Lacey Teen Honored As School's 'Unsung Hero'

LACEY, NJ — Thirty students from across Ocean County were honored at the Student Recognition Awards on May 4 as "Unsung Heroes."

What makes an unsung hero? According to the program, it is a person who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition. These students have overcome great difficulties and persevered.

Read More: 'Unsung Heroes' Of Ocean County Schools Honored

Alyson Bernaldo was one of the students honored at the event. Bernaldo, a Lacey Township High School senior, shared her story through a brief video played.

Bernaldo grew up moving around a lot due to her addict parents, who she did not see until she was 12-years-old. She said she missed a lot of school as a kid and felt alone and unloved.

Now, through the help of therapy and living with her loving older brother, she is overcoming her challenges.

Bernaldo's teachers described her as "compassionate" and "resilient." Though she missed a lot of school growing up, she now has a 4.21 GPA and has been accepted into college - something she said she did not know was possible for her. Bernaldo said she wants to become a kindergarten teacher and eventually get a master's degree in psychology.

Throughout everything she has been through in life, Bernaldo said what she has learned is "family is just not blood-related." She continues to grow and her teachers said they cannot wait to see what she does next.

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