Life is Good for Jake Goldstein
Life is good for Jake Goldstein. He's a senior at Huntington High School, has been accepted into Yale University and recently earned All-State swimming honors for the third consecutive season.
"Jake Goldstein is incredible," said Bernadette Walsh, Huntington High School's college counselor. "He's a breath of fresh air when he walks into my office. He exudes confidence and has a spirited take on the world. He is compassionate, involved and focused."
Mr. Goldstein is a genuine article. He's comfortable with who he is. The senior gets excited about new experiences and enjoys sharing them with friends and classmates.
"Jake's superior transcript has been developed in the most demanding curriculum offered at our high school," Mrs. Walsh said. Mr. Goldstein has completed a litany of Advanced Placement courses and has excelled in his classes since elementary school.
"He is a determined and dedicated scholar who knows only one way of doing things and that is correctly, thoroughly and with excellence," Mrs. Walsh said. "This is true of his work in the classroom where he is known as a tough competitor who defends his positions to the end. His positions are worth defending and worth listening to because they are forged by an analytical mind, evidence of preparation and good insights. Jake's teachers have consistently commented that he is a focused and determined student in class, always prepared, thorough and thoughtful in his approach."
Mr. Goldstein has devoted an enormous number of hours to swimming. His days often begin in the dark, as he heads off to private practice during the early morning when almost everyone else is still asleep. He's one of the top Blue Devil swimmers ever and his three All-State performances have solidified his place in Huntington High School's athletic history. He plans to swim on Yale's team next year.
"Jake has always been one to find any challenge motivating and exciting so it's no surprise that he thrives upon the schedule he's maintained for so many years, which actually includes teaching himself guitar, keyboard and ukulele," Mrs. Walsh said. "He does it all effortlessly, with true confidence and charisma. Jake exudes poise and sportsmanship while in and out of the pool."
Mr. Goldstein's dynamic personality and spirit easily carries over from Huntington's classrooms and hallways into the pool. He can be a strong and effective motivator and seeks to set a high standard with a work ethic second to none.
"Jake is a self motivated, very goal oriented individual," Mrs. Walsh said. "He sets his own standards and lives his life reaching for higher ones. At the heart of Jake is a loving, warm, sensitive and most generous person. He is a leader; a caring and sensitive individual and a well disciplined young man."
As Mr. Goldstein readies to close the chapter on his high school experience, his teachers and coaches are excited to see him move on to one of the country's most venerable institutions of higher learning at Yale. They have little doubt that success awaits the teenager there.