Samantha Glicker’s Magical Run through Huntington
Samantha Glicker has made the most of the past four years at Huntington High School. The senior has enjoyed a remarkably well-rounded experience, exploring challenging academic course offerings, embracing athletics and after school clubs and traveling internationally.
Bright, inquisitive, articulate, funny, trustworthy, loyal and compassionate; these are all words that can be used to describe Ms. Glicker. At times she can be reserved, preferring to listen rather than talk. The teenager can also be forceful when she feels strongly about something.
“I’ve been in the Huntington School District since kindergarten,” Ms. Glicker exclaimed proudly. “I went to Jefferson School and met two of my best friends; Sydney English and Elizabeth Corrao. I have stayed best friends with them through all these years.”
Ms. Glicker is currently enrolled in AP Microeconomics, AP Government, AP Calculus AB, AP Environmental Science, AP Literature, Spanish Honors and Drawing and Painting. “I’ve been taking art since my freshman year and it’s been a really good way to relax and have fun while taking challenging core classes,” the senior said.
The teenager has been involved with Huntington’s track and field program and coach Kevin Thorbourne since eighth grade. “When I came to the high school, he became not only a coach, but a father figure to me,” said Mr. Glicker about the Blue Devil mentor. “I fell in love with the sport and went on to compete all three years and was captain last year. I am planning on running this spring as well.”
One of Ms. Glicker’s “best memories” in the sport was being a member of the 4x200m relay team in the winter of her freshman year. The scene was Manhattan’s famed Armory, a mecca for the sport. “My team and I worked really hard and knew it was going to be an awesome opportunity to lower our time for the state qualifier,” she recalled. “We wound up breaking the school record. It was one of the best feelings to know your hard work paid off.”
Ms. Glicker now specializes in running the first leg of the 4x100m relay. Coaches [Shawn] Anderson and [Jennifer] Fudens have also guided me,” she said. “Fudens helped me honor my mom at the Coaches vs. Cancer track meet a couple of years ago. We raised and donated over $1,000 to the American Cancer Society.”
The teenager has formed many friendships through her participation in the athletic program. “Track is a sport that I never thought I would fall in love with,” Ms. Glicker said. “I’ve found a second family.”
The well-rounded senior has also been involved with Young Leaders, a community based youth development organization. She has gone on a build to Breezy Point with Huntington High School’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, helping to rebuild the Queens community devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
“One of the major community service programs I am involved in right now is the ‘I Matter’ project,” Ms. Glicker said. “I am a member of the student task force team and built the program called ‘Just Like Me,’ which is geared toward helping students find value in themselves so they have the ability to say no to destructive decisions involving things like drugs. I have been able to work with my two of my closest friends, Liz Corrao and Justin LoTurco. Our faces were on display in the windows of the Huntington Public Library.”
An international traveler
Despite all of her commitments, Ms. Glicker has found time to travel internationally with EF Tours. Huntington social studies teacher Camille Tedeschi led the private trip, which was not sponsored or approved by the district. Ms. Tedeschi is a seasoned traveler, having led or chaperoned dozens of similar trips in addition to her own personal treks.
“I enjoyed traveling with Ms. Tedeschi,” Ms. Glicker said. “I loved having her as a teacher for two years and was lucky enough to travel to Belize and do things I never thought I’d be able to do. I hiked ancient ruins, went cave tubing and snorkeled with sharks and stingrays. I am traveling to Peru during the February break. I can’t wait for what I will experience next.”
Ms. Glicker has developed many fulfilling relationships with her classmates and Huntington faculty members. She popular with folks of all ages and has an easy way about her. She’s a loyal and valued friend who always makes time for others.
An amazing four years
“I wouldn’t have been able to have such an amazing four years without my teachers,” Ms. Glicker said. “Some of my favorites have been Ms. [Judy] Pazienza, Mrs. [Kelly] Quintero, Mr. [Kenneth] Donovan, Mr. [Craig] McKee, Mrs. [Joann] Ferazi, Mrs. [Jessica] Medina and Mrs. [Kristin] Singer. Ms. Paz helped me a lot last year when physics wasn’t my best subject. She gave me the Pride Award for that class and she’s a teacher whose door is always open and is always looking out for her students. I also wouldn’t have been able to get through the application process without Mrs. Quintero. She helped me so much with my supplements and I’m so thankful to have had her input. I will also miss our class advisor and the best librarian, Mrs. [Patricia] Dillon, who has made our class events so successful and my free periods entertaining.”
The senior has been involved in Huntington’s Relay For Life in each of the past four years. “My freshman year I didn’t have a team, but I showed up the day of the event and a team happily let me join,” Mr. Glicker recalled. “Since that first event, I became extremely passionate about Relay and recruited more people to be part of the team of which I am now the captain.”
The teenager has been a member of the Huntington Relay’s Survivorship Committee for two years and she describes it as one of her “favorite activities.”
As the elected treasurer of Huntington’s Nathan Hale chapter of the National Honor Society, Ms. Glicker works alongside science teacher Joseph Cohen, the organization’s faculty advisor who also oversees the students coordinating the annual Relay For Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
Advice for incoming freshmen
“If I could give any advice to freshmen it would be go into high school with an open mind,” Ms. Glicker said. “I am lucky enough to have kept friends since kindergarten, but I have also made many new friends due to the fact that I tried club activities and classes that not all of my friends were involved in. I will never forget the football games, float nights and play fests and how much fun our class has had since freshman year. I am so lucky to have made such close relationships. Saying goodbye will definitely be hard.”
While the teenager is undecided on a college major, Ms. Glicker has been accepted by Providence College, Fairfield University, SUNY Oneonta, Elon University and the University of Maryland. “I’m still waiting to hear from the University of Delaware, Wake Forest and the University of Richmond,” she said. “I don’t know where I will end up, but I’m so lucky to have had such an amazing four years.”