grading papers. And Mother Nature’s recent wrath has given him another opportunity to help by shoveling out some elderly neighbors’ homes.
The Future
Trevor said he isn’t sure which college he’d eventually like to attend, but right now said he might be interested in a career in law. His dad, an investment manager, said “Trevor is also pretty good at economics.” And his mom, a marketing professional, said at one time he expressed an interest in medicine. When a bike accident landed Trevor in the hospital for a week Trevor took the time to read, “Angels in the ER.” Trevor said he might be interested in the medical field and is fascinated by the heart and nervous system.
