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Kelsey Getz Aims for the Big Screen

Don't be surprised if sometime soon you sit down to watch television and see Huntington High School senior Kelsey Getz right there on the screen acting out a scene. The teenager is already active in the entertainment industry and she just might make it "big" sometime soon.

Despite her often hectic life after school, Ms. Getz is a typical Huntington teenager. She has her favorite classes and teachers, has participated in various activities and has made plenty of friends.

"My favorite class during my four years at Huntington High School was Mr. [Craig] McKee's Earth Science class," Ms. Getz said. "I was a sophomore when I took the class and I loved it because he made it interactive and fun to learn. Mr. McKee is one of those teachers that have the gift of teaching in a way that is understandable and exciting. His sense of humor is unlike anyone else's and the subject of Earth Science has always fascinated me."

Ms. Getz frequently thinks "outside the box" and is always looking to grow on every level. She's participating in the student internship program this year and has found it to be an enriching and enjoyable experience.

"I intern for Mrs. [Kelly] Quintero and I love it," Ms. Getz said about her interactions with the veteran high school English teacher. "She is such a knowledgeable person and I have learned a lot from working with her. She is so helpful and I know I can go to her for any sort of advice or for words of wisdom. I was in her advanced research and writing class when I was in tenth grade, and was lucky enough to be selected as her intern in my senior year."

The internship program has clearly been fruitful for the teenager. "Being an intern has given me an incredible amount of perspective form the teacher's side of the classroom," Ms. Getz said. "They have so much patience and more heart than they are given credit for by most students. There is an unbelievable amount of work that teachers do behind the scenes that students never see."

Over the past four years, Ms. Getz has participated in Key Club initiatives and activities such as periodic blood drives and the Safe Halloween program for elementary school youngsters. She has contributed poetry to Huntington High School's literary magazine, Et Cetera as well peer editing other writers.

During her freshman and sophomore years, Ms. Getz volunteered with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the nation's leading industry based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization.

"Each September, the organization holds a flea market in New York City that sells old Broadway memorabilia, such as stage props, playbills, paintings and small trinkets," the Huntington senior said. "All of the proceeds go to AIDS research and services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. Being a volunteer was such a life changing experience for me. After the day is done, you feel a real sense of accomplishment, like you've really made a difference in someone else's life. It's so much work, but it is also very rewarding."

Since she was about eight years old, Ms. Getz has been acting in community theatre plays and stage productions across Long Island. She has participated in Linda Ray's cabaret shows around the metropolitan area. "These benefit performances helped raise money for Habitat for Humanity," Ms. Getz said.

The teenager commutes into New York City once or twice a week for voice lessons and acting classes. "There's never enough to learn about the art of theatre and the stage," Ms. Getz said. "Just this year, I have signed with a casting agency and have been working as an exterior for television pilots for networks such as CBS and NBC. I also have been featured on Law & Order Special Victims Unit for their upcoming season. It's all so exciting to be a part of and you meet so many new people along the way. I hope to continue to work as much as I can and to one day make it onto the big screen! My childhood hobbies of singing and acting have turned into actual occupations and opportunities for me in the real world."

Ms. Getz will attend Point Park University in Pittsburgh in the fall. She plans to major in musical theatre. "It's bitter sweet to be leaving Huntington High School, a place where I've grown so much as a person," she said. "I feel like it was just last week when I was a freshman and senior year felt so far away! My advice to incoming freshman would be to join as many clubs and groups as you can and don't afraid to stand out! Cherish each moment because it flies by!"

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