Class of 2000 blows its own horn

"I have no regrets," she said of her time at Maginn. "I was so happy with the way my high school career went."

The four years marked a time of learning, forming friendships and exploring interests. As a freshman, Jenneane told The Evangelist that she wanted to be an elementary school teacher. While she still wants to work with children, her new goal is to be a speech and language pathologist. In the fall, she will begin classes at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, where she will major in communication disorders.

Meeting goals

"I am a member of Honor Society," she said. "I have improved in Spanish, although I'm not yet fluent, and I did receive scholarships."

While she played basketball for only three years, she opted not to continue her senior year because "I wanted to spend more time with my family and friends."

Plus time

"I had a wonderful experience," she said. "I made so many friends, not just with my peers but with my teachers. It's a great place to go to every day. It's just like another family. I'm going to miss the familiarity of the environment. Everywhere you looked, there was a friend."

As a new alumna, Jenneane would "like to see my school more involved with the community. Students should go out and do hands-on community service."

Deeper beliefs

Her advice to incoming freshmen is to realize that they are not alone.

"Don't be scared," she said. "Everyone who is coming in as a ninth-grader is scared. Give everyone a chance, even if they look different from you. Get involved; that's how you are going to meet people."

Time of change

JEB TOWNE

As a freshman, he had predicted of his senior year: "I don't think I'll be much different than now."

Now, he says, "I think I have changed in small ways. I've met more people. I have a different girlfriend than then."

His career aspirations have also changed. As a freshman, he thought that he would like to have a career related to sports. As a sophomore, he thought he might be a coach or a physical education teacher. In the fall, however, he will study accounting at Siena College in Loudonville.

Accomplishments

As a sophomore, his goal for senior year was to have left a good impression on others, done well in sports and leadership, and been a role model for other students. "I accomplished this," he said. "People look up to what I have done."

If he could go back in time and speak to his freshman self, his advice would be: "Work as hard as you can on your grades. Freshman year is important."

Right place

It was also a place that nurtured his faith.

"I've learned a lot from school and my parents about my faith," said Jeb. "I'm always learning more."

Involved

"I think I've been involved in every activity in this school," she said, a choice that helped her learn organizational skills. "I've mastered managing my time," she said.

That enabled Meghan achieve the goals she set for herself in freshman year. She said then that by the end of her senior year, she would have done well academically and in running, and would have earned college scholarships. As she looks forward to college in the fall, she:

* is ranked 12th in her class,

* has been Big 10 champion in running on three different occasions,

* has been named a Big 10 "Exceptional Senior" for her efforts on the basketball team, and

* secured several college scholarships, although she declined the most lucrative one because she didn't like the location of the school. She will attend Sacred Heart College in Fairfield, Conn., where she will run and major in athletic training.

Human animal

"There's not a lot in the equine therapy field," she said. "I'm also a lot more interested in athletics. I've had injuries, so I know how it feels. I'm interested in preventing injuries."

The injuries she sustained while running served as a turning point of her high school years. "Tenth grade was the hardest year," she said. "I had a couple of big Regents that year. Those were tough. I had some problems with my friends, and I got injured in cross-country."

Those challenges helped her learn about overcoming problems. "I learned about working hard to come back," she said. "It was also the first year I won the Big 10 in track."

Growth

Family is important to Meghan. She plans on spending as much time as she can with her older brother this summer since he will be spending the next school year in Ireland. She also plans on spending a lot of time in Lake George at her uncle and aunt's summer camp, where she will be the childcare provider to her seven-year-old cousin.

Looking back

"You probably won't find a school where teachers care about you more," she said. "There's individual attention; and if you have a problem, the teachers are there to help you. It's a really welcoming place."

Meghan would like incoming freshman to know that every year of high school is important. "You think those years aren't significant," she said. "But when you go to college, they look at them. They are important. You need to make sure you leave time for your academics, but you also need to have fun. You definitely need to learn how to balance."

Past and future

"There are a lot of graduation traditions," he said. "They tie you in with the past and link you to the future."

Some of these traditions include senior men wearing tuxedos, senior women wearing white gowns and graduates singing the school song.

"We all have to sing, so we've had to take chorus this last semester," said Justin. "It's kind of funny because some of us haven't sung since the sixth grade."

Time flies

Still, he accomplished many of the goals he set as an underclassman. As a sophomore, he told The Evangelist that by the end of senior year, he'd be captain of the soccer team, going to a good college, doing well on the SATs and have a 4.0 grade point average.

"I achieved everything but the 4.0," he said. "It was close. It was like a 3.79."

Transitions

As a freshman, he aspired to be a pilot. Now his plan is to study business at Hofstra University.

He has also grown in his faith, much of it due to attending CCHS. According to Justin, when people attend church, they often don't understand what's happening or the Scripture being read. That gets in the way of participating in the service.

"When you go to a Catholic school, you learn the concepts," he explained. "It's like, 'Wow, this is what it means!' That increases your faith."

Advice

In addition, he advises freshmen to be open-minded. "Get to know people," he said. "Be open to new experiences because they help you grow."

He also suggests that freshmen develop good time-management skills. "Make sure you do your projects in advance," he said. "You'll end up with more time for fun."

Alma mater

Nevertheless, he would like to see CCHS make a few minor changes. "It's a pretty well run school," he said, "but I'd have senior parking. We battle with the juniors for parking. I also think if upper classmen have a free study hall, they should be able to go to the pizza shop."

Overall, Justin is pleased with his high school years. "I liked the way things turned out," he said. "But I know I could have worked a little harder."

(06-15-00) [[In-content Ad]]