Ella Siepel is a go-getter. The Huntington High School senior is an energetic, determined and goal-oriented young woman. She’s one of the top students and athletes in the Class of 2021.
Ms. Siepel is an immensely talented teenager. She hasn’t shied away from challenging herself in the classroom and she has compiled an enviable academic record. She has every intention of pushing herself this year rather than coasting through it.
“Though my schedule is rigorous this year, I think I’ve done a good job in choosing to take only courses I’m interested in rather than simply trying to fulfill credits,” Ms. Siepel said. “I’m particularly excited for my Advanced Placement US Government and Politics and my AP Micro/Macro Economics classes, as social studies is a field I’ve developed particular interest in during recent years.”
The teenager said she is also “very excited” to be taking AP Latin this year. “Latin has been one of my favorite classes ever since seventh grade and having taken it for so many years, I have also developed a close relationship with Ms. [Kristin] Fortunato, which I am excited to continue. Finally, I’m looking forward to both my ceramics and orchestra classes, which have been important parts of my life throughout all of high school and I’m excited to continue working closely with both Ms. [Ayallah] Jeddah and Mr. [James] DiMeglio.”
Ms. Siepel is devoted to a loyal set of friends. They all support each other and help one another during stressful times. Teachers respect the teenager for her impeccable work and preparation for classes. She has the same approach to sports, training hard and always being ready on race day.
“I’ve been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities throughout high school and I have no plans of changing this during my senior year,” Ms. Siepel said. “I will be continuing to participate in the chamber, pit and honors orchestras, as well as the Long Island Youth Orchestra outside of school. I will also be a returning captain of the cross country team, and I will most likely participate in winter and spring track. Finally, I have become involved with many honor societies and clubs, some of which I am pursuing leadership roles in.”
Ms. Siepel is diligent, so it’s not surprising she spent time researching colleges this past summer. “I’ve finally created a list including both ‘reach’ and ‘safety’ schools that I’m interested in applying to. My top schools consist mainly of small liberal arts colleges, with some of my favorites being Swarthmore, Amherst, Bowdoin and Williams. I’m also interested in Dartmouth College and Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.”
The teenager is as yet undecided on possible careers. “Due to my appreciation for history, but also my desire to be involved in current events, I’m looking toward possible careers with some type of government or political involvement,” Ms. Siepel said.