Melanie Grossman Keeps an Open Mind
Melanie Grossman started from scratch when she entered Huntington High School as a freshman. She knew only one student after spending her earlier years attending a private school. Since then she has thrived and is now one of the most accomplished members of the senior class.
The teenager, who came to the district from the Long Island School for the Gifted, has kept a busy schedule over the past four years. She's played varsity tennis, was on the JV fencing squad for two years and has been active with Natural Helpers and as a peer mediator. "Both groups helped me develop as a person and they helped me meet new people," Ms. Grossman said.
The senior has been inducted into a variety of honor societies, including ones covering music, math, Spanish, English as well as the National Honor Society. She was the Tri-M music honor society's secretary last year and is this year's vice-president. She's also VP of the Nathan Hale chapter of the National Honor Society.
"I have spent the majority of my high school years focusing on music," Ms. Grossman said. She is a member of both the chamber and pit orchestras. Last year, the teenager joined the World Youth Alliance Chamber Orchestra, a group composed mostly of musicians from Julliard's pre-college and the Manhattan School of Music. The musicians meet and perform in New York City.
Academically, Ms. Grossman is one of the top students in the Class of 2013. Her senior year classes include AP Calculus AB, AP English Literature and Composition, Honors Physics, AP Music Theory, psychology, philosophy and orchestra.
Volunteers during Study Hall
Ms. Grossman spends her study hall period volunteering in the special education department. "I have spent time every other school day doing this for the past two years," she said. The senior is also interning with music teacher Brian Stellato in a Music Theory I class and she's also been a lab assistant for science teacher Anna Fabela since her sophomore year.
Ms. Grossman's most enjoyable high school experiences have involved pit orchestra, Natural Helpers retreats with fellow club members and faculty advisor Rob Gilmor and a private trip with Education First Tours to Peru that involved many classmates and teacher-chaperones.
"Pit orchestra is always very fun and in a small amount of time, we put together amazing productions," Ms. Grossman said. "I am always amazed at our progress. During the long night rehearsals, people act crazy because of their sleep deprivation. The week preceding the musical always is hilarious. The Peru trip was outstanding, because, well, it was Peru! I have never been on a more outstanding trip and never would I have imagined hiking Machu Picchu. Everything that we did was incredible and unimaginable. We spent days living in a jungle and we went to an alpaca farm. Everything was amazing. I am very glad that I have photo memories from my trip."
Since Natural Helpers retreats are completely confidential, Ms. Grossman cannot say too much about them, "but trust me, a lot of bonding happens," she said. "I met some outstanding people and I always had the time of my life. I grew closer to Mr. Gilmor. He is one of my favorite people on the planet."
Ms. Grossman recently performed solo during the Tri-M music honor society's induction. She is well-liked by Huntington's teachers and her classmates and has a splendid sense of humor, too.
Her Favorite Teachers
"My favorite teachers are Mrs. [Joann] Ferazi, Mr. [Brian] Stellato, Mrs. [Deborah] Beck, and Ms. [Camille] Tedeschi," Ms. Grossman said. "I had Mrs. Ferazi for Alg2/Trig in my sophomore year and she made the class very fun and interesting. Since then, I have gone to her for help in math, and she is extremely helpful."
The teenager has the utmost respect for Mr. Stellato. "I had Mr. Stellato for music theory in my junior year and it was one of my favorite classes," Ms. Grossman said. "Every day was fun and because I enjoyed it so much, I decided to intern for Mr. Stellato. He is a role model and he has helped me with so much throughout high school."
As a junior, Ms. Grossman was enrolled in AP Biology with Mrs. Beck "and I have a huge amount of respect for the amount of dedication she shows," the teenager said. "I had Ms. Tedeschi for a class that lasted only ten weeks. Although I did not spend a lot of time in her classroom, I have always felt that I could turn to her. She always brightens my day when I see her! She made the Peru trip last year a blast and she helped create many memorable moments."
A Future Lawyer?
Ms. Grossman plans to study both musical performance and history in college. "I want to go to a small liberal arts school that has an excellent music department/school," she said. "I am in the process of auditioning now. I am not yet sure where I will end up. I eventually would love to attend law school and be a lawyer."
Last summer, Ms. Grossman attended the New York State Summer School of the Arts: School of Orchestral Studies at Skidmore College. Musicians from all over the state flocked to the camp, but Ms. Grossman's string quintet was comprised exclusively of Long Islanders.
"I would like to tell incoming freshmen that they should keep an open mind," Ms. Grossman said. "They should try out new things and meet new people. Join clubs that you never would have joined and put yourself out there. It'll all be worth it!"