We would like to show our sincere appreciation to Angelica “Gel” and Pas Colicchio for inviting the alumni of the College Experience to their Zumba activity at the Bethlehem YMCA located on 900 Delaware Avenue in Delmar, NY. Gel was kind enough to allow the alumni to use one of her guest passes to be able to join the activity for free on the date of Sunday, February 12, 2023! Gel is an alumnus from the Class of 2008 and Pas is her younger brother. Both live with Fragile X Syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum but are very active members of the community. The siblings are also much-beloved by anyone who knows them well and/or has encountered them throughout Albany.

This is the first time that the Alumni Activities Club has done Regular Zumba after numerous visits to the Guilderland YMCA Swimming Pool for Aqua Zumba. The Zumba class at the Bethlehem YMCA typically has a full house in the gymnasium with a live, one-man band to augment the joy. One of the songs that we fell in love with was Zumba High with Francesca Maria. If you click on this link (or below), you will also understand the addictive magic of Zumba!

This is a perfect example of how making good choices instead of caving into the temptation and immediate gratification of unhealthy eating habits does not have to be a chore. We truly felt like we were at a dance party. Gel is still working on her fitness goals but has succeeded in losing a dramatic amount of weight due to these types of activities.

We are looking forward to including Gel and Pas in more Alumni Activities. Included for your visual pleasure is a photo of everyone dancing to the Zumba beat.  (From left to right are Jessica Lewis, Gel Colicchio, Pas Colicchio, and Girdharry Rikhi.)