Luca Perna has quietly amassed a sensational academic record through an awful lot of hard work. The Huntington High School senior has pursued advanced studies on college campuses and is currently enrolled in a challenging slate of courses. But that only scratches the surface.
Mr. Perna regularly seeks out opportunities to grow intellectually and explore his interests on his own time. The teenager has compiled a three digit weighted academic grade average through complete dedication and a substantial amount of extra effort. In short, he really does have a passion for learning new things.
“I went to Brown University as a rising junior in the summer of 2018,” Mr. Perna said. “I knew I wanted to do a pre-college program and after looking at Harvard, Brown and Duke, I decided I liked Brown. I participated in a two week introductory economics course through the Summer@Brown program. The program gave me a taste of college life and what it takes to live on your own in a dorm while also doing work in a college class. It made me feel more prepared and ready for college life.”
Outside of class at Brown, Mr. Perna found the experience to be fun and interesting. “There were plenty of places to explore in Providence, Rhode Island,” he said. “I even watched a Fourth of July celebration by the water.”
The teenager was back on a college campus this past summer. He enrolled in an introductory psychology course at Stony Brook University. His classmates were college students. He earned a perfect grade of 4.0 in the six week course and was granted three college credits.
“I want to major in finance in college,” Mr. Perna said. “I am interested in Boston University, Boston College, Brown University, Binghamton University and the College of William & Mary, among others.”
The senior’s current academic schedule includes classes in Advanced Placement Calculus AB, AP Micro/Macro Economics, AP Chemistry, Physics and Bible as Literature.
Mr. Perna has been inducted into Huntington High School’s Social Studies, Science, English and Math Honor Societies. He’s a participating member of the Key Club.
The teenager’s closest friends include Daniel Danziger and Charles O’Rourke. His favorite faculty member is Edward Florea “because I learned skills that can not only be applied inside the classroom, but also outside the classroom,” Mr. Perna said. “He was also very supportive at extra help.”
Mr. Perna fits in perfectly at Huntington High School. He’s been in the district since kindergarten at Washington Primary School. He’s grown into a true scholar.
“I’m happy with my experience at Huntington as it gave me opportunities and support,” Mr. Perna said. Mrs. [Catherine] Croke made me aware of the Stony Brook program and I took full advantage of the opportunity to enroll in a college course.”