Julia Giles has created an award winning documentary on Jamaican singer-songwriter and cultural icon Bob Marley. The Huntington High School junior’s work, titled “War and Peace: Bob Marley’s Impact on Jamaican Politics” displayed a depth of research that clearly impressed National History Day contest judges.
Huntington High School junior Julia Giles.
“It is an individual documentary that details the life of Marley, the corruption in Jamaican politics as he grew up and how he used his musical platform to protest against this corruption and promote peace and black empowerment,” Ms. Giles said. “It was a difficult project to do, as I’m still an amateur at film editing and didn’t know much about Marley before choosing this topic, but ultimately I’m proud of how it turned out and I’m glad that more people know about the history of a nation often overlooked in National History Day topics.”
Co-publicist of the high school’s Key Club, Ms. Giles is a writer for The Dispatch, Huntington’s student newspaper. She is a member of the English Honor Society and the Art Honor Society.
“My dream school right now is SUNY Purchase as it’s dedicated to the arts, close to home and a school that my dad used to be enrolled in and my sister is currently enrolled in,” Ms. Giles said. “I actually wanted to go to Purchase before she did! I’m not sure what major I want to pursue, but I definitely want one involving the arts; the physical aspects of art like drawing and painting, with maybe a minor in film. This is because I want to be an animator or a graphic novelist after I graduate, as those careers combine my two main passions of art and storytelling.”
A member of Huntington High School’s High Honor Roll, Ms. Giles has excelled at her challenging studies. She is highly regarded among the faculty and her classmates.
“I think I’ve mostly enjoyed my time at Huntington High School,” Ms. Giles said. “Sure, it has been pretty stressful and I would rather not deal with the mountains of work the school gives me every month, but I’ve loved learning new things, meeting new people and generally appreciating my time in this town and with this community. I’m going to miss this place when I graduate.”