Huntington Fire Department Ex-Chief Edward McGaul Award for Business recipient Chas Forte is an ingenious young man. The Huntington High School senior shined in the business department’s Virtual Enterprise course. The teenager is headed to Roger Williams University in Rhode Island to study construction management.
Huntington senior Chas Forte plans to study construction management at Roger Williams University.
Mr. Forte is among the Huntington Class of 2020’s Distinguished Seniors, who qualified for the designation by earning exemplary grades during every semester of high school.
The teenager played football and lacrosse and wrestled for the Blue Devils. Mr. Forte also played ice hockey with the Huntington/Northport team. He was involved in the after school club program and he possessed one of the more colorful personalities in this year’s graduating class.
The senior said he owes his success to “studying hard, even when I didn’t want to and joining clubs to increase my opportunities within the school community. He has loved going to school each day and interacting with his friends.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have some of the best teachers,” Mr. Forte said. “Mr. [Erik] Bruckbauer is one of those teachers. He is a person that I will never forget. The way he teaches his class allows the students to become engaged in the topic. He definitely made me a better student. I also can’t forget about Ms. [Suzi] Biagi. She is the most caring teacher in the building and I wouldn’t want to be an intern for anyone else.”
Mr. Forte is currently working on his private pilot’s license, “so I can fly throughout the northeast for fun,” he said. He is also a member of the Halesite Fire Department.
He’s the president of Young Leaders, a local youth development organization that pursues community service projects. “It’s a great feeling to help your community,” Mr. Forte said.
Mr. Forte’s father and grandfather, both Huntington alums, have been involved in the construction industry for decades so he is quite familiar with most aspects of it.
“Roger Williams is known nationally for its construction management program,” Mr. Forte said. “In fact, they just opened up a brand new three story construction management lab, which was one of the reasons why I choose the school. The school offers a variety of opportunities such as internships with different companies throughout the northeast during the summer and has a 100 percent job placement rate right out of school.”