Sam Hebert just might change the world, but he’s going to do it from behind the scenes and probably without a lot of fanfare. The Huntington High School senior is headed to Marist College to learn more about the ins and outs of politics before diving into the fray.
“I chose Marist because of the really warm and welcoming student body that they have, as well their attention and care towards the community,” Mr. Hebert said. “I plan to study political science and see myself becoming either a campaign manager or a policy analyst.”
Recognized as a Distinguished Senior earlier this spring, Mr. Hebert has earned top grades. He’s one of the leading members of Huntington’s Class of 2022 and has been on the high school’s high honor roll for four years.
“Huntington has done an amazing job at preparing me for college,” Mr. Hebert said. “We have a diverse environment for learning that has helped me and tons of other people. Not only that, but thanks to Mrs. [Bernadette] Walsh and the college office that we have at the high school, I feel very prepared for my next steps in life.”
The teenager cited the support of family and friends as the key to his success. Mr. Hebert said this support allowed him to grow as a person and as a student.
“I plan on getting involved with the student government at Marist, as well as a lot of the different clubs, especially those that work with the Poughkeepsie community,” Mr. Hebert said.
The senior has completed a wide array of courses covering every academic discipline as he has gone about discerning his future interests and career possibilities. Working closely with teachers and taking challenging classes have kept Mr. Hebert motivated.
“This year, I continued playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the gaming club that we have here at the high school,” Mr. Hebert said. “Marist has a club very similar to it that I am looking to play for.”
Mr. Hebert performed with the Huntington Blue Devil marching band, which he thoroughly enjoyed, especially appreciating the family atmosphere surrounding the organization.
The teenager has a healthy sense of adventure. “I have traveled to my fair share of places, including Arizona, Maine and Aruba,” Mr. Hebert said. “I would say that Maine is probably my favorite place to go, since everybody there is really nice and the wildlife is beautiful there.”
Mr. Hebert has a thick head of hair and a winning smile. He carefully considered his college options and weighed the pros and cons of each, before going on a series of visits, which confirmed his belief that Marist was a perfect fit.
“I would say that the main thing that makes Huntington, Huntington, is the people,” Mr. Hebert said. “We have some really unique and amazing people here that give Huntington it’s essence. We also have a really strong sense of community and it seems as though everybody here shares respect and trust for one another.”
With only a couple of days of classes remaining in the school year, Mr. Hebert’s thoughts often drift to his future at Marist and beyond. He will always remember Huntington fondly even as he goes on to take his rightful place in the world.
“I have loved my experience at Huntington,” Mr. Hebert said. “It’s such a great place and I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.”