We spoke with Sachem North senior Vanessa Stevenson this week about her experiences at Sachem.
Stevenson will be attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in the fall and is a member of Sachem North’s Leadership Club.
What does it mean for you to attend Sachem?
“For me, going to Sachem is such an honor. Sachem’s surroundings, including teachers, friends, activities and other forms of authority, have all influenced me and helped me to become the best person I can possibly become. Throughout school, I have been taught to be myself no matter what and love others for who they are without judgment. I have gained an incredible education, and I am lucky and grateful Sachem has offered me an immense amount of opportunities and experiences, which I would not have been able to receive anywhere else.”
Favorite class and teacher?
“My favorite is honors English and my teacher is Mr. Klein. Mr. Klein in my eyes is one of the best teachers I have ever had. He brings not only education to the room, but laughter and is truly there to impact and help the kids of my school. He has taught me how to become a better writer and just a more well educated person. Mr. Klein recognizes weaknesses and helps with constructive criticism, but better yet, he recognizes strengths, which has impacted me a lot as a student. He points out the good things in what I am doing and emphasizes his happiness to students who are willing to try and refuse to give up. In English I have learned things from how to write a good essay to simple yet important life lessons and that is why I love English class the most.”
What else is interesting about your time at Sachem?
“Aside from my favorite class, it helps to actually know about me. I am a hardworking, caring and passionate student. Most of my passion lies within the leadership club and helping the society along with my school. My advisor Mrs. Groe has made such an impact on my life I can barely put it into words. I never knew how much someone could love their students and their job until I met Mrs. Groe. Through Mrs. Groe and the leadership program I have realized how special my school really is, and why being a member of Sachem is such an amazing opportunity. I get to help dogs in shelters, bring happiness and positivity to the community, give back through toy drives, and food drives, spread awareness of anti-bias and most importantly show people it is okay to be themselves and how every individual is important and good at heart. I am a proud student of Sachem North and always will be and I will forever take with me the experiences and knowledge I have gained from Sachem.”
-As told to Chris R. Vaccaro