Matt Gennarelli is preparing to head west. The Huntington High School senior will be attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He’s received a Presidential Scholarship, which will cover costs associated with more than half of his tuition.
“USC is just a fantastic fit in every aspect,” Mr. Gennarelli said. “I am planning on studying computer science and business administration, but I am unsure of my exact future path. The great thing about USC is that they are very flexible in allowing students to pursue what they want. USC also has a great campus and location in LA that will make it easy to both have a good time and set myself up for the future.”
Huntington High School senior Matt Gennarelli will attend the University of Southern California
One of the top students in Huntington’s Class of 2020, Mr. Gennarelli has been a standout in every possible way. “Huntington has taught me how to seek out opportunities and how to make the most out of everything,” he said. “And it’s exposed me to wide variety of viewpoints, beliefs and cultures. It allows me to feel confident that when I move across the country, I will be ready for whatever comes my way.”
Founded in 1880, USC enrolls about 20,000 undergraduates and 27,500 graduate level students on its massive campus southwest of downtown LA.
Mr. Gennarelli has excelled in every academic area. While he’s aced all of his classes, he has his favorites.
“The Virtual Enterprise class with Mrs. [Paige] Tyree Furman honestly changed my life,” Mr. Gennarelli said. “I always had an interest in business, but was focused on a future in engineering. Through this class I got the chance to help run a business and I realized that this was something I wanted to do going forward. Advanced Placement Micro/Macros Economics with Mr. [James] Graber definitely has pushed me in that direction as well. It was an interesting, valuable and genuinely fun class.”
“I feel lucky that I had a chance to teach Matt during his senior year,” Mrs. Tyree Furman said. “He enrolled in Virtual Enterprise and within the first two weeks he was selected to be the chief operating officer of our firm. He did a fantastic job leading the class and was our secret weapon in every business pitch.”
The teenager has a positive outlook on life. He works hard, studies, reads and interacts closely with his classmates and teachers. He’s a team player that takes pride in everything he does.
“Both Virtual Enterprise and robotics provided me with the opportunity to have a great time with friends while also learning skills and making connections that will help me in the future,” Mr. Gennarelli said.
The senior’s advice to incoming ninth graders? “There are a lot of great opportunities to get involved and have fun and grow, so take advantage of them,” Mr. Gennarelli said. “Those experiences will have a much bigger impact on you than any class. Remember that when you’re setting your priorities.”
Mr. Gennarelli is set to attend one of the top research universities in the country in one of the most thriving cities in the world, but he will never forget where he came from.
“The Huntington community really is strong and there are a ton of opportunities here that I think are rare,” he said. “Huntington will always be home, but it’s time to go out in the world and show everyone what Blue Devils are made of.”
