Julie Forster Graduates on Top of Her Game
Julie Forster, one of the classiest members of this year’s graduating class at Huntington High School, is headed to SUNY Albany to study business and play basketball on the NCAA Division I team there.
“I’ve been in the Huntington School district for all of my education and I’ve loved every moment of it,” Ms. Forster said. “The course workload and tests can be challenging, but the teachers are very supportive and work very hard to get each student ready for the next level of education.”
A dynamic athlete in basketball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball, Ms. Forster forged strong relationships around Huntington High School and was well-liked by teachers, coaches and teammates. Soft-spoken, big hearted and hilarious at times, she has been a regular kid in every way, even while earning All-State honors in basketball and helping carry the Blue Devils into the circle of elite teams in New York.
“As a student who started off in special education for math, reading and speech, I’ve learned that anything is possible if you work hard and receive the right amount of support from teachers and parents,” Ms. Forster said. “The teachers always made it exciting and it wasn’t until this year that I even learned what those special classes actually were. I had always just remembered them as the place where you had a lot of fun with a few other students from a variety of classes. With the help of both special education and regular teachers, I was able to learn at an appropriate level for me. Because of this support, I was able to overcome my early difficulties and will graduate as a member of the National, English, Math and Spanish honor societies.”
When it came time to choose a college, Ms. Forster took her time, weighing the pros and cons of each, reviewing courses of study, speaking with coaches and doing plenty of due-diligence. She’s certainly a fine student, but she will also walk away from high school with powerful memories of her after school pursuits.
“My experience at Huntington has also been great because of the extracurricular activities,” she said. “I’ve loved participating on the soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and basketball teams. Being a part of the basketball team was amazing. Coach [Brad] Reminick and [Kim] Betz were extremely dedicated and always made basketball fun. From Betz' vitamin and health lectures to Reminick's vocal and passionate game-time instructions, having them as coaches was incredible. This past year, with the help of the community, we were able to go down to Virginia and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I cannot overemphasize the importance of the community support we received over these past few years.”
It will take a period of adjustment for Blue Devils now that Ms. Forster is heading north to Albany. She was such a fixture in the athletic program it will feel strange to go to games and not see her mixing it up with typical all-out effort.
“It was so much fun being a part of the sports teams and I have learned many lessons that I will use throughout my life,” Ms. Forster said. “As for my coaches, they were all very dedicated and helpful, and they truly cared about everyone on the team.”
The senior has participated in a variety of clubs devoted to encouraging tolerance (A World of Difference), brightening the lives of senior citizens (Grandfriends), promoting athletics (varsity club) and literary magazine writing (Etcetera). “As a student, I was amazed at the amount of volunteer work done by the various clubs for the local community.”
Ms. Forster has been on the high honor roll since seventh grade, even while taking a series of difficult courses, including Advanced Placement classes. She goes about her business in a quiet, unassuming way and lets the results speak for themselves.
“I have countless positive memories looking back at my time in the Huntington School District from teachers, classes, sports and clubs,” Ms. Forster said. “To my friends, teammates, classmates, and all the adults who roamed the halls of Huntington High School with me, I feel very blessed to have shared this experience with you and I wish you continued happiness!”
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