Your Future at Wantagh High School

1. “Very many people go through their whole lives having no real sense of what their talents may be, or if they have any to speak of.” Ken Robinson

2. Your Future at WantaghHigh School Explore All Opportunities, Be Creative, Cross-Collaborate …and why?

3. Exploring Opportunities • Exploit Wantagh High School to its maximum • Learn from teachers… • Ask a lot of questions • Challenge yourself beyond what’s given to you • When the academics here aren’t enough, go beyond… • Find outside competitions and events • Do research • Get a mentor from a lab, university, museum, etc. • Learning in ways outside of the typical classroom setting is extremely beneficial

4. Exploring Opportunities How are you going to take advantage of Wantagh High School? • Clubs • Sports • Fine Arts (Music, Drama, Art, Journalism, etc.) • Science • Math • Research (not limited to science…)

5. Science Opportunities • Science Olympiad • Learn things that you typically wouldn’t learn in school • Moody’s Mega Math Challenge • “Real-World” Application to mathematics • Research • Immense Dedication • Invaluable Experience • Work with mentors on present-day questions

6. Post-Moody’s Video

7. Science Research • Nothing is going to be handed to you, have to go out and get it • Send emails and call professors • Not every professor is going to say yes, or even answer • In fact, the majority of them won’t, but eventually the right one will • Must be persistent, and can’t get discouraged • Apply to a lot of programs (highly selective, but worth a shot) • Brookhaven National Lab High School Research Program (BNL HSRP) • MIT Research Institute (RSI) • Stony Brook Simons Summer Research Program • Look up doctors/professors at universities and hospitals • Competitions Speak to us after for more opportunities/information

8. Be Creative • Have set, personalized goals • Don’t just accepted what’s offered, have to carve your own path • Find a specific interest (or many), and find new ways to do them • Never too young to make an impact on the world

9. Cross-Collaborate • Don’t limit yourself to one “field” • Still in High School, have time to specialize, and “major” • Combine all of your interests, most successful that way • Cross-Collaboration is not only between fields of study • Collaborate with other people • Essential to jobs today

11. Why… • College Admissions • Very, very, very…… competitive • GPA • SAT Scores • Letters of Recommendation (become close with teachers) • Extracurriculars? • Not your typical go help out at a food drive • To be important, have to really make a large impact of something • Research, starting a charity, extraordinary athlete, etc. • Regardless, must be unwavering dedication whatever it is

12. FAMOUS Examples

13. Natalie Portman: Exploring All Opportunities • Syosset High School (Class of ’99) • Harvard University (Class of ‘03) • B.A. in Psychology • Intel Semi-Finalist • Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Black Swan) • Guest Lecturer at Columbia University (’06) • Co-Author of Two Published Papers (one in high school, one in college) • 60+ Other Acting Awards

14. Steve Jobs: Cross-Collaboration and creativity • Co-founder, Chairman, CEO of Apple Inc. • Pioneer of Personal Computing Revolution • Founder of NeXT • Co-Founder, CEO of Pixar Animation Studios • On Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company • Creator of iTunes • “Master of Innovation” • Influence in Computing and Music Industries

15. Questions?P.j.mountanos@gmail.comdchary@optonline.net