Adora Colay is a delightful young lady who has distinguished herself as a member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2021. She has worked very hard these past four years and made everyone proud. But she’s confident that the best is still yet to come.
Ms. Colay intends for her senior year to be filled with interesting courses, sports and clubs. She plans to surround herself with her friends as much as possible as she plots out her future.
The teenager has selected a challenging set of classes this year and she is already enjoying each of them as she goes about participating in discussions and tackling assignments.
“I am most interested in my Psychology course and my Advanced Placement Calculus BC course this year,” Ms. Colay said. “It has been very interesting learning about the mind and theories behind behaviors of myself and others. Calc will be a challenging course, but I know I am capable of the challenge. I am looking forward to working with Mrs. [Monica] Racz again this year. I started Geometry during freshman year with her and it seems fitting to complete my senior year with her as one of my teachers.”
Ms. Colay’s mother’s side of the family is from Puerto Rico. She enjoys helping her mother cook and listening to her stories about the time she spent in Puerto Rico. “I love how diverse my culture is and I love the idea that there is still more to learn and experience about my heritage,” the teenager said.
The senior has engaged in community service at Cat Café and Manor Farm and captured several academic and athletic awards. “Adora is an amazing young woman who is always thinking of others before herself,” said Steve Lashin, a Huntington High School guidance counselor. “She works hard in class to reach her teacher’s expectations. In class she is always one to help others. Outside of class she volunteers and dedicates her time to her community and to various organizations.”
Ms. Colay is determined to cram as much as she can into her senior year. “I’m planning to get involved in volleyball, fencing and the yearbook club this year,” she said. “I’m interested in seeing how the yearbook will be designed this year and what themes they might be considering.”
The teenager said her closest friends are alumnus Josie Fasolino, Odaly Ramirez-Martinez, Carolina Moreira-Ibarra, Giselle Reyes-Canales, Nicholas Danseglio and Jelani Idrissa. “They have never failed to put me in a good mood and have always been great friends to me,” Ms. Colay said.
Last year, while taking Advanced Placement Biology, Ms. Colay said she became “really close” to science teacher Deborah Beck. “She was always ready to lend a hand or just talk to me about my day,” the teenager said. “I loved staying after class to hear her finish her stories.”
The teenager has also benefitted from a close, mentoring relationship with social studies teacher Camille Tedeschi. “I truly believe that she has an amazing teaching style that may be intense at times, but will always ensure that you will understand the material. I haven’t encountered many teachers with a teaching style like hers. When I first had her as a freshman, I rarely spoke in class. Last year, I participated in her class almost every day. I’m glad she got to see the improvement that I had in my confidence in my answers.”
The senior’s advice to incoming ninth graders? “Express yourself and join that club or sport; it’s never too late to find something you love to do,” Ms. Colay said. “Do not be afraid of what others might think of you because at the end of the day the only opinion that matters the most is your own.”
Ms. Colay is interested in Purdue University, Penn State University, Adelphi University, SUNY College at Geneseo and Howard university along with several other. She would like to study either biology or animal sciences on a pre-veterinary science track. She’s interested in a career working with animals.
“I feel my experience in Huntington has been amazing,” Ms. Colay said. “I can physically and mentally see the effects of the choices that I have made to better myself from freshman year to now. The experiences and the friends that I made along the way will always be unforgettable.”