By ANDREW COGLIANO
Often times in high school, one must go outside his or her comfort zone in order to attain truly remarkable results. In the case of Maggie Chiavelli, this is definitely true. Through hard work and sheer determination, Chiavelli managed to secure a spot on the coveted top ten list at MHS, coming in at number nine.
Chiavelli has graduated MHS, and currently plans on attending Northeastern university. With a constantly changing major – going from chemical engineering to “political science or economics or Italian,” Chiavelli states that, frankly, she “has no idea what [she] wants to do.” As far as her academic success goes, she is unsure as to exactly how she did so well. “I have no idea [how I did so well], it just kind of happened,” she says. Her parents are obviously pleased at their daughters performance, but Chiavelli states that they never pushed her to do well.
Looking back at her high school career, Chiavelli gives major thanks to both her family and some teachers that helped her along the way. Chiavelli thanks Italian teacher Mrs. Leuzzi, saying that she was “one of the nicest people” she’s met, and that she always knew exactly what to say, especially during her final and most stressful year. Her AP Statistics teacher Mrs. Joyce made taking AP Stats easy for Chiavelli, despite it being her first AP class, which she took sophomore year. “It was hard, but she made it doable,” says Chiavelli. Finally, Mr. Hurley, who Chiavelli had for her “awesome” AP Government class, encouraged students to “have real discussions about important issues,” which Chiavelli enjoyed very much.
As far as going outside of her comfort zone goes, Chiavelli mentions that she took Arabic classes at Bunker Hill Community College through dual enrollment during her junior year. “It was definitely the best decision I made in high school,” states Chiavelli, adding that she highly recommends that everyone takes classes that way. Chiavelli was nervous that it was going to be too difficult for her to complete successfully, but she ended up really enjoying the material.
Attaining top ten status is one of the biggest achievements a high school student can accomplish. It often takes endless studying, and nights spent alone, crouched in front of a computer monitor in order to complete every assignment and still have time to sleep. Chiavelli is a prime example of the rewards that can be won just by pure academic effort. It is important to remember that without the aid of good teachers and a supporting family, Chiavelli might not have been on the list.
An education is a combination of perseverance by the student and effort by the teacher. With a bright and shining future ahead of her, Chiavelli looks back fondly at her years at MHS, remembering the struggles, but also the adventures she had when leaving her comfort zone. Her dual enrollment classes made her a desirable candidate for colleges as well as taught her a valuable skill that she couldn’t have obtained anywhere else. Chiavelli’s perseverance serves as an inspiration to other students, pushing them to try their best and always think of their futures.
