Even when she found herself in unrelenting pain, Christine Amodeo Palmer was able to somehow find the strength to smile and laugh for her students and colleagues. The Huntington School District librarian was a fighter, to be sure, and she battled breast cancer with every bit of energy she could summon before passing away on June 13, 2015. She was 41.
The Associated Teachers of Huntington, the professional organization of the district’s teaching corps vowed to present an annual scholarship to a graduating senior in honor of Mrs. Palmer’s career and service to the community. The ATH intends to sponsor the $1,000 award for a ten year period.
The 2018 scholarship was presented to senior Emma Franznick, a spectacular young woman who plans to attend SUNY New Paltz where she intends to study to graphic design.
Christine Amodeo Palmer and her husband, Jim.
“I only took three art classes during my high school career, but out of all the teachers, Mrs. [Kasmira] Mohanty is definitely my favorite,” Ms. Franznick said. “She taught me the ropes of using programs such as Illustrator and PhotoShop. I learned a lot in the short time I spent with her even though it was only for one year. She pushes her students to not only succeed in her class but to make their art the best it can be. Without her, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”
ATH President James Graber presented the prestigious scholarship to Ms. Franznick during the high school’s senior academic awards ceremony in the auditorium.
“While I was looking at colleges during the beginning of my senior year, I stumbled upon SUNY New Paltz,” Ms. Franznick said. “It was only two and a half hours away and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. I heard it had a great art department and did further research and decided this was the school for me. There are so many job opportunities with graphic design, but I don’t have a specific one in mind. My uncle is a graphic designer and pretty much my whole family has studied some form of art in college. I’m sure with their help I can find a job that I’ll really enjoy and succeed in.”
By any standard, Ms. Franznick is a hardworking teenager. She participated in many high school extracurricular activities, including Key Club, Habitat for Humanity, Relay For Life and stage crew, which was her favorite. “I enjoyed every second of it,” she said.
Ms. Franznick played viola in the orchestra and held several executive offices with the Chinese cultural club, including its presidency. She even found time to work as a hostess at Tomo Hibachi.
An honor roll student throughout high school, Ms. Franznick’s work with the stage crew included helping to build sets for plays and musicals and setting up the stage for concerts, assemblies, dance rehearsals, community events and every conceivable performance.
“It is an honor to receive the Christine Amodeo Palmer scholarship,” Ms. Franznick said. “The essay that I wrote for the scholarship was about struggling with racism by others because I’m Asian. I’m glad that my words were able to reach others and I’m going to use the scholarship to help me thrive at New Paltz. I come from a single parent household so knowing this scholarship will help my mother pay for my college expenses really makes me grateful to receive such an award.”
Just like Ms. Franznick, Mrs. Palmer was equally cherished by her faculty and staff colleagues. A 1991 graduate of John H. Glenn High School, she earned a BA in English at SUNY Oswego in 1995 and a Master of Library Science at SUNY Albany in 2000. She also obtained a professional certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in 2004 and had engaged in substantial post-graduate studies.
Mrs. Palmer came to Huntington in 1998 when she was hired as a teacher aide. She returned as a substitute librarian in March 2001 and was appointed to a full time position at Woodhull School in September 2001. She later split time between Flower Hill and Washington Primary Schools.
The happy librarian was a smiling and positive force around school and was viewed as the consummate professional. “Her love for literature, reading and her children were apparent when you walked into her library classes,” said one longtime colleague. “She ran a tight ship, expected a lot from her students and gave more back to each and every one of those lucky enough to have her as a teacher.”
Mrs. Palmer’s mother, Jacqueline Amodeo worked in the district as a special education case aide for 15 years. Many still remember her for the dedication she displayed to her students and her devilish sense of humor and fun loving ways.
Always interested in how she could improve the library experience for her students, Mrs. Palmer secured a Huntington Foundation Star grant in the amount of $11,400 in 2007. Science Connections provided monies to acquire two polycoms and lab sessions for fifth and sixth graders via videoconferencing with New York Hall of Science instructors. It was state of the art stuff and could be intimidating for a person unfamiliar with this type of technology.
While faculty members knew that Mrs. Palmer’s condition was extremely serious, they were nevertheless devastated to learn she had passed away. The veteran educator had a loyal group of faculty colleagues who are determined to keep her memory alive and who consider themselves blessed to have called her their close friend.
Mrs. Palmer left behind her husband, Jim, a New York City police officer and her bright and beautiful son, RJ (short for Robert James), who she was fond of calling her “little man.” He’s 6½ years old now.
