Huntington’s Magnificent Morgan Mars
Morgan Mars usually stays under the radar. The Huntington High School senior doesn’t draw attention to herself, but nevertheless she is a star. Ranked near the top of the Class of 2014, the teenager has enjoyed a superb wire-to-wire run through the school district.
Academically, Ms. Mars has shined, earning sensational grades and gaining the respect of administrators, teachers and classes in a matter of minutes. She has also been one of the mainstays of the Blue Devils soccer and track and field programs.
At one time or another Ms. Mars has attended Washington Primary, Huntington Intermediate, J. Taylor Finley Middle School and for the past four years, the high school. This year she is enrolled in five Advanced Placement classes, including AP Government, AP Microeconomics, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics and AP Literature.
“My favorite class this year is calculus,” Ms. Mars said. “I’ve had amazing math teachers these past four years, including Mr. [Michael] Graziano, Mrs. [Joann] Ferazi, Ms. [Patricia] Tagliente and now, Mrs. [Monica] Racz. They are all fantastic teachers and have helped foster my interest so much that I am thinking of minoring in it as I plan to major in biomedical engineering.”
Applied to 10 colleges
Ms. Mars sent applications to 10 colleges and has already been accepted into seven of them. She expects to hear from the final three shortly and then finalized her plans for next fall. Huntington’s teachers couldn’t possibly hold her in any higher esteem. She has established many close relationships with faculty members and they will miss her when she heads off to college.
“All of my teachers have been great, but among my favorites are Mr. Graziano, Ms. [Dame] Forbes and Ms. [Kelly] Quintero,” Ms. Mars said. “I had Mr. Graziano in ninth grade and he really helped me adjust to the high school and made learning geometry fun. He shows all of his students respect and makes sure they are all successful in his class.”
The teenager feels strongly about Ms. Forbes and Ms. Quintero, too. “Ms. Forbes is one of my favorite teachers because I had the pleasure of having her in both ninth grade and eleventh grade for honors and AP Chemistry, respectively,” Ms. Mars said. “She always seems so happy to see all of her students and really cares about their success, not to mention she comes up with some awesome labs like the fireball lab. Ms. Quintero is one of the kindest teachers I’ve ever had. She always tries her best to try and keep the class upbeat and excited to learn something new.”
Soccer and track
When school day concludes, Ms. Mars heads down to Louis D. Giani Gymnasium. She is closely identified with the Blue Devil soccer team as well as the track program.
“I’ve been playing soccer since third grade and have played for the high school team these past four years,” Ms. Mars said. “This year our team really came together and we finally made it to the playoffs.”
Her favorite team is winter track and field. Ms. Mars has competed in the 300m dash, 600m run, 4x200m relay and the triple jump. “I started doing triple jump in eleventh grade and it easily became my favorite event as I worked hard to improve at every meet,” she said.
As a sophomore, Ms. Mars and her 4x400m relay teammates Adelia Witt, Katie Healy and Kerri Giambruno shattered the Huntington High School record in the event while competing at the Armory in Manhattan. “It was an incredible feeling to know that all of our hard work had finally paid off and that I would get to see my name on the school record sheet next to so many other talented athletes,” Ms. Mars said.
As a junior, Ms. Mars and her teammates Lexi Mills, Jontae Smith and Suzie Petryk broke the school record in the sprint medley relay. “Track has allowed me to meet incredible people who I otherwise would not have met,” Ms. Mars said. “It has taught me how to be a leader and a supportive teammate and I’m so honored to have been able to participate with my closest friends.”
Ms. Mars is looking to finish her high school athletic career on a high note this spring with the outdoor track and field team. Considering her talent and commitment, it should be a wonderful season.
Most memorable events
Ms. Mars said that some of the most memorable events over the past four years have included Play Fest float night and the homecoming football game. “These events make Huntington unique and allow the school to build a sense of community,” the senior said.
As befits the academic powerhouse she is, Ms. Mars is a member of Huntington’s National Honor Society chapter and well as the high school’s Math, Science, English and Spanish honor societies.
Secretary of the English Honor Society, Ms. Mars said the position “has taught me a lot about responsibility as I have to take attendance, hand in the minutes and attend all of the meetings. One of my favorite things the society heads is the spelling bee. It’s a lot of work, but everyone seems to love it and it is so exciting to watch the participants spell extremely difficult words.”
As she nears her finals weeks at Huntington High School, Ms. Mars isn’t letting up. She continues to excel academically and she continues to be one of the track team’s key members. She’s surrounded by a loyal circle of friends who can all boast a litany of achievements of their own.
“If I had to give incoming freshmen advice I would tell them to join a bunch of different clubs and take different electives that interest them,” Ms. Mars said. “High school goes by so quickly and I think it’s really important to try and meet new people, find things that interest you and dedicate yourself to things you’re passionate about.”