Mia Nitekman’s magnificent run through Huntington High School will culminate in June when the senior graduates with the Class of 2019. She is headed to the University of Pittsburgh to study politics and philosophy and no one would be surprised in the least if she plays a role in changing the world for the better.
President of Huntington’s National Honor Society chapter, Ms. Nitekman is treasurer of the Interact club, vice president of the chamber choir, historian of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and communications czar of the Social Studies Honor Society. She recently began volunteering with the Rotary Club through the Huntington Interfaith Housing Initiative.
Huntington High School senior Mia Nitekman.
Ms. Nitekman’s closest friends include Isabella Cahill, Christiana DeLuca, Katherine DeGennaro, Sara Frawley, Noah Morris and Natalie McCann.
“Mia is an amazing friend and person,” Ms. Frawley said. “I admire her dedication and drive to succeed. From being the president of the National Honor Society to her involvement in the League of Women Voters, her passion for bettering the community is always evident. The University of Pittsburgh is lucky to have her and I know she will do amazing things in her future.”
The teenager’s senior year academic schedule includes classes in Advanced Placement Calculus AB, AP Government and Politics, Physics, Bible Literature, Humanities, Chamber Choir and a credit bearing internship with social studies teacher Kenneth Donovan.
“Mia has been one of my best friends since sixth grade when we met through choir and she is hands down one of the most dedicated and hardworking people I’ve ever met,” Ms. Cahill said. “She has always been so kind and supportive toward me and everyone she loves and she always pushes her hardest for everything and I admire it so much. I think her motivation is one of her best qualities. I am so happy that she gets to go to her dream school in the fall and study what she loves.”
The teenager’s favorite Huntington teachers have been Kelly Krycinski, Victoria Lombardi, Kenneth Donovan, Camille Tedeschi and Deborah Beck.
“Mia is outstanding,” said Ms. Tedeschi, who is the Interact club’s faculty advisor. “She is a smart, strong willed young woman with a sharp mind and clear sense of purpose. I loved being her teacher for three years in a row and I love working with her as treasurer to the Interact club. Some of my best memories of Mia in class is when she would make a presentation, because she is a poignant public speaker and when she made a children’s book about suffrage in Women’s Studies. I also remember when she was traveling to Cuba to see her family and I gave her a travel journal to record her experience. I will be sad when she leaves Huntington High School, but I know she will continue to strive for excellence and help to change the world in a phenomenal way.”
Ms. Nitekman is respected by everyone and her friends are remarkably loyal. They all encourage and support one another and help during difficult periods. They are a constant presence in each other’s lives.
“I’ve had the pleasure of getting close to Mia over these past few years,” Ms. DeLuca said. “She truly is one of the most driven and intelligent people I know. She’s going to do great at Pitt and I am so excited for her.”
While Ms. Nitekman is participating in an almost breathtaking number of activities outside of class, she said she was even more involved in past years, “but this is all I had time for this year.”
“Mia is the most driven, motivated student at Huntington High School,” Mr. Morris said. “She has such an admirable outlook on education and learning, always striving to inform herself on the topics that interest her most. Mia’s passion for interdisciplinary subjects is going to propel her to success at the University of Pittsburgh and thereafter. Her determination to succeed and spread knowledge is a defining characteristic that she possesses; one that proves her to be a well-rounded individual that will no doubt reshape the world as we know it.”
The teenager has been doing a great deal of thinking about college, what she wants to study and the career she ultimately hopes to pursue.
“I’ve bounced between science and history for years before landing in the humanities,” said Ms. Nitekman about her plans for college and beyond. “I have my eye on speech writing, campaign management even constitutional law.”
Ms. Nitekman has even found time to travel during breaks from her high school studies. She went to Havana, Cuba two years ago to visit family members there and is set to go to Peru next month. The senior is also scheduled to travel to Israel for 10 days next summer through Birthright. It will mark her second trip to Israel, which she earlier visited to see family.
As she looks back over her time in Huntington UFSD, Ms. Nitekman is quite pleased. She has enjoyed one of the best runs anyone could hope for and she has found the perfect college to pursue her future goals.
“I could not have wished for a better district,” Ms. Nitekman said. “The more people I meet outside of Huntington, the luckier I realize I am to have been a student here. Blue Devils grow up in a diverse and colorful community that we learn to embrace and understand rather than search for differences. Huntington is beautifully real life. I don’t take anything I’ve learned here in the classroom or through the people I’ve met, for granted.”
