Marissa Goldstein's Incredible Journey
Marissa Goldstein is intent on cramming as much into her last six weeks of high school as she can. The senior is on a roll and when she graduates next month, she can be assured that she has gained the respect and admiration of her classmates, teachers and advisors.
"My last four years at Huntington High School have been an incredible journey," Ms. Goldstein said. "It's scary to think how much my life's going to change in just a few short months. Now all I have left to do is sit back and reminisce on one of the most memorable periods of my life."
Ms. Goldstein is not the type to be a bystander. She welcomes a challenge and isn't afraid of hard work. The senior is creative, too. "I've been involved in Huntington's fashion program for four years and I can safely say that my high school experience would not have been complete without it," Ms. Goldstein said. The teenager is headed to the University of Delaware whe plans to major in fashion merchandising.
She's come across so many good teachers, but like any student, Ms. Goldstein has her favorites. "My fashion teachers Mrs. [Kristin] Singer and Ms. [Amy] Worth were definitely the most influential teachers I've had," she said. "They taught me all I know about fashion and I can't wait to take with me all the knowledge I've taken from them."
Huntington's fashion program seems to breed loyal participants. Many graduates are now studying fashion in college and the program has gained a wide following.
"One of my most cherished experiences within the fashion program was our trip to Washington D.C. to meet Michelle Obama and the designer of her inaugural gown, Jason Wu," Ms. Goldstein said. "It was an honor to be recognized for our talents by some of the most well respect people of my day and it gave me the confidence and desire to pursue my dream."
When she's not engrossed in the fashion program, Ms. Goldstein has tackled some of Huntington High School's most challenging courses, including AP Biology, AP Literature and AP Calculus. "The classes I enjoyed most were AP Biology and English 11 Honors," she said. "It wasn't only the course material that I took pleasure in; it was the teachers, as well. Mrs. [Deborah] Beck is a powerful teacher who really loves what she does, so it made it that much easier to grasp an understanding of the challenging material.
From beginning to end, Mrs. Goldstein's high school days have been meaningful. "I had Mr. [Ken] Krummenacker's ninth period English class, which is usually a tough period to teach because it's the end of the day, but he knew just how to grab our attention," she said. "He gave me something to look forward to each day and thanks to him I actually enjoy reading poetry now. I'll miss popping in and out of his classroom next year."
Ms. Goldstein has been a member of the school's high honor roll every single quarter for the past four years. There's no doubt she's one of the top students in the Class of 2011. But, she's also found time for plenty of extracurricular activities.
"It's important to me that I pay my dues to the arts, which is why I've been involved in art honors society all four years and now serve as secretary," Ms. Goldstein said. This year she joined the staff of The Dispatch, Huntington's student newspaper. She's responsible for each issue's fashion column.
"Right now, I'm working on an intern project for fashion where I am constructing my own magazine, entirely on my own, that will be sold at this years fashion show on May 17th," Ms. Goldstein said. The teenager has also participated in a variety of other activities, including the English honor society, YEA HHS, Habitat for Humanity and junior varsity soccer.
"I think what I enjoyed most about high school was finding myself and learning about who I am as a person," Ms. Goldstein said. "All of my experiences at Huntington High School have helped me accomplished that. There will be many things about high school that I'll miss; homecomings, proms, football games and spirit week, but I'm more than ready to branch out. I know that the University of Delaware will show me life in a new light and I look forward to the experiences that await me."