Nyasia Martin has a Plan
Nyasia Martin was born in Queens and raised in Maryland, but she's been a Huntington High School mainstay for the past four years. The senior has thrived on Long Island and she's formulated an ambitious plan for her future.
Unlike most members of Huntington's Class of 2013, Ms. Martin didn't enter the district as a kindergartener. But, after she arrived as a freshman, it didn't take the teenager long to develop a circle of good friends.
Her high school years have seen Ms. Martin become one of the most active members of Huntington's Ready Step team, becoming captain this year. She's well-liked by the other team members and she enjoys performing for fellow students and teachers.
Ms. Martin said that while she was "going through a lot of things," her grades "fell off" as a tenth grader. She attended Wilson Tech last year, "improving who I am as a person and my grades," the teenager said. "I came back to the school and became more involved as a student."
Co-captain of AWOD (A World of Difference) and one of the founders of Huntington's anti-bullying club, Ms. Martin has enjoyed a well-rounded high school experience.
Out of all her courses, Ms. Martin said she "loves" math the most. "It's so challenging and it makes me want to put that challenge a little further in education," she said. Math teacher Monica Racz, English teacher Gina Colica and Step team advisor-coach Youlanda Carey are among the senior's favorites.
"Mrs. Racz always saw the best in me when nobody else did," Ms. Martin said. "She made me love math more than anything and she was always there to talk to when needed."
The Ready Step team and its coach are also near-and-dear to the teenager's heart. "Ms. Youlanda is like a mom I never had; always there and always caring," Ms. Martin said.
The senior said she would "definitely miss" school dean Robert Gilmor III. "He has been like a father figure in my life," Ms. Martin said. "He is always there to talk to when I need him. He looks out for me the best way he can and I really don't know how I would have made it without him."
The annual fall pep rallies are among the most unforgettable of high school experiences for the teenager. "The adrenaline of the crowd and the intensity everyone had expecting us to perform was great," said Ms. Martin about the Ready Step team's performances. "Everyone's school spirit and bright smiles were very encouraging."
Ms. Martin plans to attend Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh for two years before transferring to SUNY Plattsburgh to complete an undergraduate degree in accounting.
After four years of high school, Ms. Martin has some valuable advice for incoming freshmen: "I would tell them that despite what anybody may feel to push for your dreams and work extra hard for them as long as you're comfortable with them," she said. "Everything will fall into place."