Haileigh Smith is living life to the fullest. The Huntington High School sophomore has been winning awards in academic competitions, earning exceptional grades and playing on three separate Blue Devil teams. The teenager recently captured second place honors in the poetry category of the town’s annual writing contest.
“The poem I ended up submitting was actually a classwork assignment we were working on in the beginning of third quarter,” Ms. Smith said. “We were exploring the work of Emily Dickinson in English and had to write our own poems about an emotion inspired by her comparisons between darkness and light. My poem is meant to mimic the structure of Dickinson’s poems and I wanted to convey that some emotions can be both beneficial and detrimental to a person.”
Huntington sophomore Haileigh Smith.
Ms. Smith won honors in the 22nd annual Huntington Youth Writes! contest. She’s an excellent English student and has been working with teacher Aimee Antorino.
“In my past two years at Huntington, I have tried to explore my interests in various clubs and sports,” Ms. Smith said. “I’ve played on the volleyball, softball and fencing teams and have participated in both Habitat for Humanity and Key Club. I’m currently an administrative assistant in Key Club, but hope to further my involvement in the club in upcoming years.”
Ms. Smith is the oldest of three children in a family that places a premium on education. Her parents, Katie and Byron are delightful people and her sister, Cameron and brother, Zackary are high achieving and sweet, qualities the sophomore possesses in abundance.
“As far as career goals, my ambitions currently lie in the medical field,” Ms. Smith said. “Exactly what I want to specialize in seems to always be changing as I progress in my education, but my interests have currently been sparked in dermatology.”
Ms. Smith gets along with everyone. She’s a lovely young woman who works hard and likes to get creative with the academic projects she gets involved with, including the annual National History Day initiative.
“While all my teachers have created an environment of support and encouragement, Mr. [Edward] Florea in particular has taken an interest in my academic career with incredible enthusiasm and I am extremely grateful for my experience in his class,” Ms. Smith said.
Determined is a word that perfectly fits Ms. Smith. When she sets her sights on a goal, there simply is no stopping the teenager. She pursues her interests with energy, enthusiasm and remarkable patience.
“I think Huntington High School is one of the best schools for people to explore what they want to do and who they want to become,” Ms. Smith said. “It has boundless opportunities and options for clubs or sports, yet has such a close knit community that there is a lack of intimidation when it comes to trying something new.”