Attending 

Farmingdale State College 

When I moved to Commack in second grade, I looked at the high school in wonder, thinking of the day I was going to be there. Every time I passed the school, I would think about my high school experience and what high school was going to be like. Little did I know, high school was going to introduce me to the real me. 

Coming into high school felt like a whole new page of my Commack journey. Many of my friends already in high school told me to expect the heavy workload and the new friendships. However, no one told me that high school had its struggles and was a time to find yourself, along with what you want to do in life. I can say that freshman year me is so much different than senior year me. In freshman year, I had many friends, I cared about my appearance to others, and I struggled with my grades. As high school went on, I got the hang of things and started to change who I was. I lost many friends along the way; however, I was left with a group super close friend. High school got easier with each grade, which led me to getting better grades. Even though today I am not at the top of my class, I’m fine with it and I know that I came where I am today with hard work and determination.  

Junior year was full of finding a college to fit my needs, standardized testing, finding a junior banquet dress, and maintaining relationships. This is the year I started to realize I had some anxiety. That’s why I always cared about how people perceived me and what some people thought of me. I became someone that I didn’t want to be and others didn’t like to see. With help from my family and friends, I overcame this chapter in my life, and today, I describe myself as an outgoing, strong, independent person who doesn’t care about anyone’s opinion but my own. Overall, I feel like high school introduced me to what the real world is going to be like and how I am going to take on any obstacle life throws my way. 

High school is also where I found my passion for writing. I decided to join the newspaper freshman year. I didn’t expect to find my passion and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. All the training and interviews really inspired me, so I started doing research on what careers have writing in them. I had my mindset on majoring in journalism until I joined the yearbook during my sophomore year. There, I learned about sales, name-checking, layout and so many more concepts and I fell in love. I changed what I wanted to do many times until I found the perfect match. This year, I decided I want to major in public relations, which is a mixture of both things I love to do.  

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my friends. I have lost many friends over the course of high school; however, some chose to stay for the long run. My friends know me better than I know myself. They always are there to cheer me up and make me feel special. I feel like I don’t tell them enough, but I love you guys and I am so thankful that you are in my life. Even though we aren’t going to be in school together next year, I will miss you and we will still keep our relationship strong. I couldn’t do it without you. 

I would also like to thank some of the teachers and administrators of Commack High School. I would like to thank Mr. Marks, for being my favorite math teacher. I enjoyed your class so much and it was the best part of my day. Your little sayings stuck with me and helped me get through some tough times and I will carry these lessons for the rest of my life. I am looking forward to my birthday messages. I would like to thank Ms. Pallilo, for being my favorite science teacher. Freshman year was stressful, however, you made everything fun and easy to understand in your class. I would like to thank Ms. Silva and Ms. Zitarosa, for being my favorite Italian teachers. I always looked forward to going to your class and learning about the Italian language and culture. From your teaching styles and your lesson, I have grown a deep love for the Italian culture and plan to share it with my family in the future. I come from an Italian family, but now I have such a deeper love for my traditions and way of living because of your classes. I will miss you so much next year and I can promise, I will continue to learn Italian. I would like to thank Ms. Palazzo, for being my favorite English teacher. I had you early in the morning and you definitely made my mornings better. From all the jokes you would make to talking about “This is Us,” I always looked forward to your class.  

I would like to thank Ms. Iacopelli. You understood me and my challenges, which I thank you for. You were always so supportive when it came to college planning and thinking about colleges where I would fit in well. I would always see a smile on your face when I saw you in the halls and you would always make sure to solve any problem I had. I can’t thank you enough for all the support you have given me and all the help you have shown throughout my high school experience. I would also like to thank Mr. Keltos. You were always in the hallways, checking on everyone with a smile on your face. You helped me with whatever you could and you were always the person to go to with a problem. High school wouldn’t have been the same without you.  

Mrs. Semple deserves the biggest thank you of them all. Without you guiding me and teaching me how to edit and layout my work, I don’t think I would have found out what I wanted to do. You were always up for a late afternoon in the Suite, editing the yearbook and talking about life. You would listen to all of our problems and you would give advice the best way you could. You made the Suite like a second home, where I felt comfortable. The Suite was a place that I could forget about the troubles I was having at school, and I could just relax. From having a couch where we could relax to supplying us with candy, you made the. Suite enjoyable. You treated all your ‘Couranteers’ and ‘Yerds’ like they were your adopted kids. Whether it was a bad day or we just weren’t feeling the best, you were always there. You supported all my dreams with writing and sat me through what my options were, and I thank you so much for that. Words can’t describe the impact you have made on my life and I will miss you the most next year. 

What I am taking out of high school is the life experiences and the friendships I made. All the memories will be with me forever. I think of my life as a book. Right now, it’s not a chapter closing. Now, I am going to a whole new book, ready for whatever life throws my way. 🔳