Attending Syracuse University

I have always gone through life with the outlook that everything happens for a reason. I moved to Commack in my junior year from the opposite side of the country, giving me a completely clean slate in the middle of my high school journey. When I joined The Courant, I thought it would simply be another activity to strengthen my college resume, but it became so much more than that. It transformed into an outlet that allowed me to connect with the community I had newly joined and helped me find not only my place within the community, but my voice as well.

I remember being in Mr. Desmond’s IB Language & Literature 1 class during third period when he asked me to step outside before class began. After reading some of the work I had turned in, he told me he thought I would thrive in an environment that allowed my interest in writing to grow. To humor him, I agreed to attend a Courant meeting, not realizing how impactful that single decision would become. It was intimidating at first, seeing all the board members and returning writers clumped together along the window ledge of Mrs. Semple’s room. I was unsure if it was the right place for me, but I had never been one to shy away from uncertainty.

Not only did The Courant strengthen my writing and allow me to become more confident speaking to people in more formal situations, but it gave me a perfect segue to integrate myself with my peers. Through interviews, articles, and conversations with people throughout the district, I began to feel connected to Commack in ways I had never anticipated. Writing for The Courant allowed me to learn about the community not as an outsider who had just moved across the country, but as someone who became a part of it.

As The Courant has added to my growth over the last couple of years, the people in my life have also greatly contributed to the person I am today. I want to thank all the people who have agreed to let me interview them and humoring my antics during the process. Every quote that has supported my stories has gone such a long way to give my articles a foundation.

To Mr. Hochman, Mr. Scheiner, and Mr. Donohue, a big thank you for supporting my musical ambitions and making me a better musician over the last couple years. Also, thank you for all the times I asked you for lessons so I could cram study for exams that I procrastinated. My grades thank you for that.

An enormous thank you to Mrs. Cappiello for being an amazing teacher, making calculus less scary than I initially anticipated, and for dealing with my constant nonsensical chatter in your office between passing periods. I cannot imagine what this year would have been like without you as my teacher. 

Thank you to Dr. Kramer for never making me feel less than for being confused in chemistry and massively struggling in the beginning of the year. It was rough in the beginning, but I like to think that I eventually got my bearings enough in the topic to survive, which would not have been possible without you. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you Mr. Desmond for bending the rules of Hamlet Fest so I could perform with my peers. Thank you Mrs. Desmond for always bringing such enthusiasm and excitement to the classroom and also letting me do Hamlet Fest.

Finally, to The Courant, thank you for giving me a place to reignite my passion for journalism that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore and discover since middle school. Thank you Mrs. Semple for your efforts to turn me into the reporter I am today, and also sorry I kept missing scheduled photo-ops. 

I cannot wait to see what the future writers of The Courant have in store in the years to come, and I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to be a part of it all.