Loughlin's Summer Scholars 2019

Loughlin’s Summer Scholars 2019

While summer might mean rest and relaxation for many of us, this summer, several Loughlin students took advantage of their time away from the classroom to gain some real-life experience in-line with their future career goals or to help others in need. Some of the students highlighted in this piece have traveled hundreds or thousands of miles in the name of service, while other students battled the morning rush-hour commutes in the July and August heat to make it on time to their internships at top law offices and to learn coding alongside students from all over New York City. Though each student’s experience was vastly different, our school’s mantra, “enter to learn, leave to serve,” was tirelessly upheld by each of these esteemed students. Read on to learn more about this year’s Summer Scholars.

 

Helena Huete ‘21

Helena is still trying to figure out which career path she is most interested in, but thanks to the NYU Career Edge: Exploring the Field of Health Care experience that Helena was selected to be a part of, she is one step closer to narrowing down an area of interest. While sitting in homeroom one day, Helena received a paper about an upcoming opportunity at NYU. Helena, interested in learning more about the program, worked with Brother Peter Bonventre in guidance to prepare a lengthy application. Of the many applicants interested in the NYU Career Edge program, Helena was selected to work with them this summer. Helena is most proud of, “being accepted into the program and receiving [her] certificate of completion.” The program, “introduced [her] to Internal Medicine and, so far, [she] wants to study this in college.” Helena will still be applying to even more summer opportunities throughout this year for next summer.

 

Elial Huntt ‘21

Elial traveled to Ghana in West Africa for two weeks. While on this service opportunity facilitated by his church, Elial lead a choir of 150 young men from the area. He taught them songs to sing for church services. “The most rewarding part was seeing the kids smile when helping them,” Elial remembers. He hopes to continue being a part of service missions with his church next year and for years to come.

 

Ashley Orellana ‘21

Ashley spent three weeks at the Scales of Justice Academy Program held at Fordham University. The program was established to provide young women the opportunity to learn at one of the nation's most prestigious law schools. For many years, Loughlin has sent at least one young woman to the program. At the Scales of Justice Academy, students are exposed to many aspects of the legal profession. They debate, present, and listen to court testimonies. Many esteemed lawyers, judges and other professionals take part in helping out throughout the girls’ experience with the program. The Academy concludes with a trip to DC to visit the Supreme Court.

 

Jah’I and Jahbin Bazin ‘20

Jah’I and Jahbin spent their summer being a part of the Lasallian Youth Summer Assembly program. They were introduced to this opportunity by Mr. Foley and his work as our Campus Minister. For Jah’I, “[he] is most proud of the community service because the feeling of giving back was very rewarding” while his twin brother Jahbin recalled a specific outing with the group: “I went to a food pantry with a group and made tons of food that will go to those in need.”

 

Arielle Frederic and Aleyana Black ‘20

Current seniors, Arielle and Aleyana worked with the Envision Experience, a program run through the National Youth Leadership Forum of Medicine. The girls were personally invited to be a part of this experience thanks for their efforts in our PLTW Biomedical program earning them recognition as future leaders in the medical field. Aleyana was most proud of her ability to work with people from around the world (as it was an international program) while Arielle prides herself on her newfound technical skills that she acquired through her experience: I learned techniques that are used during a medical emergency...This experience was very intriguing and it made me realize why I want to pursue the medical field.

 

Abigail Philisma ‘20

This summer Abigail, through her church, joined the VBCC Ambassador Program. Thanks to this program, Abigail was awarded the opportunity to take part in a mission trip to Puerto Rico, where many are still struggling as a result of the hurricanes that have passed through in recent years. Abigail remembers, “the joy that everyone had on their faces when [her group] came to see them and do nice things for them. They felt like it was too good to be true and it’s so sad that they felt that way— but I’m glad I got to experience that. It changed how I look at things.”

 

Sika Attikesse ‘20

Reprising her role as a “Girl Who Codes,” Sika spent her second summer working alongside other young women from all over New York City with the “Girls Who Code” program. Thanks to this experience, Sika has learned how to code a website of her own and can use this knowledge as she moves forward in her studies. Sika was happy to meet other girls from neighboring high schools who shared similar interests. Sika learned about this opportunity after listening carefully to Loughlin’s morning announcements and after speaking about the program with our Library Media Specialist, Mr. Frank.

 

These incredible opportunities, coupled with the education these students receive as Loughlin Lions, help to prepare them for the demands of college and the workforce. Our students had to seek out these opportunities, send in their applications, and be selected to be a part of these programs— often beating out many potential applicants for limited spots. We couldn’t be more proud of the way these students chose to spend their summer vacation and hope that they will continue to push the boundaries and pursue their dreams next summer and beyond.