Emma Polinsky Enjoying Spectacular Freshman Year

Emma Polinsky is one of Huntington High School’s freshman stars. She loves to laugh and make others smile. She’s a sensational student and talented athlete and she enjoys volunteering and improving the lives of those around her.

The teenager is interested in a career that allows her to travel and learn new things while bettering herself and society as a whole.

“I always want to feel comfortable and to make sure that everyone around me is at ease as well,” Ms. Polinsky said. “I’ve been told that I’m very empathetic. It truly upsets me when others feel bad. I also tend to follow rules and always want to be doing the right thing. I hope to make a big difference in the world by helping and supporting others.”

The teenager has been excelling since her earliest days in Huntington UFSD. Ms. Polinsky participated in the district’s elementary dual language program and went on to win an award in last year’s national Spanish exam program at J. Taylor Finley Middle School. She’s excellent at math, too, and was one of six students chosen for last year’s Math Counts team at Finley. Truth be told, she’s great across every subject area.

While the freshman has absolutely no idea at this point where she will attend college, she has “always had a love for science and both biology and psychology have recently sparked my interest,” Ms. Polinsky said.

In her first academic quarter at the high school, Ms. Polinsky earned a weighted grade average exceeding 103. She is enrolled in Global 9 Honors, Spanish 4 honors, Algebra 2, Living Environment Honors, English 9 Honors and Introduction to Science Research Honors classes.

Ms. Polinsky is especially enjoying the Living Environment and Introduction to Science Research Honors courses. “They are giving me a great foundation in science and equally as important, they are teaching me new ways to think and practice in presenting and speaking in public,” she said.

“Ms. [Sarah] Hall and Mrs. [Lorena] Hickey have made the start of my high school experience memorable,” Ms. Polinsky said. “Both teachers drive me to be a better student and person. These teachers make it so I always want to learn more in their classes. They also encourage me to play on my instincts and lend support to my peers.”

The teenager played on the Blue Devil junior varsity tennis team last fall and she’s currently running on the varsity girls’ winter track and field team. She also participates in Huntington’s Key Club and Habitat for Humanity club chapters and the high school’s environmental club.

“So far my experience at Huntington High School has been very exciting,” Ms. Polinsky said. “I love both the academic and extracurricular opportunities that I have been given. I’ve been able to select courses that cover subjects areas I may desire to work in later in life as well as the option to participate, challenge myself and improve my performance in sports that I love.”

The teenager traveled to Italy during the recent winter vacation, visiting Rome, Florence and Pisa. “I really love to travel; to experience different cultures and to see history with my own eyes,” Ms. Polinsky said. “It was an amazing opportunity to learn about science and art. I loved seeing firsthand the work of various individuals from long ago and how they shaped their society and influenced the world.”

Already a shining star in Huntington’s Class of 2026, one gets the sense that Ms. Polinsky is just getting started.

“In ten years I hope to be pursuing a career that involves helping others while allowing me to travel and to learn new things,” Ms. Polinsky said. “I want to always be able to better myself and to contribute to the betterment of society.”