Attending Stony Brook University
Growing up with English as my second language and attending years of ENL, I was never great at reading or writing. If you told younger me that I would be embarking on a journey in journalism I would honestly laugh. I always knew in the future I would pursue a career in STEM. However, in sophomore year I was influenced by two friends and joined The Courant. I soon realized that The Courant isn’t only about writing and story-telling, but also the connections and friendships you make with others.
I still remember the excitement of writing my first article on “The Hunger Games.” I immediately scheduled an interview with my friend who had loved the book and movies for many years. Seeing my article get published on The Courant website immediately gave me a huge sense of accomplishment. I started posting the article on all my social media accounts to showcase my first ever article.
My favorite aspect of The Courant would be interviewing people. Interviews and being able to include other people’s opinions in my articles really sets apart writing for The Courant from a typical essay. I was able to connect and hear the voices of students across different grades. The flexibility of The Courant allowed me to share my culture with others through the article I wrote on “Ne Zha 2.” Being able to share my appreciation for my culture with other people made the experience especially meaningful and revealed to me how journalism can bring people with different perspectives and experiences together. Looking back at all my previous articles I could clearly see a growth in my writing skills and how I stepped out of my comfort zone to interview people I would normally never have a chance to interact with. The Courant encouraged me to become more outgoing and participate in school events and activities to better connect with others.
I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all the organizations and individuals that have played a role in my four years at Commack High School. Above all, I would like to thank all of my friends who have supported me in all my endeavors and helped put a smile on my face everyday. I will forever be grateful for all the joyful memories and funny moments that I will deeply cherish.
To Science Olympiad, thank you for all the amazing memories at the Science Olympiad competition and the opportunity to meet new friends from other schools. I’ll never forget studying and struggling through those challenging exams. To Tri-M Music Honor Society, thank you for being the first ever honor society I have been part of since freshman year, where over time I gradually rose to the position of vice president. It taught me how to spread the joy of music with the rest of the school and community and how to create long lasting friendships through music. To the Spanish Honor Society, it was a pleasure being the social media manager and running the Instagram account. Thank you to everyone who allowed me to take pictures of them and post them online. I really enjoyed coming to every event and taking photos to showcase what our honor society has to offer. To Science Honor Society, thank you for allowing me to embrace my love for science and research by spreading this passion with others. By being the vice president, I learned about leadership, responsibility and communication.
A huge thanks to Coach Valdes, Coach DelliSanti and the entirety of the Commack Varsity Badminton team. Badminton was my first varsity sport and I enjoyed every single moment of it. Whether it was practice, games, or playoffs, I loved playing on the courts or cheering in the bleachers. Badminton pushed me forward and helped motivate me to keep moving forward even when I was at my worst. Thank you for teaching me teamwork, determination and dedication. Badminton has created countless memories and friendships which I will cherish forever.
By now you might think I am just flexing all my achievements and involvements during my four years at Commack High School. But truly, I am sincerely grateful for all of these opportunities that helped me grow and develop into the person I am now. I also want to take this opportunity to thank several individuals that believed in me everyday even when I didn’t believe in myself.
To Ms. Collette, Dr. Kramer, Ms. Beatty, and Ms. Anderson, thank you for enriching my experiences in Science Research. Research has been a vital part of my high school career and I will never forget the countless hours experimenting on my projects before proudly showing my findings at science fairs. Through your guidance and patience I could see my hard work pay off and the awards I received throughout my years made the experience even more meaningful and strengthened my passion for research, which I hope to continue at college.
To Dr. Hansen and Mr. Donohue, thank you for helping me become a better musician. Music has always been a part of my life ever since I was a young child, so I am very grateful to be able to spend my high school year surrounded by such a positive and vibrant community.
To Mrs. Bellisari, thank you for being such a motivating teacher. AP World was the first class that challenged me academically, yet you constantly inspired me to never give up and strive for the best. I truly believe your methods of teaching built the foundation of my work ethics and how I approach hard courses. I will always remember correcting your pronunciation of ‘Tiananmen Square,’ which you listened to with such open-mindedness that you even asked me to pronounce it again during review so you would not say it incorrectly. No matter where I go I will always treasure the memories we shared together.
Last but not least, thank you to The Courant for giving me the opportunity to share my passion with the rest of the school and community. Thank you to Mrs. Semple for your hard work and commitment to this organization. To the future members of The Courant, I can’t wait to read all of your future articles. Also submit your articles on time, don’t submit them late like I did.
As my last ever article comes to an end, I would like to leave some final words. As corny as it sounds, time really does fly. Savor every moment you have in high school and enjoy it to the fullest. When times are rough, don’t give up and set your heart ablaze.
