Dianna Schmitt is another Huntington High School success story. Since graduating with the Class of 2017 she has worked very hard to accomplish her academic and career goals.
The Huntington alum is putting the finishes touches on an undergraduate degree in social work at Stony Brook University. She has been accepted into the master of social work program at the University of Maryland for the fall semester.
During her time at Huntington High School, Ms. Schmitt also took classes at Wilson Tech. She went on to study and earn an associate’s degree at Suffolk Community College in the chemical dependency counseling program. “Simultaneously, I obtained my phlebotomy license and began working in the medical field at Quest Diagnostics,” Ms. Schmitt said.
While attending SCC, the Huntington alum participated in numerous activities. “My major focused on understanding how substance use disorder, otherwise known as addiction, affects individuals, family and communities,” she said. “I established connections and education to become a resource for those affected by substance use. It was here that I learned about legislation in place and services that were needed to help the local Long Island community. I used my ability to be a leader with my voice to speak on behalf of funding, resources and policies needed for those affected by substances.”
While pursuing a degree at Suffolk Community College, Ms. Schmitt participated in clubs that provide services to families affected by substance use along with homeless populations and those who have experienced domestic violence.
Ms. Schmitt was named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s All-New York Second Academic Team. “This established me as one of the top 50 community college students in all of New York state for 2019,” she said. “I maintained my grades at Suffolk and graduated with distinction in May 2019.”
With degree in hand from SCC, Ms. Schmitt was offered “multiple jobs” working with adolescents affected by substance use and how to prevent it. “One of the agencies is WellLife Network located down the road from Huntington High School,” she said. “In this job I work with students in grades 5-12 on the evidence based Too Good for Drugs program. I teach with the hope of reducing students intention of using alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs, while promoting pro-social attitudes, skills and behaviors.”
Ms. Schmitt was accepted into Stony Brook University’s highly regarded School of Social Welfare in May 2019. She’s in the process of completing a Bachelor of Social Work degree.
“This program is very competitive and I am one of 65 students set to graduate May 2021,” said Ms. Schmitt proudly. “In my time at Stony Brook I have been a student leader and worked alongside facility to be a representative for the Bachelor of Social Work cohort. I am currently on track to graduate with honors at Stony Brook.”
The Huntington grad is looking forward to beginning her master’s program at the University of Maryland’s Baltimore campus. Ms. Schmitt will be pursuing a Master of Social Work degree with a specialization in health.
“I am planning on having an internship in a hospital setting to provide care to individuals, family and communities especially during this current pandemic we are facing,” Ms. Schmitt said. “My long-term goal is to work to make a difference in people’s lives during some of their most challenging times of a health event. Health is very important as brought to light over the past year.”
Ms. Schmitt is very excited about what the future holds for her. “I am working toward becoming a public educator to inform on topics that the community has a lack of access to currently,” she said. “This next step that I am taking is providing me with the ability to prepare as a future professional in the field of social work.”