Ellyn Byrnes’ Smile and Laugh Hard to Replace at HHS
When the new school year rolls around next September, one of the biggest personalities at Huntington High School over the past four years won’t be there. Ellyn Byrnes is graduating next month with fellow members of the Class of 2015.
Since her first day of kindergarten at Flower Hill School, Ms. Byrnes’ smile, sense of humor and good natured ways have been appreciated by her teachers and classmates. She will be missed around the district.
The senior is headed to Molloy College in Rockville Centre in the fall. She intends to play on the softball and track and field teams there. “I have always wanted to play softball in college, but being able to participate in both sports is a real honor,” Ms. Byrnes said. “As of right now I’m not exactly certain what I want to study, but I’m leaning toward early childhood education.”
The teenager is very closely identified with the Blue Devil sports program, winning varsity letters with the field hockey, basketball, winter track and field and softball teams. She even played junior varsity volleyball in eighth and ninth grades. Ms. Byrnes said participation in athletics has been one of the highlights of her high school years.
“Definitely one of the best parts was being brought up to play varsity softball as a seventh grader,” Ms. Byrnes said. “It was an honor to be noticed by coach [John] Walsh. Although I was younger than the other girls, they treated me with the same respect as anyone else, which taught me a valuable lesson. The last five years on that team have been unforgettable and I will certainly miss it.”
The teenager has captained the softball team in each of the past two seasons. She has earned All-League and All-Division honors and Newsday lists Ms. Byrnes among the best players in the metropolitan area.
She pitched Huntington to its first playoff appearance in a decade two years ago. “Making the playoffs in 2013 was one of the best moments since it was the first time in years Huntington softball had qualified,” Ms. Byrnes said.
The senior has been a key player on the Blue Devil field hockey team throughout high school. Selected to the Suffolk All-Tournament team as a senior, Ms. Byrnes helped lead Blue Devil field hockey into the playoffs in each of the past two years.
An Academic All-County honoree in winter track, Ms. Byrnes captured second place in shot put at the indoor track county championships as a junior and was sixth this past season, when she captained the team.
“I’m particularly proud that I have represented Huntington in a myriad of sports” the teenager said.
Ms. Byrnes senior year course schedule includes Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, AP US Government and Politics, Spanish V Honors, Algebra 2/Trigonometry, Economics and Forensics. She was named a Distinguished Senior after earning at least a 90 academic average in her first seven high school semesters.
A member of Huntington’s National Honor Society and Social Studies Honor Society chapters, Ms. Byrnes said that as she finishes her final year of high school, “I am appreciative of the efforts of all of my teachers. I have learned a lot and I am particularly fond of Mr. [Kenneth] Donovan, Mr. [Peter] Crugnale and Ms. [Lynn] Hendricks, who have helped me to succeed and provided me with a solid academic foundation for college.”
As she prepares for her final weeks of high school and gets ready to begin college, Ms. Byrnes is excited about what the future holds for her. She will always remember the good times she has enjoyed at Huntington High School, but can’t wait for the new experience that awaits at Molloy.
“My advice to incoming freshmen is to have fun, get involved and surround yourself with positive people,” Ms. Byrnes said. “Remember to make the most of your time in high school because it goes by so quickly.”