H-ton Grad Ashley Lopez is Happy
at SUNY Geneseo
The early weeks of her freshman year of college are going smoothly for Huntington High School Class of 2014 member Ashley Lopez. The teenager is enjoying her classes and free time at SUNY Geneseo.
“So far college is gong extremely well,” Ms. Lopez said. “My GPA is looking strong and I love being here. The views are awesome and I couldn’t have chosen a better college. Although I feel homesick at times, I’ve made so many new friends that I know will always be there for me. I’ve met great new people from different parts of New York State and some of these places I have never even heard of.”
Ms. Lopez is participating in G.O.L.D., the acronym for Geneseo Opportunities Leadership Development. “This mainly focuses on how to assess leadership opportunities and qualities of a good leader today,” she said. “I am also a member of Circle K, which is a volunteer base club. It’s a larger version of Key Club, which I was in during high school. Not only am I participating in these programs, but I am also part of the Women’s Leadership Institute and the Hippies for Hope club in which we make tie-dye shirts and sell them. For every shirt sold, the money made is then donated to a nearby children’s hospital in Rochester.”
The Huntington alum is majoring in biochemistry for her pre-med studies and minoring in math. “Most of my time here has been spent studying, but I also try to make time for friends and clubs. Taking on all these courses can be stressful and college is a big change in my life, but if you hang on, you’ll make it through. Time management is the key. College is an experience, but it can be fun if you plan it right!”
Ms. Lopez said she hopes to be a math and science tutor next year and also volunteer with Geneseo First Response, which provides emergency medical services to the campus community. “I have been part of many great programs so far and would love to keep participating in much more,” she said.
A fine math student, Ms. Lopez earned the $1,500 Jong Pil Lee Memorial Scholarship presented by the Long Island Mathematics Conference Board late last winter. She was honored during a ceremony at SUNY College at Old Westbury. The scholarship is presented annually to a minority student who has excelled in high school math and who plans to continue studying math in college. During the scholarship ceremony, the teenager cited Lynn Hendricks as the Huntington teacher who inspired her love of math.
Ms. Lopez was a student in the Huntington School District from kindergarten through graduation. She particularly enjoyed math and science courses at the high school. She was president of Huntington’s Spanish Honor Society chapter, treasurer of both the Grandfriends club and the Gay-Straight Alliance and a member of the Key Club, Math Honor Society and the school’s color guard.