It didn’t take long for Akira Selleri to decide that CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice was where she wanted to pursue her career interests. The Huntington High School senior is excited to begin her new studies and chase after her dreams.
“I picked John Jay because once I stepped onto the campus and took a tour of the university, I felt that it was the right school for me,” Ms. Selleri said. “The school’s compelling programs and classes made the best impression, after all, how could someone see a course titled psychology of criminal behavior and not be interested? Additionally the modern and chic look of the campus made it all the more appealing. Since the visit, I knew that John Jay is where I truly wanted to go.”
Huntington High School senior Akira Selleri
The teenager is “very interested” in studying forensic psychology and ultimately becoming a criminal investigator working in a police department or federal agency. “Since John Jay’s main focus revolves around the justice system, it seemed perfect for my interests,” Ms. Selleri said.
The senior participates in the high school’s debate and yearbook clubs and she’s on the staff of The Dispatch, Huntington’s student newspaper. Ms. Selleri also works outside of school as a hostess in a local restaurant.
“My closest friends at Huntington High are Bella Neira and Madison Lange,” Ms. Selleri said. “We’ve been best friends since freshman year and have stuck together through everything. My friends along with my family members have been so supportive of my academic and career goals and have supported my interests in the law enforcement field from the start.”
Ms. Selleri has compiled a strong academic record. “My favorite Huntington teacher is Mr. [Edward] Florea,” she said. “While being a very supportive and a dedicated teacher and he pushed me to achieve my academic goals and is one of the reasons I developed a good work ethic.”
The senior has built many wonderful relationships with her teachers and classmates over the years. She will miss the high school when she heads off to college.
“My advice to an incoming freshmen is to make as many connections as possible,” Ms. Selleri said. “Since Huntington is so inclusive and full of friendly faces it’s easy to make friendships which can shape your overall outlook on life and change your perspective in unexpected ways, often times leading you to become a more open minded person.”
The teenager has done quite a bit of traveling through the years. “I’ve been to Venice, Milan and Rome many times as well as Paris in France and Berlin and Düsseldorf in Germany,” Ms. Selleri said. “I love seeing new places and learning foreign languages. I can’t wait to travel more often during the longer college breaks. In the future, I’d love to study abroad in Spain to perfect my Spanish and visit the beautiful country. After learning Spanish, I’d like to study Portuguese and French. My goal is to be fluent in as many languages as possible so that no matter where I go I’ll always be able to communicate with the people around me.”
With her senior year heading into the homestretch, Ms. Selleri is striving to graduate in late June on a high note.
“Overall I’ve loved my experience at Huntington High,” Ms. Selleri said. “I’ve met so many people with different cultural backgrounds and made so many friendships, which have given me a more open-minded perspective on life. I think that the people in the town is what makes it so special because unlike other places it accepts and brings people from all parts of the world together under one roof while accepting and celebrating all their differences.”
