Molly Prep is the HHS 2013 Salutatorian
Molly Prep learned she was the Huntington High School Class of 2013 salutatorian on her 18th birthday. She will cap off an incredible four-year run by giving an address at the school's 152nd annual commencement on June 21.
The senior was both surprised and honored to know her academic standing was high enough to garner such a lofty distinction. "I was incredibly excited," Ms. Prep recalled upon being told by Principal Carmela Leonardi that she was this year's salutatorian. "When I was given permission to call my house from Dr. Leonardi's office, my mom was just as ecstatic."
Ms. Prep will join class valedictorian Todd Colvin on the commencement stage. "I'm genuinely happy for Todd," Ms. Prep said. "We made wise choices in choosing our high school classes and we worked hard to maintain the grades we did. I'm grateful to all the teachers who helped me get to where I am now. The list is too long for me to know where to start."
"Molly is the kind of student that inspires pride not only for her strong work ethic and dedication to learning but also because of her creativity and talent," Dr. Leonardi said. "She is well-rounded, very bright and possesses a generous spirit. She is tireless in her devotion to worthy causes and feels a great commitment to the school and the community at large. Her involvement with the Relay For Life over the past two school years is inspiring. The teachers and I have been very fortunate to get to know and love her."
The teenager was accepted by Marist College as an early action applicant. She is waiting to hear from American University, Brown University, Columbia University, New York University, Swarthmore College and Vassar College.
"I don't know where I'm going just yet," said Ms. Prep about her ultimate college destination. "I'd be happy anywhere. I'm not locked-in to any particular career path just yet, but I am very interested in the field of psychology. I'd like to end up at a school where the arts are fostered and I'll have the opportunity to expand my existing passions (writing, photography and psychology) and discover new ones as well. I'm a lover of learning and I can't wait to see what my future holds."
Ms. Prep, who was the "colleen" in the recent St. Patrick's Day parade, holds executive positions with a number of school organizations, including serving as one of the chairs of this year's Relay For Life at Huntington High School. It's a massive undertaking and one that gobbles up many hours of time. The senior is immensely dedicated to fighting the scourge of cancer in all of its insidious forms.
"My four years at Huntington High School have been among the best years of my life so far," Mr. Prep said. "Everyone, staff and students alike, has been and continues to be immeasurably supportive. I also love that our school fosters creativity and the arts along with the standard core classes and academic electives. I love that I've had the opportunity to be involved in so many extracurricular activities as well."
Ms. Prep ran on the Blue Devils' girls' spring track team as a sophomore and was on the winter track squad as both a junior and senior. She has been the student manager of the cross country and spring track teams in each of the past two years.
Beloved by the Huntington community, Ms. Prep is extraordinarily popular with her classmates and teachers. She will leave behind many fond memories as she heads off to college in the fall. "I've grown as a person so much over these last few years and I have Huntington High School to thank," she said.