Whiz Kids: Valedictorian Kaitlin Hamilton and Salutatorian Frank DiRenno

Names:  Kaitlin Hamilton and Frank DiRenno

Ages:  17

School:  Walter Panas High School

Accomplishment:  Highest academic ranks in Walter Panas High School Class of 2011

Key to Awesomeness: 

The two top graduates among 212 seniors of Walter Panas High School will bring their science research experiences to their respective colleges and pursue their studies in the field of science.

Valedictorian Kaitlin Hamilton’s list of academic awards include National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, Rensselaer Medal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics and Science, and Third Place in Medicine and Health category at 2011 Westchester Science & Engineering Fair.  She received American Citizenship Awards for her various extracurricular commitments, such as Student Government and school orchestras.

Salutatorian Frank DiRenno is also a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student, All League Varsity Team bowler, and alto saxophonist at the school jazz band. He appreciates all his high school teachers for their support.

The dialogue below gives insight into Hamilton and DiRenno’s academic minds and glimpse of their influential figures.

Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch:  Please share about a teacher that positively influenced you.

Frank DiRenno:  There have been many teachers that have had a huge positive influence on my life, but the one teacher who has been the most influential is my former world history teacher and four year bowling coach, Mr. Terry Rancier. Mr. Rancier was my history teacher for two years, and I’ll never forget his class. He made learning fun and exciting. Even on the lanes, he always gave me whatever tips he could, and encouraged me when I was having a rough day. I couldn’t have achieved my level of bowling success this past season without his influence.

Kaitlin Hamilton:  It is difficult to decide on just one teacher who has had the greatest impact on me since there are two names that immediately come to mind when I am asked this question. The first teacher is Ms. Leslie Hoellger, my sixth grade science teacher. I have been interested in science from a very young age, but it was because of her extreme passion for this subject that I gained a newfound appreciation for science and now have that same type of passion today. She has a way of teaching that makes even the most mundane topics incredibly fascinating, and she leaves you with a sense of wonder and awe with her descriptions of the complex science behind actions and events that we take for granted. It was because of Ms. Hoellger that I began to seriously consider a career in the field of science.

The second teacher who has impacted me is Mr. Terry Rancier, my advanced placement world history teacher for ninth and tenth grades. He is another teacher who is incredibly passionate about his field; his reenactments of historical events in front of the class are one of the reasons, besides my long interest in history, why I will never forget key historical events! More importantly, his class was the first advanced placement class that I had taken, so he taught me about what to expect in a college-level course regarding the workload and time management, thus preparing me well for the advanced placement courses that I would take after that and for college.       

Patch:  What is a significant event in high school that made a difference in your life?

FD:  One event that has made a difference in my life was getting the opportunity to conduct research at Columbia University over the summer. It’s an experience I will never forget, and it is one I know helped me in my college application process and will help me in the future.

KH:  A significant event in high school that made a difference in my life was my participation in the Science Research program. I have always been interested in science and enjoyed science classes in school, but I had never had any real experience of what it is truly like to be a scientist since everything in school was very structured. However, the Science Research program gave me the freedom to explore any topic of my choice and the opportunity to design and conduct my own research. I had such a positive experience throughout the whole research process, from the actual data collection to working with my mentor who was incredibly kind and supportive, that I decided to pursue a career in the research field.

Patch:  What advice would you give to underclassmen about their academic planning at Walter Panas?

FD:  My advice to underclassmen at Panas would be to challenge yourselves. Don’t think you can’t do well in a class because of its name or because the teacher is known to give a lot of work. It will all pay off in the end, especially when applying for college. Also, make sure to take advantage of extracurriculars in addition to academics; what you do outside of school is just as important as what you do in school.

KH:  I would advise underclassmen to challenge themselves and take the most difficult courses that they can handle. While taking difficult courses looks good for colleges, what is more important about doing this is the sense of achievement and gratification that you feel when you delve deeper into a particular topic and are able to apply this knowledge towards solving challenging problems. Also, what I have found when taking difficult courses, particularly advanced placement courses, is that the relationship between the teachers and the students is no longer completely teacher to pupil but rather colleague to colleague. At the advanced placement level, the teachers know that you are as interested in the subject as they are, so they are just as eager to hear about your theories and inquiries as they are to teach you what they know. It is really great when you can form a relationship like that, because it truly gets you thinking about a topic and in the mindset of a professional in that field since it allows for even deeper analysis of the subject and is more akin to the real world.

Patch:  What was a college application essay related to extracurricular activities?

FD:  Although I didn’t have a specific essay question regarding my extracurricular activities, I wrote my formal college essay on a topic of my choice, and that was how bowling was related to my life and personality. I explained how each of the three bowling balls I own and use represented a different aspect of my character. Each ball has a unique purpose and characteristics, and their combination is a reflection of my own character.

KH:  On one college application, I was asked to discuss something that I do simply for the pleasure of it. The activity that I decided to discuss was my participation in my class's Student Government group. I stated that this is my favorite activity because I enjoy having the ability to act as a leader, giving back to my class, and making sure that our high school years are exciting and unique. I then went on to explain that I also enjoy working with my fellow classmates because, since many of us have been members of the group since freshmen year, we have become like a family. Therefore, we understand each other's strengths and weaknesses and build off of each other's ideas, enabling us to accomplish tasks that other Student Government groups could never achieve.

Patch:  Who is your role model?

FD:  My role model is Albert Pujols. While he’s an amazing athlete, it’s his work ethic, strength, and modesty. He’s not like other athletes, in that he demands a huge contract, complains, or makes excuses. He does his job and does so at extremely high level. I look to him as both an inspiration and an example.

KH:  Like the question about a teacher who has had an influence on me, I have multiple role models. My first and most important role models are my parents. They have always been there fore me and have set an excellent example of how to be a kind, upstanding, charitable, hard-working, and dedicated person. If it were not for them, I truly would not be the person that I am today.

My second group of role models is the founding fathers, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and the founding mothers, such as Abigail Adams, of our country. I look up to them because they recognized that something was wrong, and so they stood up against tyranny in the American Revolution in order to preserve and protect the freedoms that they held so dear against seemingly unwinnable odds. Whenever I face a difficult roadblock in my life, I always look to their example for inspiration to overcome anything.

Patch:  What are your college, major, and career plans?

FD:  I will be attending Boston College this fall, as a member of the Presidential Scholars Program. I will most likely be majoring in Biology. Additionally I will most definitely be following the college’s pre-medical program, as I plan to attend medical school after I graduate, hopefully achieving my goal of becoming a medical doctor.

KH:  I am going to be attending the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University next year. I plan on majoring either in Biology or Physics and continuing on to graduate school in pursuit of a doctorate degree. I would ultimately like to become a scientific researcher in my chosen field.