Maggie Imperato has a good feeling. It’s the feeling a person gets when they believe they’ve made a good decision. The teenager has it because she feels that Utica College is the perfect place for her to pursue a degree and that’s where she plans to start studying in a few short weeks.
“I fell in love with Utica last year during a college fair,” Ms. Imperato said. “It had a lot of what I was looking for at the time. Good place for education, a small campus and all around seemed like an incredible school. I went on a tour of Utica over the summer and truly fell in love with the campus and everything about Utica.”
Class of 2020 member Maggie Imperato is headed to Utica College.
Ms. Imperato is a thoughtful young woman who capitalized on all the opportunities she had at Huntington High School, exploring an assortment of elective courses and participating in the after school activities program.
“Huntington has prepared me by making me work hard all four years that I’ve been here,” Ms. Imperato said. “Every day there was something new and exciting to work on. The staff has really helped me get ready for the challenge that is to come.”
A conscientious student, Ms. Imperato worked hard in all of her classes. She enjoyed her relationships with teachers across the academic disciplines and also took delight in meeting new people and making new friends.
“The most valuable course for me was probably my US History class my junior year,” Ms. Imperato said. “It truly cemented me into wanting to go into that specific field. The most interesting class has to go to my Theater Arts course that I took as a senior. I loved it so much. It was a wonderful class.”
Like every student, the teenager had that special something that brightened every day. “My favorite activity has to go to drama club,” Ms. Imperato said. “I joined my sophomore year and I never looked back. These guys feel like my family and I hope to see them all again.”
Just as it is with the other members of Huntington’s Class of 2020, Ms. Imperato is excited to begin a new chapter of her life, but she wants to share what she has learned these past four years.
Ms. Imperato’s advice to incoming Huntington freshmen? “Work smarter, not harder,” she said. “Don’t put off things to the last minute; work on them slowly. When you are confused by something, ask someone for help. Those things would have saved me a lot of trouble throughout high school.”
Most students have one or two teachers, advisors or coaches that they have grown especially close to and come to depend upon and Ms. Imperato is no different.
“Mr. Schwendemann has been a massive inspiration for me over the past four years,” Ms. Imperato said. “He was my freshman English teacher and he helped me throughout high school, As a senior I was his intern with a freshman class. Mr. [Robert] Gilmor has also helped me so much over the past four years. He and I saw each other every day because my locker was so close to his office. He always made sure that was okay and tried his best to make me, and everyone, smile.”
These past few months have been surreal for everyone associated with the Class of 2020. None of them will ever forget this period and all of them are looking forward to the day when life returns to normal. Ms. Imperato will always remember her time here in Huntington. It has simply been unforgettable.
“The people here make it special,” Ms. Imperato said. “Everyone cares about everyone so much and that makes me so happy. Good experience come from coming together during drama club right before a show or when Natural Helpers come together and spend time together. Those are the things I will cherish forever. Those are the things I will miss more than anything. I love the weird family I’ve made here and I’m so thankful for them.”
