Maria Regina HS Students Learn About the FBI, Travel to New Zealand and More This Summer | Yonkers Times

A contingent of 12 Maria Regina High School students will journey to Ireland in July to participate in the internationally renowned Foroige Leadership for Life Conference.

From learning about law enforcement from the FBI to traveling overseas to sing in the world’s largest choir competition, Maria Regina High School students are again taking some time from their summer vacations to pursue their academic interests.

Maria Carozza-McCaffrey (Class of ’99), Principal, said: “The mark of a true leader in any area of life is to continue learning, a quality that underscores Maria Regina’s mission of shaping young women for post-secondary success.  It is once again evidenced by the diverse enrichment programs our students are pursuing this summer,” adding: “Like those who preceded them, we wish this year’s group great success in gaining new knowledge, insight and inspiration in their fields of interests.”

 Here are highlights:

·         Elizabeth Hunt (Class of ’26) of Yonkers has been chosen to participate in the FBI Teen Academy program which will provide her with the rare opportunity to delve deeply into levels of law enforcement by actively engaging with FBI agents and leaders at the agency. She will learn about case studies, crime prevention, evidence gathering, and investigative techniques among other insights into criminal activity.

 In a study somewhat related to the FBI program, Sheila Gomez (Class of ’25), Yonkers, will take the Johns Hopkins Psychology Profiling Online course focused on the strengths and limitations of psychological methods employed by forensic professionals who assist police in criminal investigations. Clinical cases of serial offenders, spree killers, disgruntled employees, and terrorists will be explored, among other topics.

·         12 students will participate in the annual week-long Foroige Leadership for Life Conference at Maynooth University in Ireland, a unique learning opportunity for high school students to adopt the concepts of leadership for real- world applications including initiatives to support their local communities. The session, which gets underway on July 29, will be the third consecutive summer that Maria Regina students will be surrounded by like-minded young people from around the globe and hear from inspirational leaders from diverse sectors who will share their own personal leadership journeys.

This year’s contingent from the renowned all-girls Catholic high school—all rising seniors—comprises Mia Baelis, Ossining; Yasmin Chowdhary, Angelina Claudio, Julia Commisso, Aisling Conlon and Kasey Devitt, all of Yonkers; Megan Donohoe, Bronx; Mia Hidalgo, Tarrytown and Janielle Molit, White Plains; Siena O’Brien, Marguerita Sharkey and Sofia Signore, all of Yonkers.

·         5 students were recognized as 2024 Hugh O’Brian Youth (HOBY) Leaders. For more than 40 years, HOBY has inspired young men and women to make a difference and become catalysts for change in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. The students who were honored at a HOBY leadership conference at Adelphi University were: Angelina Alba, Yonkers, Katherine Ashley and Leonora Hutaj, both of Hartsdale; Liliana Osso, Yonkers; Ava Magaletti, Shrub Oak and Amellia Richards, New York City. 

·         Madison Ramirez (Class of ’25), New York City, will travel to Auckland, New Zealand to participate in the World Choir Games, the world’s largest competition for non-professional choirs. that will be held July 10-20.  Participants will be given the opportunity to participate with their choir in a session with a noted international choir director.

·         Meanwhile, Katherine Ashley, Hartsdale, is attending Mercy College’s Westchester Summer Leadership Academy where she will explore careers in business, visit Fortune 500 companies and engage in team building activities; Ava Magaletti (Class of ’25), Shrub Oak, will take a Marist Summer Pre-College Program and Jasmine Tolin (Class of ’25), Hartsdale, will hone her communications skills by taking a Syracuse University Summer Class on that topic.

And that is just a sampling of how some Maria Regina students are spending the summer of 2024.  Stay tuned for more updates.

 To learn more, visit www.mariaregina.org.