Shi, Karasz reflect on last four years
Mineola High School valedictorian Katie Shi has had an exciting and active high school career. She’s been involved in numerous clubs and activities, as well as research projects. But when she heads off to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the fall to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, it’s her friends—the ones that were there through the good and bad times—that she’ll remember the most.
“High school is not a perfect place. It’s a hard place to go through,” Shi said. “Some days are horrible, but you have to value the days that are good, and having great friends who have stayed by me through it all, knowing they’re there for me, is a great feeling. It was nice to know certain friends who always stayed by you.” Shi advises other high school students to not take the high school experience so seriously. Rather, she recommends taking it day by day.
“High school plays a big part in shaping your future, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get a perfect score on a test,” Shi said. “Look for the one good thing that happens each day. Don’t let the stress get to you. Everyone has their moments, but it’s not the end of the world. Realize you’re still young, and don’t worry too much about the future.”
Shi, who is graduating at the top of her class with a 3.99 GPA, serves as a great role model for her peers, both in and out of the classroom. Not only did she excel academically in high school, but she was actively involved in music and sports. She played flute in the marching band, violin in the chamber ensemble and piano for the jazz ensemble. Shi was also a member of the track team for four years, as well a cross country runner. She also recently picked up the shot-put and discus.
Shi was also involved in the Student Service Center, which connects students to different service projects. She noted that Gingerbread University was one of her favorite activities with the club.
“We go to the Nassau County Bar Association and lots of kids come in to make gingerbread houses,” Shi said. “It only happens once a year but it’s very fun and nice to see all the kids so happy and excited.”
Shi’s support system includes her two older sisters and her parents. Her sister Jessica, was also valedictorian of Mineola High School and her eldest sister, Dorothy, recently graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Her parents were both oncologists at North Shore LIJ before her mom retired and her dad took a position as a vice president of a hospital start up in China.
“My parents have always been involved in mine and my sisters’ lives,” Shi said. “They instilled the will to do better and always reach for the best.”
She also credits her teachers and guidance counselor, Donna Joyce, for supporting her throughout the last four years.
“My teachers always motivated me and my guidance counselor helped me calm down when the stress became too much,” Shi said. “She helped me calm down and look at it day by day, and taught me I was doing the best I can and if it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world.”
Joining Shi at the top of the Class of 2016 is salutatorian Marissa Karasz. The environmental club president said the key to having a good high school experience is changing things up.
“Explore different groups and activities,” Karasz said. “Just because you did track one year, doesn’t mean you can’t take art classes another year. High school is the time you’re supposed to experiment and see what you like and don’t like.”
High school isn’t all about studying for tests, Karasz said. In that vein, the senior has made high school meaningful by broadening her horizons through joining different clubs and teams. She was part of the Student Service Center, took numerous art classes and was an active member of the environmental club. One of her most memorable experiences was her time on the cross country team.
“I had never joined a school sport before, that was my first one,” Karasz said. “I got to be really good friends with almost all the people on the team. I thought it was nice how inclusive everyone on the team was.”
She advised students to not stress out too much and make the most of every situation. In the fall, she’ll head to NYIT and while she said she’ll miss high school, she’s looking forward to what the future holds.
“I’ll miss being young,” Karasz said with a laugh. “But there’s always something ahead in the future so I won’t spend too much time dwelling on the past.”
