Nicole Giambrone is an Award-Winning Photographer
Nicole Giambrone is one of the top young photographers at Huntington High School. The senior won a Best in Show Award earlier this spring in the Long Island Media Arts Show at Five Towns College in Dix Hills.
Ms. Giambrone began her educational journey in the South Huntington School District before moving as a second grader to Bayville and the Locust Valley School District, where she stayed through eighth grade. "The summer before my freshman year, I moved back to Huntington," the teenager said.
Once enrolled at Huntington High School, Ms. Giambrone embraced the academic and extracurricular programs with a flourish. She played on the JV lacrosse team as a freshman and sophomore, was inducted into the art honor society as a junior and developed into a top-notch photographer.
"My favorite course in high school is photo because I love playing with Photoshop and going on photo shoots with my friends," Ms. Giambrone said. "I find it to be a lot of fun and a stress reliever." The teenager's favorite faculty members throughout high school have been photographer teacher Pamela Piffard and English teacher Michael Schwendemann.
Ms. Giambrone's LI Media Arts Show award-winning photo was snapped at Caumsett State Park in Lloyd Harbor. Her model was Sydney Andree. "I was inspired by the environment surrounding me," Ms. Giambrone said. "I was trying to achieve a photograph containing natural light and nature. I don't know what I would say it signifies, but I think it shows the beauty of the world around us."
"Nicole was good last year, but she's phenomenal this year," Ms. Piffard said. "She's blowing me out of the water with her work. This is 100 percent professional work."
The senior plans to enroll in SUNY College at Old Westbury in the fall. "I am going to stay home for the first six months to focus on making a decision on what I want to do with my future while attending Old Westbury," Ms. Giambrone said. "I know I want to be in the medical field, but I just don't know what job I'd like to have in that field, so for me I think it's best to stay home at first."
Ms. Giambrone's best friends have been Emily Coleman and Janna Gambarelli. "We have done everything together through high school," she said. "We're inseparable and I couldn't imagine not having them in my life. They made high school fun."
After spending four years at Huntington High School, Ms. Giambrone has a good perspective on life there. "A piece of advice that I would give freshman is that high school can be stressful at times, but it can also be a lot of fun if you just put the right foot forward," she said.