Rachel Carpenter Captures LIAA Award of Merit
Senior Rachel Carpenter is one of just 20 recipients of the Long Island Arts Alliance’s 2016 Award of Merit. The Huntington High School scholar-actress is being recognized in the “theater” category after participating in drama club productions for the past three years and displaying academic excellence.
“We recognize that you are dedicated to your art and a very valuable asset to your school district,” wrote John J. Gallagher, chairperson of the Long Island Arts Alliance’s Scholar Artist Committee, in a letter to Ms. Carpenter. “We commend you for your hard work, excellent scholarship and accomplishments.”
“When thinking about Rachel for some reason Oscar Wilde always comes to mind,” said Michael Schwendemann, a Huntington High School English teacher and the drama club advisor. “He felt ‘art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.’ Rachel is a true individual, both as an artist and a human being. Caring, open, honest and a true leader; coupled with her academic and theatrical talent she stands out from the crowd. I feel as though he (Wilde) must have met Rachel when he said ‘a work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament.’ A more unique student you will not meet than Rachel Carpenter.”
Ms. Carpenter is coming off a junior year that saw her serve as treasurer of the Math Honor Society and hold down memberships in numerous other honor societies. Selected as a National Helper, she also served as co-president of Huntington’s National History Day club.
The Huntington senior has qualified for the National Merit scholarship program placing her among the top 50,000 of the 1.5 million United States students who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last fall.
Ms. Carpenter is thrilled to be recognized by the Long Island Arts Alliance. “It is such a lovely award,” she said. “Not many organizations honor both academia and the arts.”
The teenager is interested in studying biology in college with possible career interests that include biomedical engineering, pediatric oncology or maybe even virology.
Ms. Carpenter will be honored during a kick-off event on Wednesday, September 9 from 4-7 p.m. at Half Hollow Hills East High School when the Class of 2016 LI Arts Alliance Scholar Artists and Award of Merit recipients will be introduced to the media.
This marks the program’s ninth year. Schools are limited to only one nomination in each of five categories: music, visual arts, dance and theater and media arts.
A group photo of Ms. Carpenter and her fellow Award of Merit winners will appear at a later date in Newsday.