Cole Cook to Study Finance at
Ohio State
Cole Cook has been a student in the Huntington School District since kindergarten. Despite a plethora of experiences, it has still been a somewhat sheltered life in a suburban school district with a relatively small high school. But, now the teenager is ready to spread his wings and take flight.
Mr. Cook is headed to Ohio State University in the fall where he plans to study finance. A true scholar, the senior was accepted by a variety of top-notch schools, including Penn State University, Loyola University Maryland and the University of Michigan.
The situation at Ohio State is a special one. Mr. Cook has been admitted to the university's honors program on an academic scholarship. He will major in finance in the Fisher School of Business. He's also excited about the Buckeye mystic and looking forward to attending college football games in the fall.
Mr. Cook was just a little boy when he started school in Huntington. Now he's all grown up and whimsical as he prepares for the June 22 commencement exercises. The teenager said he has "really enjoyed" his time in the district, especially the last four years at the high school.
"I have had many of the same friends since starting school at Flower Hill Elementary and have played lacrosse with most of them for the past 12 years," Mr. Cook said. "The friends I have made and the experiences I have shared with them are what will make up the best memories for me."
Some of Mr. Cook's happiest days have been spent practicing and playing with the Blue Devil lacrosse program. He's also spent time fundraising for non-verbal children with autism.
Academically, Mr. Cook is one of the top students in Huntington's Class of 2012. He's been enrolled in a full schedule of Advanced Placement classes throughout high school and was honored during this spring's Distinguished Seniors banquet.
The teenager's favorite teachers have been English department faculty member Aimee Antorino and math teacher Monica Racz. "Mrs. Antorino has taught me to become a better writer and has provided me with great support throughout high school," Mr. Cook said. "Mrs. Racz gave me the confidence to take math to a level that I wasn't sure I was capable of."
Mr. Cook was recently presented with the Good Deed Award for Long Island Teenagers for his work raising awareness about autism and raising monies to help purchase multiple iPads and applications software for non-verbal students. He was nominated for the award by the director of the Elija School in Levittown, which was the beneficiary of Mr. Cook's fundraising success. The Huntington senior was honored during this year's Good Deeds Award ceremony attended by a proverbial "who's who" of Long Island notables.
The teenager can't believe how quickly the years have passed, especially those spent at Huntington High School. Mr. Cook's advice to incoming freshmen is "enjoy your time while you're here, because it goes by really fast."