Elisa Medina-Jaudes to Study Architecture at Cornell
Elisa Medina-Jaudes has known for a long time what she wanted to study in college. She will get the chance at one of the best schools in the country. The Huntington High School senior is headed to Cornell University next fall.
“I decided quite early what I wanted to study in college,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “In sixth grade I chose architecture as the field I wanted to go into and I haven’t changed my mind since.”
The teenager is an upbeat, articulate and happy young woman. “Elisa is one the friendliest people that I know,” fellow senior Irina DeSimone said. “She has a vibrant personality and her positive outlook is contagious. She is extremely dedicated and is not only talented in her academics, but artistically and athletically as well. Cornell is definitely lucky to have her.”
Ms. Medina-Jaudes performed her due diligence as she weighed her college options, meticulously investigating which school would best suit her interests.
“I was looking for a school that offered a five-year professional program resulting in a Bachelor of Architecture degree, which would allow me to get started in the profession right away,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “Cornell has been ranked as one of the top schools for undergraduate studies in architecture for many years, so I began looking into that school and what it has to offer.”
Trip to Cornell sealed decision
A trip to Cornell sealed Ms. Medina-Jaudes’ decision that the Ivy League school was the place she wanted to spend the next five years of her life.
“After visiting the campus, taking a tour and attending an information session for the architecture school, I decided that was the school I wanted to go to and would prepare me the best to become an architect,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “There are so many amazing things that Cornell offers, such as a semester in Rome and Dragon Day, which is a celebration to honor the first-year architecture students.”
Cornell’s application process was challenging. “I had to write an essay on why I wanted to become an architect, compile a portfolio with my best artwork and visit for an interview,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “I am ecstatic to have the privilege of being accepted into the program at Cornell University. The architecture school is one of the most demanding on campus so I can only hope to find time for other activities to get involved in.”
Just because she will graduate high school in six months and head upstate to Cornell doesn’t mean Ms. Medina-Jaudes will drop all of her current interests. “I would love to continue to fence since I have been a varsity fencer for the past five years on the Huntington team,” she said. “I have also played the cello from a very young age and would like to continue playing in college.”
Close teacher relationships
The teenager has developed especially close relationships with Huntington High School social studies teachers Kenneth Donovan and Lauren Desiderio and art teacher Kristin Singer. “They have impacted me the most,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said about the trio of faculty members.
“I have had the pleasure of having Mrs. Desiderio in both ninth and tenth grade and have continued to work with her during eleventh and twelfth grade for the National History Day club,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “I’ve had Mr. Donovan for AP United States History and AP Government and Politics and he never ceases to make those subjects interesting and engaging.”
“Elisa Medina is truly one of a kind,” Mrs. Desiderio said. “She’s witty, intelligent and approachable and one of the most genuine students I’ve had the pleasure to come across at Huntington High School. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to teach such an outstanding student. Furthermore, Elisa has been an exceptional role model and mentor in our National History Day program. I’ve been able to count on her in so many ways both in and out of the classroom. I will miss her terribly as she heads off to Cornell in the fall, but I am so proud of everything she has accomplished over the past four years. Cornell is lucky to gain such a dedicated and creative student.”
The senior’s relationship with Mrs. Singer has been especially meaningful. “This is my fourth and final year as one of Mrs. Singer’s students and she has definitely been the most influential teacher,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “She has pushed me to my potential in art and has instilled in me the confidence to succeed in my chosen career. I think that’s what stands out to me most about Huntington; the connection that teachers can have to their students. I don’t feel uncomfortable going to teachers when I need help, whether it is personal or academic.”
“I am especially proud of Elisa’s acceptance to my alma mater, Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning,” Mrs. Singer said. “It is an enormous achievement to be admitted early decision into the program, which is consistently ranked the top undergraduate architecture school in the nation. Cornell is truly fortunate to gain such a smart, creative and driven student. Cornell’s architecture program has so much to offer Elisa; brilliant professors, important guest lecturers and amazing state-of-the art facilities. She will also be able to participate in classic Cornell events like Dragon Day, where freshmen architect students construct a giant dragon, parade it throughout the campus until, ultimately, their rivals, the engineering students burn it down.”
Savors each day at Huntington
Ms. Medina-Jaudes continues to savor each day at Huntington High School and she keeps giving all of her classes and activities her best effort.
“If a ninth-grader came up to me and asked me ‘what is the key to success at Huntington?’ I probably would give the standard answer of ‘to work hard and study hard,’” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “Our parents and teachers tell us the same thing over and over again, but they’re right. Success doesn’t come by sheer luck or coincidence. We need to work for it.”
Ms. Medina-Jaudes is excited to have so many new experiences looming on the horizon. “One of the best opportunities Elisa will have is to study abroad at Cornell’s Rome program for architecture, art and planning students,” Mrs. Singer said. “It’s a small program where Cornell professors take approximately 40 architecture, art and urban planning students to their Rome campus for a semester. Classes are small and often taught on-site at museums, galleries, churches and other important architectural locations. It was, by far, my favorite part of my undergraduate college experience.”
The teenager has learned her lessons well over the years and she is ready to branch out at Cornell and show the world what she can do. “An important piece of advice is to trust yourself,” Ms. Medina-Jaudes said. “There have been several people that have told me that architecture is a difficult field to go into, but I trusted my gut because I knew I would be able to handle the work that this career path demands. If you truly believe you can do it then you can. With hard work and determination, great things can happen.”