Nate Deegan makes a great impression on everyone he meets. The Huntington High School junior is articulate, good natured and able to speak on many topics. He’s excelling in everything that he does and his classmates and teachers are sitting up and taking notice.
Mr. Deegan is a Huntington UFSD “lifer.” He got his start in a kindergarten classroom as Washington Primary School. He’s always been inquisitive, sensitive and mature beyond his years.
Huntington High School junior Nate Deegan
The junior’s current academic schedule includes classes in Advanced Placement United States History, AP Language and Composition, Algebra 2 Honors, Physics Regents, Virtual Enterprise, Concert Choir and Italian IV.
A member of Huntington’s National Honor Society chapter, the teenager counts John Holly, Jack Kurathowski, Alex Fascilla, Bella DiBenedetto and Sarah Giarraputo among his closest friends.
“If I had to pick a favorite teacher in Huntington High School, it would be Ms. [Paige] Furman,” Mr. Deegan said. “I first had Ms. Furman as a freshman for Career and Financial Management. The following year I had her for Sports Marketing. After taking both of these classes, my interest in business came into focus. Ms. Furman recognized this then told me about Virtual Enterprise and kindly let me experience what the class was like by taking me to a trade show at LIU Post. After that exhilarating experience, I immediately contacted my guidance counselor, Mr. [Steve] Lashin, and told him that I had to take Virtual Enterprise. I have no regrets whatsoever. It’s a class that I definitely recommend for the junior or senior year.”
Mr. Deegan runs on the Blue Devil winter and spring track and field teams, participates in the student government and Interact Club and volunteers with the Huntington Booster Club.
The teenager is a long way from making a decision about which college to attend, but he’s interested in LIU Post, Syracuse, Penn State and Ohio State. “I’m leaning towards majoring in business, specifically marketing,” Mr. Deegan said.
“Nate is the ultimate student,” business teacher Paige Furman said. “I’ve had him in class since ninth grade, He is such a mature and responsible young adult. He is very proactive and seizes every opportunity to get involved and make a difference in our community. In Virtual Enterprise, he is fulfilling the role of vice president of marketing where he is doing a phenomenal job of motivating his team. He leads by example and is never one to shy away from the difficult tasks.”
Traveling is one of Mr. Deegan’s favorite activities. “So far, the furthest I’ve been away from home is when I went to Italy with EF Tours as a sophomore,” Mr. Deegan said. “That trip was an experience I will forever remember. My family and I are quite the trailblazers when it comes to traveling. Two summers ago we went on a three week trip around America, going from New York to California and back. Last summer we went on a trip to Montana and back. Both of these vacations were entirely in the car. This is the reason that at only 16 years old, I’ve been to 40 out of the 50 states. It’s on my bucket list to cross out the remaining ten.”
Mr. Deegan is a savvy young man who learns from everything he experiences. “The best advice that I have for incoming freshmen is to get involved as much as possible in high school,” he said. “Huntington in particular has so many clubs with the greatest mentors a teenager can find. You have to maximize your schedule with as many honors and AP classes you can handle. That might not sound like fun, but in the long run it will all be worth it.”
Not a day goes by without Mr. Deegan taking a step forward toward reaching his goals. But he likes to have fun, too, and he enjoys lots of activities outside of the classroom. He has balance in his life.
“Overall my time in Huntington has been amazing,” Mr. Deegan said. “It’s hard to believe that it will coming to an end soon. I can truly say that I’m beyond grateful for all the teachers I’ve had from my start at Huntington to now. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all of them.”
