Q&A: Islip Valedictorian Julia Hormann​

Julia Hormann was named the valedictorian of the Islip High School Class of 2018.

Hormann will be attending College of Charleston Honors College in the Fall to study biology.

Check out Patch's full interview with the valedictorian below:

Patch: What are your plans for after graduation?

H: After graduation I will be attending College of Charleston Honors College as a biology major. I plan on joining the Pre-Health advising program at my school and engaging in both classroom and clinical research. Over the past few years I've become interested in immunotherapy and various types cancer research, so I hope to purse research in this field with a long term goal of becoming a physician assistant or pediatric oncologist.

P: What will you miss most about high school?

H: I will without a doubt miss my friends and the dynamic that exists at my school. Over the years I've developed a great group of friends and we all have established a good dynamic with the teachers in Islip. From working beside teachers in clubs to being able to cheer on my best friends in sports, there's always been something to keep you busy and having fun. After going through nearly 13 years of school with the same group of people by my side, it'll definitely be a big change moving to college, and I'm going to miss a lot of people.

P: What are you most looking forward to in moving on to college?

H: I'm looking forward to living in a new place for the first time. I think it's good to branch out and explore, which is why I'm excited to be living in a different region among so many different people. I think it will be really neat to be in class with people from all over the country.

P: What was your favorite memory of high school?

H: Although there have been so many, I think the best memories in high school have been the times at big sporting events. It's really cool to see all different groups within the school come together to cheer on our friends from the bleachers. At big events, like watching our football team in counties my freshman year, or the boys lacrosse team in counties this year, students all wear the same color, make signs, and cheer in unison. It's awesome to see how much people come together and get excited, and it's even better knowing the people we're cheering for are our own friends. That experience is without a doubt something I'll miss in college.

P: What advice would you give to underclassmen?

H: Although its cliche, I think the biggest piece of advice I could give to a freshman would be to get involved early on. I think one of the reasons I truly enjoyed my time in high school could be attributed to the fact that I really tried to do a lot. In some cases, it involved stepping out of my comfort zone a little, but those times ultimately were the best. Getting involved in various clubs/teams/organizations early on helped to establish relationships with teachers, and with other students that I wouldn't have met otherwise. Looking back, these last four years have been busy, but it's everything that I kept busy with that will stick with me. Also, every underclassmen will hear it one hundred times -- high school goes by faster than you think. This really is true and people normally won't believe it their first day of freshman year; but, with time, it is a huge realization.

P: Any teachers/staff that stood out throughout your journey?

H: Absolutely! I would not be where I am today without the help of Dr. Christiansen, Ms. Schmalacker, and Mr. Mennecke. Early on in high school, Dr. Christiansen was my research teacher as well as my Science Olympiad coach. He also became the department chairperson for STEM and Business, so he really had a major impact with regards to figuring out the path I wanted to take. Ms. Schmalacker was my AP US History teacher and she led National Honor Society, but really she was so much more. Not only was she a great teacher, but she really did everything she could to help with extra review, and was always someone to talk to. Mr. Mennecke was my CAP Anatomy and AP Biology teacher. Not only is he an incredible teacher, but his class is the reason I figured out what I what to study. Mr. Mennecke's teaching is what got me fixated on the immune system, and cancer research in general. Ever since I took his class, I've been stuck on those topics and grow increasingly more excited to study them.

P: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

H: In ten years I hope to be graduated from college and finishing up medical school with a residency in a hospital for pediatric oncology.

P: Name a fun fact about yourself.

H: I love to bake and my favorite food is definitely chocolate chip cookies!