Emily Mirón has enjoyed the past four years at Huntington High School, making every day count as she went about compiling a strong record. The senior has sketched out an exciting plan for her future, which she intends to begin pursuing next fall at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.
“I chose University of New Haven because I’ve always wanted a school where I felt at home and the New Haven campus, staff, students and environment gave me that feeling as well as being away from home but only two hours away making easy to come home,” Ms. Mirón said. “I love the diversity in New Haven, mostly the Latina sororities. I’ve always pictured myself at a bigger school, but New Haven won me over. It only has 5,000 undergraduate and 82 acres of campus. They have also helped me out a lot through this process. The admission counselor is always texting me if have any questions or concerns. They made me feel wanted at their university.”
The Huntington senior plans to study criminal justice with dual concentrations in investigative services and forensic science. “I’m excited that my professors are all former police officers, FBI agents or had jobs before becoming professors that I wish to have in the future,” Ms. Mirón said. “Having small classes is one of benefits I’m looking forward to, so I can have close relationships with my professors. I plan on Double Majoring in Criminal justice with a concentration of Investigative services and Forensic Science.
The teenager considered a variety of colleges including “safe” schools such as SUNY Oneonta, Tampa and Pace; “target” schools, including George Mason, High Point and New Haven and “reach” schools such as Penn State and Indiana Bloomington. “I got into all the schools I applied to, which made my decision even harder,” Ms. Mirón said. “I definitely stressed choosing between Penn State, New Haven and Tampa.”
Ms. Mirón has been an active member of the high school community, participating in the yearbook club, Habitat for Humanity and United Amigos. She’s the treasurer of the Spanish Honor Society a Huntington Youth Court ambassador and a member of the high school Principal’s Advisory Council.
My career interests are in the field of criminal justice,” Ms. Mirón said. “The Secret Service has my interest as of right now, but I plan to become a cop at first and move up from there. I think that if my mindset changes it would be towards the route of becoming a lawyer. Being part of youth court has had a big impact on me. I’m very interested criminal court.”
Ms. Mirón was chosen to participate in the Angelo del toro Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute, which culminated in several days in Albany with state legislators and leaders who discussed the ins and outs of government and lawmaking.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to a teacher, but I’ve definitely received great advice from Mrs. [Mercedes] Peña and Mr. [Edward] Florea,” Ms. Mirón said. “They each wrote a letter of recommendation for me and I’m so grateful they were there for me when I needed some words of wisdom. Mr. Florea is my favorite teacher because he has such a unique way of teaching. He made chemistry interesting and he made me want to go to class and not complain about double periods. He always had a story to tell and always made labs fun. My guidance counselor Ms. [Diana] Bonilla has definitely helped me out the most throughout high school. She’s more than just my counselor, but a friend. I trust her and I’m thankful she was there for me and guided me to take the right classes and to keep up with my work and to make the right choices when I was in a rough situation.”
A two-year Relay For Life team captain, Ms. Mirón has also translated for Huntington High School’s Parent Academy and participated in the peer mediation program. Her senior year academic schedule has included Advanced Placement Psychology, Pre-Calculus, Physics, Personal Law, Economics, Participation in Government, Holocaust Literature and Multicultural Literature.
“My experience at Huntington High School was great,” Ms. Mirón said. “I can’t complain. I’ve always tried to get along with everyone and just make every little moment count. I will never forget our Relay For Life assemblies and being nominated prom princess and Homecoming Day queen. I will miss Huntington High School, but I’m ready to start this new chapter in my life that I’ve been anxiously waiting for.”
