It’s been a dream of hers for many years and now Olivia Hannigan is set to make it come true. The Huntington High School senior has decided to attend Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan in the fall.
“FIT has been my dream school since ninth grade,” Ms. Hannigan said. “As FIT is one of the top fashion schools in the world, it will offer me incredible resources and connections to get me started as a designer. Being that FIT is in New York City, I will be able to experience living in a fashion capital and will constantly be inspired by the different fashions.”
The teenager plans to pursue a career in fashion design and she is excited to begin the next phase of her education and life.
Huntington High School senior Olivia Hannigan
Ms. Hannigan is currently engaged in a credit-bearing career internship with art teacher Kim Valerio, who leads the high school’s fashion program. The two know each other well. The teenager studied with the faculty member in Fashion II and Fashion III classes as a sophomore and junior, respectively. She’s also a student in this year’s AP Portfolio in Fashion class.
“Olivia has an excellent work ethic,” Ms. Valerio said. “Many of the students, including some of the more advanced fashion students, seek her out for advice and for help. She is very talented and creative with sewing, designing and with fashion illustration. She is also very patient, kind and helpful to the Fashion I students. She often comes to my classroom during free periods to work on fashion projects and help students. Each year she has shown her dedication to fashion by creating additional garments for our annual district-wide fashion show and by designing highly detailed fashion pieces.”
Ms. Hannigan lives and breathes fashion. “Olivia represented our fashion classes at the Finley Middle School ‘road show’ this past fall, demonstrating how to use a sewing machine, answering questions and speaking about her experiences in the high school fashion program,” Ms. Valerio said. “Olivia is a pleasure to have in my class and I will miss her when she graduates, but I am very happy that she will attend FIT for fashion design.”
The teenager will serve as the master of ceremonies at next week’s (Tuesday, May 15) high school afternoon and evening fashion shows in the high school gymnasium.
“As of right now, I’d love to be a fashion designer for stores such as Zara and Anthropologie,” Ms. Hannigan said. “Another interest of mine would be teaching. Being the fashion intern for all Fashion I classes made me realize how much I love helping others and spreading my knowledge about fashion. Seeing others excited to start sewing and drawing makes me want to become a fashion teacher once I have gained more knowledge of the field.”
Ms. Hannigan has dabbled in many activities at the high school over the past four years. She was active with Habitat for Humanity for three years, rowed on the crew team as a sophomore, participated in Relay For Life and is currently a member of the Art Honor Society.
“My fashion internship has definitely been one of my favorite parts of high school,” Ms. Hannigan said. “It was such a great opportunity that I gained a ton of experience and knowledge from. Rowing on the crew team was also a highlight of my high school career. I met so many new people and had so much fun. Painting the windows at Rosas with the Art Honor Society was also very fun.”
The senior cited teachers Elizabeth Casazza (Spanish), Steven Kroll (English 11), Sarah Buchalter (Participation in Government), Jane Judson (Art Honor Society faculty advisor) and Ms. Valerio as among her favorite faculty members.
“My four years at Huntington High School could not have been better,” Ms. Hannigan said. “I will always remember how amazing my teachers were and how much fun I had in all of my classes.”
