Dylan Tuozzo Wins Senior Latin Award
Dylan Tuozzo is headed to SUNY College at New Paltz in the fall. She's not sure what her major will be, but Huntington High School teachers are convinced she is headed for success, regardless of her ultimate academic and career choices.
Ms. Tuozzo will graduate on June 24 with fellow members of the Class of 2011. She's a top student and earned the high school's Senior Latin Award for excelling in what many consider a difficult language.
"Dylan started Latin in 11th grade after taking the Italian Regents the previous year," said Carmen Kasper, Huntington's director of foreign language, ESL and bilingual programs. "During her two years in Latin she always performed exceptionally in the class and did work beyond what was assigned."
"I registered for Latin as a freshman with the intention of taking a second language three year sequence, only to find out that Latin II was not being offered," Ms. Tuozzo recalled this past Sunday evening. "After a one year break, I was pleased when they offered a combined Latin I and II class in my junior year so I could continue my studies. Unfortunately, I was the only one wanting to continue with the class, but once again Latin III was not being offered. I put in a request to take Latin III as an independent study student and was pleased when it was approved."
During high school, Ms. Tuozzo travelled to Italy and later hosted an Italian exchange student. She also trekked to New Orleans with Huntington's Habitat for Humanity chapter club, spending a week there working on rebuilding projects related to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
"Dylan connects her experiences in Latin with her previous experience in Italian in both language and culture," Mrs. Kasper said. "This ability to connect her experiences coupled with her understanding of culture in multiple eras of Italian language and culture makes her a model candidate for the World I Language Award in Latin."
Ms. Tuozzo participated in Huntington High School club and athletic programs, volunteered in the community and kept up a high academic grade point average. She is known among faculty members for challenging herself intellectually and exerting extra effort in pursuit of her goals.
"Although she studied Latin as an independent study course, Dylan was extremely responsible, attending every class ready to work," Mrs. Kasper said. "She is a dream student for a teacher."
"I would encourage any student who has an interest that they want to pursue to go for it and to fight for the class," Ms. Tuozzo said. "It was worth it."