Manny Aviles is enjoying every minute he spends in photography class. Why shouldn’t he? The Huntington High School junior is exceptional at it.
Mr. Aviles gives a great deal of thought to class assignments and works hard to get the images just right His editing skills are also improving as he learns how to sharpen his photographs.
“I really like photography,” Mr. Aviles said. “I never thought I would enjoy it this much. The class itself is extremely fun and I like the projects the we have done so far.” Photography teacher Pamela Piffard-Williams is one of his biggest fans.
The teenager got his brother, Woodhull Intermediate School sixth grader Victor Aviles to get involved in a recent show day photo shoot for a class assignment. The results are simply wonderful.
“I wanted my brother to act like he was throwing a snowball at me, which I thought would be a great picture,” Mr. Aviles said. “I took the second picture on the spur of the moment. I was trying to figure out what it should be and then I told my brother to stay where he was because I thought it looked perfect.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed just about everything, the teenager is persevering with an optimistic attitude.
“The year has been great so far,” Mr. Aviles said. “All of my classes are fun and I enjoy attending them in person and online.”
Besides photography, Mr. Aviles has been especially interested in his US History and Media Art courses. “I always liked learning about history and I always wanted to expand on the digital aspect of art,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with Ms. [Camille] Tedeschi and Mrs. [Kasmira] Mohanty.”
Mr. Aviles hopes to be able to play on the Blue Devil football team during its reschedule season, now slated to be held in March-April. He’s also a member of AWOD, a club that promotes anti-bias and diversity programs that allow students to better understand the issues of prejudice and bigotry as well as providing a forum for exploring diverse viewpoints.
“My closest friends are Joseph Tropeano, Connor Arenth, Brendan Hardiman, Brian Bonilla, Robert Brown and Melvin Ponce,” Mr. Aviles said.
The teenager is also close to business teacher Suzie Biagi. “She is the AWOD faculty advisor and she was my Personal Law teacher,” Mr. Aviles said.
Mr. Aviles is a happy, personable young man who enjoys life and lives it to the fullest extent possible. He has a sunny disposition and is very family oriented.
“There is one teacher who stood out to me and he was my Forensics teacher, Mr. [Edward] Florea,” Mr. Aviles said. “Mr. Florea was always full of energy. He was a great teacher and he was fun to be around. I always looked forward to going to his class.”
The teenager’s advice to incoming freshmen? “If you are having trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Mr. Aviles said. “Teachers and staff are here to help.”
Mr. Aviles is currently considering attending Adelphi University Stony Brook University after he graduates. He’s interested in studying nursing and eventually pursuing a career as a pediatrician.
“My experience in Huntington has been great,” Mr. Aviles said. “I love the atmosphere. The classes are outstanding and the teachers are amazing. I’m happy to be a Blue Devil.”
