Student of the Month

October Student of the Month: Julissa Spooner

by Bricen Peinado

It is with pleasure that we introduce to you Newfield High School’s student of the month for October, Miss Julissa Spooner. Though there are many options amongst our seniors this year, Julissa was an easy decision to start us off as Newfield’s first student of the month of the school year. You may remember her from last school year, particularly the night we honored Dr. Lessler, where Julissa did the fencing demo. Speaking of fencing, she’s been named an All Long Island fencer and plans on continuing at the collegiate level. In addition to fencing, she’s a member of DECA, vice president of the class of 2023, and president of our G.O. She volunteers at Avalon Nature Preserve in Stony Brook, has worked as a camp counselor at Centereach Pool Camp, and currently is employed as a barista at Starbucks.

Julissa is full of positive energy and is always looking to make her world, and the world around her, a better place. Mr. Vecchio, Julissa’s college economics teacher, describes her as a brilliant young lady with a great sense of humor who lights up the room when she walks in. Ms. Montana, who had Julissa last year for AP Bio and is currently her advisor for G.O. stated, “Though it was 7:05 a.m., Julissa came in daily full of energy and enthusiasm. She was always quick to volunteer answers or engage in conversations about biology or just about life. And as G.O. president, she’s highly dependable with her daily check-ins to ensure everything G.O. is being tended to. Lastly, Mr. Martinez, her orchestra teacher, stated, “ Julissa is a fantastic bassist in our Philharmonic Orchestra, bringing passion, leadership, and personality to our rehearsals. She is the type of student who can appreciate progress on an individual and collective basis, and who is always striving for better regardless. Julissa always stands true to who she is. She is not only a wonderful asset to our ensemble, but to the building as a whole. ” Though Julissa expressed that it was a little cliché, she’s inspired by her mom and dad as they ’ ve always been here supporting her.

With the potential to graduate in June with 30 college credits, she’s got her eyes on a few schools. They include Oneonta and Binghamton, but her number one choice is SUNY Albany. Given her love for our planet, she’s looking at a major in Environmental Engineering. There’s also the possibility of Julissa getting into environmental policy.

When speaking to Julissa you can clearly see the positivity and energy everyone’s talking about. There is no doubt she going to do great things for herself, those around her, and our environment. Thank you for representing Newfield in the way you do every day. Congratulations on being Newfield’s student of the month for October!