Samantha Levine is the Friendliest
of Seniors
She's the friendliest of seniors. Samantha Levine, a member of Huntington High School's Class of 2013 is one of those teenagers who likes to lead a life packed with activities and opportunities for personal growth and service all while maintaining some very close friendships.
"I've been in the district since kindergarten," Ms. Levine said last week. "I've never moved in my entire life, which makes the thought of going away for college next year very exciting."
The teenager has already been accepted by Hofstra University with a Presidential scholarship and by George Mason University's Honors College and Binghamton University. She is waiting to hear from Northeastern, Fordham, CUNY-Macaulay Honors College, Boston University and American University. "I adore every school on this list, but I know that the college I attend will be the one that was meant for me," Ms. Levine said.
The senior is president of Huntington High School's Key Club after serving as its treasurer as a sophomore and junior. She's been a member of Natural Helpers since ninth grade and is on the town's Youth Court, "which is a group that deals with misdemeanor crimes to bring restorative justice to minors," Ms. Levine said.
Two of Ms. Levine's favorite courses have been AP World History and AP United States History. "Many people think that history is over and done with, but these two classes really taught me that knowing about the past truly connects us to our future," she said. "A firm understanding of prior events leads us to understand the development of other countries and explains how they function today. History provides itself as a crucial link between the old and the new and it's up to students of the subject to utilize this knowledge to improve the current events and then prepare for the upcoming ones."
The teenager said that AP Language and Composition, Honors English 10 and Honors Spanish "have also been amazing courses." This year, Ms. Levine is enrolled in AP Literature, AP Microeconomics, AP Government and Politics, AP Biology, College Asian Studies and Honors Spanish. It's a challenging slate of classes, but the senior is up for the work.
As if she's not busy enough, Ms. Levine is also the sponsorship chair for this year's Relay For Life at the high school, historian of the Spanish Honor Society and a member of the English and National honor societies. She was voted the "Friendliest" female in the Class of 2013.
Ms. Levine and Huntington High School's teachers have really hit it off well. "I've come across some of the most amazing teachers while here at Huntington and I'm at a loss for words to express how thankful I am for their efforts," she said.
Among the teachers she has grown especially fond of are Dame Forbes, Thomas Massone, Joann Ferazi, Camille Tedeschi, Ken Donovan, Kelly Krycinski, Gina Colica, Aimee Antorino and Kelly Quintero-Lashley.
"I admire Mrs. Forbes for her vast knowledge of chemistry and teaching me how to study properly; Mr. Masone for answering endless questions in physics; Mrs. Ferazi for her patience; Ms. Tedeschi for intensifying my passion for history; Mr. Donovan for teaching me how to apply my knowledge of the subject inside and outside of the classroom; Mrs. Krycinski and Mrs. Colica for their guidance in Key Club;Mrs. Antorino for teaching me how to tackle a research project and Mrs. Quintero-Lashley for her constant kindness and contagious cheer," Ms. Levine said. "I know that's a very long list of teachers, but I truly feel that each of these individuals has influenced me to develop both as a student and a person and it was impossible to walk in without a smile on my face when going to their classes."
Two of Ms. Levine's "unforgettable" high school memories involve the Key Club's talent show, "The K Factor" and a trip she took to Peru. The talent show was staged to raise money for a Huntington alum battling leukemia. "Our entire club was bursting with energy and we worked tirelessly to put the production on," she said. "We're going to be doing another talent show this spring."
The teenager visited Peru with Education First Tours. It was a private trip, not sanctioned or funded by the school district. Many of Ms. Levine's classmates joined her and one of her favorite teachers, Ms. Tedeschi, served as a tour chaperone. "There is no feeling that will ever be comparable to the exhilaration I felt after realizing we had climbed up a six-mile trail, and were able to look down onto Machu Picchu."
There are many high school activities that Ms. Levine will miss, including the Natural Helpers' fall retreats, but she is excited about the future and looking forward to what awaits her in college and beyond.
"I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was in kindergarten, but this past year I've strongly been considering a career working as an ambassador or another sort of diplomat," Ms. Levine said. "Becoming an attorney will always be an option, but it depends on how the job market grows or diminishes as I look into finding a job. I'm very intrigued by working abroad, hopefully in a Latin American country. I've been learning to speak Spanish since I was a toddler and when I travel to Spanish-speaking countries, I enjoy communicating with people in their native language."
The senior's advice to incoming freshmen is heartfelt: "Find something that you have an unconditional passion for and then drive your energy into that activity," Ms. Levine said. "You need to find something to look forward to in order to motivate yourself to get through that essay or make it to that fencing practice. Needless to say, your plate will be piled high with school work, friends, and extra-curriculars, but managing your time helps tremendously. Don't procrastinate, and I promise, your workload will diminish much faster."