Dylan Tuozzo Figures it Out
Dylan Tuozzo has a certain presence about her. She is smart, articulate, inquisitive, funny, sensitive, caring and a very hard worker. The Huntington High School senior has had so many varied experiences over the past four years that it's hard to understand how she found time to fit it all in.
"It seems like yesterday I was trying to figure out how to open my locker and now here I am a senior applying to colleges," Ms. Tuozzo said. Whether she knows it or not, the high school faculty holds her in high esteem for her wit and wisdom and will collectively miss her next year.
She's been on the honors/Advanced Placement track for the past four years and Ms. Tuozzo has found it to be a worthwhile experience. "Some classes have been very challenging, but I feel they have prepared for what's to come," the senior said. "Knowing that I have already taken college level classes, it's helped build my confidence in my ability to handle the academic challenges that I will be faced with next year."
Reflecting on her high school years, Ms. Tuozzo said the classes she's enjoyed the most include photography, honors physics and honors English. "Dylan is a very dedicated and hard working student," said Pamela Piffard, a high school photography teacher. "She is always prepared and puts in great effort in all she does."
She's been active outside of the classroom, traveling to New Orleans with the high school's Habitat for Humanity chapter to help rebuild the hurricane ravaged city, participating in an Italian exchange program involving Italy and working as a belay and instructor at Island Rock, an indoor rock climbing facility. Ms. Tuozzo has been going on rock climbing excursions in the New Paltz area for three years and said she "absolutely loves it."
This looks to be busy this year for the senior. Ms. Piffard recommended Ms. Tuozzo for a media arts internship with teacher Heather Swan and the senior enthusiastically dove into the assignment. "I have been able to continue my interest in photography while helping others develop their skills in Photoshop," she said.
Photography is something near and dear to Ms. Tuozzo's heart and she has a good eye for it. "This past summer I worked as a photography teacher assistant in the OOMPAH summer arts program, which was a wonderful experience," she said.
Ms. Tuozzo has also been a multi-sport athlete at Huntington High School as a member of the fencing and crew teams. She was a Blue Devil saber fencer on the squad that won the silver medal at the county championships last winter. In the spring of her sophomore year she joined the crew team where she forged some of her closest friendships.
"It was not always easy balancing sports with academics, however I highly recommend it," Ms. Tuozzo said about participating in the athletic program. Naturally, coaches enjoyed working with her and teammates came to count on her will to win and rugged competitiveness.
Ms. Tuozzo is currently in the midst of applying to colleges. "It is very time consuming and I am looking forward to the time when I can just sit back and wait for responses," she said. "As of now, I am undecided as to a major, but my favorite subjects have been math and science, so I will most likely explore careers involving those fields."
"Dylan is kind and an overall exceptional young lady," said Ms. Piffard. It's an assessment that the high school faculty and student body would quickly agree with.