This year’s Huntington High School choir family includes an incredible array of star members. While the group has several more performances planned in coming weeks, it is also in the midst of saying a long goodbye to its spectacular seniors.
Class of 2019 members are among the choir family’s most cherished performers. They include seniors Mia Nitekman (University of Pittsburgh), Isabella Cahill (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Alexis Smith (SUNY New Paltz), Rashad Michaels (New York Institute of Technology), Lea LaPonti (Elizabethtown College), Natalie Gonzalez (SUNY Plattsburgh) and Andy Ulloa (SUNY Purchase).
The seniors recently announced their college commitments, to the delight of choir director Victoria Garbarino.
“This group of seniors will be missed,” Ms. Garbarino said. “They are all leaders within the chamber choir family. I am extremely proud of everything these students have accomplished and it has been a pleasure being a part of their musical journey here at Huntington High School.”
The seniors are all leaving on a proverbial high note after many years of excelling at their craft. They have all worked hard, developing their techniques and rehearsing for performances.
“I’ve always felt like chorus was more than a room and a class in my schedule,” Ms. Nitekman said. “It was a place to lose the cares of the outside world and enjoy and the flow of things. Performance has helped me shape my self-confidence and presentation skills. I’m grateful for the people I’ve met through Huntington UFSD’s choral program. I hope many generations of Blue Devils after me have the same amazing opportunities to explore their love of music through singing.”
From choir classes to performing before large crowds or in intimate settings, students have been exposed to a wide array of experiences in school and across the community.
“Choir has helped in high school tremendously, including helping with creativity and self-expression,” Mr. Ulloa said. “I will truly miss the program, because it has come a long way from my freshman year. It’s a class where all share the same love for music and will push one another to do their best.”
Wherever the choir has performed, the audience has been impressive. “Since my freshman year I feel as though the choir program has been like my second family,” Ms. Cahill said. “Everyone involved is extremely supportive and always looking out for one another. Every year the sound coming from the group improves as well and I think that definitely comes from the focus and motivation that we all have. It is definitely one of the most welcoming environments in the high school.”
As the seniors prepare to move on with their lives following graduation in June, each of them has been looking back with fondness over the many years they have participated in the high school’s choral program/
“I’ve been in choir for the past four years and it has been an amazing experience,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “I’ve made so many friends in choir and they have been like a family to me these past couple of years. I’m going to miss being a part of the Huntington choir next year.”
