Carly Glowacky's Path to Graduation
Carly Glowacky has followed an interesting path on the way to graduating with Huntington High School's Class of 2013. The teenager completed kindergarten at Southdown Primary School and then moved to St. Patrick's School for first through eighth grades. She returned to Huntington as a freshman and is nearing the end of a fabulous four year run.
"I was accepted to St. Anthony's, Kellenberg and St. Dominic's Catholic high schools, but I ultimately chose to attend Huntington High School," Ms. Glowacky said. "I chose Huntington because of the variety of courses and electives offered as well as the music and art programs. Plus, I figured that Huntington High School would offer me a chance to try new things better than any of the Catholic high schools. I'm glad I chose Huntington because I was able to nurture my talents as well as try a multitude of new things!"
Ms. Glowacky has been accepted into the honors programs at St. John's University, Drew University, University at Albany, Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart University, all with merit scholarships. She has also been accepted by Binghamton University, SUNY Geneseo, New York University and the University at Buffalo, which awarded the senior a merit scholarship.
Ms. Glowacky plans to attend Sacred Heart University. She was recruited for the fencing team and has been offered both athletic and merit scholarships. "I couldn't be more excited to go to the school," she said. The teenager was accepted into Sacred Heart's honors program and invited into its master's in communication five-year program. She plans to either double major in communications and English or major in communications and minor in English.
"Sacred Heart is an NCAA Division I school, so I will be practicing every day and competing on the weekends," Ms. Glowacky said about college. "I am honored to be asked to fence on such a highly regarded, competitive and talented team and I enjoy being with the other fencers. On my official visit in January, I really bonded with the team, made a lot of friends and I fit in well in the campus community."
Challenging Senior Year
Ms. Glowacky's senior year schedule includes AP Government and Politics, AP English Literature and Composition, AP 2D Studio Art, Spanish 5 Honors, Pre-Calculus, Forensics, Project Adventure III and a career internship with teacher Kelly Krycinski in an English 9 Honors class.
The teenager has been a member of the Blue Devil varsity fencing team since ninth grade, been involved with Etcetera, the high school literary magazine, The Dispatch, the high school newspaper, the jazz ensemble for the past three years and even participated in the Blue Devil marching band's color guard for a season. She is a member of the National Honor Society and English Honor Society, too.
"Ultimately, fencing was by far my favorite activity," Ms. Glowacky said. She loved the sport so much that she started taking private lessons, became a member of the U.S. Fencing Assn. and began competing in tri-state area tournaments.
"Last spring I began training at the Fencers Club in Manhattan," the senior said. "After the Huntington High School fencing season ends, I try to train two or three days a week in the city. When I am not in Manhattan, I weight train and do cardio at the gym."
Late last winter, Ms. Glowacky competed in the Regional Open Circuit in Phoenix, Arizona, placing third in Division II and seventh in Division IA. She qualified for every event she could possibly compete in during this year's national championships, which will be held in early July in Columbus, Ohio.
Ms. Glowacky traveled to Reno, Nevada for a North American Cup a month ago and finished 25th out of 80 in her division. "It was a great feeling," she said.
A Fine Student
Academically, Ms. Glowacky is a fine student. "My favorite courses at the high school were all of the accelerated English courses, as well as the photography classes that I have taken," she said.
The teenager's favorite instructors include English teachers Kelly Quintero-Lashley and Kelly Krycinski, photography teacher Pam Piffard, chemistry teacher Ed Florea and technology teacher Alan Kuver. "They have all mentored me in a variety of ways, helped shape me as a person and guided me when I faced difficult choices throughout high school," Ms. Glowacky said.
"Ms. Quintero-Lashley always has a smile on her face," Ms. Glowacky said. "I have had the pleasure of having her as my teacher for three years in the high school. She has seen me laugh, cry, get sick and everything in between. She has a contagious smile and nurturing way and she has always provided me with encouragement and reassurance, which is something that every high school student needs."
When Ms. Glowacky had Mrs. Krycinski as a freshman, the teacher took a maternity leave at mid-year. The senior's career internship with the English teacher "made up for lost time," Ms. Glowacky said.
"She is a very dynamic teacher, making sure to include each and every student in her class at all times and she has an uplifting spirit that registers well with others, especially with the freshmen," Ms. Glowacky said. "I am lucky to work with her every day because she treats me like an adult, gives me responsibility within the classroom and provides me with lessons and morals that will be important to my future."
The senior has also developed a close relationship with Ms. Piffard through the high school photography program. "Ms. Piffard has been a teacher who has gotten to know me very well throughout the years because she has taught me three years worth of photography skills," Ms. Glowacky said. "She is able to give me inspiration for my art, as well as talk to me about my successes and struggles, always with a very giving and comforting hand. She has a very caring demeanor and treats me as if I am one of her children. I am very lucky to have had such an awesome teacher for such a long time!"
Mr. Florea has the ability to make Ms. Glowacky laugh more than any other teacher in the building. "I had him as a sophomore in chemistry and I am pleased to have him again for forensics this year," she said. "Although he can be tough at times, he has always given me practical and honest advice, as well as pushed me to work my hardest in his class."
The teenager has probably built the closest relationship with her fencing coach. "Mr. Kuver has been with me every step of my high school fencing career," Ms. Glowacky said. "If it weren't for him, I would not have made the team, and if that had happened, I would not have found my greatest passion. Mr. Kuver has always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself, and offered unconditional support and encouragement. I am going to miss him very, very much after graduation. I plan on visiting him and the fencing team a lot on my breaks, so I hope he's ready!"
Seniors Stays Very Busy
Ms. Glowacky stays busy, between challenging and time-consuming classes, athletics, after school activities and family and friends. By all accounts, she has done an exceptional job juggling the many facets of her life.
"My most memorable experiences in the district have definitely been from the fencing team," Ms. Glowacky said. "The varsity starters traveled to Massachusetts twice in my high school career and each year we made both great results and memories while we were there. I was able to make a great group of friends on the team, because we spent three hours a day with each other for almost three months during the season. We truly treated each other like a family."
As she prepares for the next phase of her life, Ms. Glowacky offered some advice to Huntington's incoming class: "Work hard in high school because it truly will pay off in the end," she said. "Challenge yourself, but have fun along the way. High school is a time when your world should expand so don't be afraid to try new activities and take electives in subjects that are new to you. Your grades are important, but being the best all the time isn't everything. I honestly believe that everything works out in the end and you will end up where you are meant to be. Find an activity you are truly passionate about and immerse yourself in that activity. It will be a rewarding experience, and will make your high school years more enjoyable and less stressful."