Conor Byrne Comes of Age in Huntington
Conor Byrne spent his early years at Hewlett Elementary School in Nassau County, but since arriving at Huntington Intermediate School as a fourth grader, the current Huntington High School senior has become one of the most well-liked members of his class.
Mr. Byrne maintains a diversified portfolio of activities. He’s a scholar, athlete and performer and a good friend to many. A member of the French, math and science honor societies, the teenager plans on joining a new history honor society when it debuts. He’s also working with classmate [Katherine] Scarlet Lopez to start a Latin honor society.
The senior is vice-president of Huntington’s Chinese exchange program and an honorary Key club officer. “After that, I have to split my time between school, with AP Government, AP Economics, AP Physics, AP Literature, AP Calculus AB, Latin 4 honors, French 5 honors and Asian Studies,” Mr. Byrne said in rattling off his challenging schedule.
The teenager is also accomplished in competitive Irish step dancing, having won several awards. He participated in a regional dance competition during the Thanksgiving break. He even dabbles in a bit of Gaelic football in the Bronx.
Gaeliec football games feature two teams of 15 players apiece. Similar to soccer, squads try to score points by kicking the ball into the other team’s goal. Points can also be earned by lobbing the ball between the parallel “uprights” the sit atop the opponent’s goal, somewhat akin to a field goal in US football. Players use both their hands and feet to touch and handle the ball throughout a game.
“If I had to choose a favorite teacher it would have to be Mrs. [Kelly] Krycinski, who I had for English in ninth grade or Mrs. [Deidre] Mayer, who has been teaching me French since tenth grade,” Mr. Byrne said. “Even though Mrs. Krycinski only taught me for a few months, as she had to go on maternity leave, we connected instantly. She just ran the class so easily and was always able to engage every kid in the room, no matter how shy they were. But my favorite class by far has to be French.”
The fact that an honors French class is the teenager’s favorite course is a credit to a teacher who is referred to as Madame Mayer by her students. She can be a stern taskmaster, for sure, but her command of course material and her teaching style has won the veteran educator a loyal following.
“Mrs. Mayer has taught me so much over the past few years and the French class is just such a fun atmosphere,” Mr. Byrne said. “We read in French and really learn the language and culture. Mrs. Mayer pushes me very hard, because she knows how much I love it, which is why I want to study international relations in college. I’m not sure where yet, but I want to study foreign relations and languages, and maybe minor in education, so I can also teach languages in school when I get older.”
Could the Huntington senior end up on the world stage one day? “If I major in international relations, I would love to become a diplomat or translator, not only so I can do a job I’d love, but also so I can travel the world,” Mr. Byrne said.