The end of the school year brings a flurry of activity for high schoolers - proms, yearbook signings, and sports award dinners, to name a few. This year, George F. Baker Junior Casey Juance will be taking a hiatus from these traditional celebratory events to embark on an experience that she hopes will be a stepping stone to her future.
Casey is one of 1,000 students from across the United States who will be attending a week-long Summer Leaders Experience (SLE) program in early June at the United State Military Academy at West Point. The SLE program is a week-long immersion into the academic, military, and social life of a West Point cadet. Participants have the opportunity to explore West Point from all angles - including the high-tech educational facilities, team-building athletic activities, and realistic military training.
The program is highly selective, and seeks to highlight high-achieving young people who are in great standing with their school and community. It is no surprise that Casey’s application rose to the top - an outstanding student at the top of her class, her list of extracurricular activities is remarkable. Casey holds leadership positions in Student Council and NHS, is a Junior Class Officer, three-season athlete (volleyball basketball and softball) and multi-instrument musician (viola, drums, piano and choir). Outside of school, she manages to find time to volunteer as the President of the Tuxedo Ambulance Youth Corps and a one-on-one Spanish tutor..
Casey has spent the past few months prepping for the experience, mentally and physically. “I am really excited about the opportunity. I am considering attending West Point after I graduate, and this program will give me a good feel for what to expect.”
School Counselor Chris Oliva agrees that Casey is a perfect fit for the West Point SLE program, and not just because of her grades and extracurriculars. “Casey has maturity and a perspective that we don’t often see in students her age. She has an ability to look at the whole picture with wisdom that sets her apart from her peers.”
Asking Casey what she is most proud of proves this point. Not choosing to reflect on her academic or extracurricular achievements she explains, “I am proud of how I view the world. I think I am empathetic and emotionally in tune with other people, which I think makes me more approachable and close with my friends.”
Not surprisingly, Casey is approaching her senior year keeping things in perspective. “Academics are cool and all, but I am going to enjoy spending time with my friends. I've known a lot of my classmates since Kindergarten, so right now I am trying to figure out what we are going to do next year - including our senior trip.” Which she is in charge of planning, of course!