56 The QUEE NS Courier • kids & education • april 25, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com kids & education Sponsored by There’s more in store for you when you have a 5Star Credit Card. Apply today online at mynycb.com or call us at 1-888-550-9888 ▶ PURE POETRY PREP JUNIOR TO GO TO NATIONAL RECITATION COMPETITION BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Ashley Simon is taking her storytelling talents from the borough to the national stage. The speech, debate and student congress team member wowed judges with her prose and poetry recitations at the Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League’s Grand Tournament, earning first place. She will go on to the national competition in Philadelphia next month. Simon, 17, is in her junior year at St. Francis Preparatory School. She has been a member of the speech, debate and student congress team since her freshmen year. The Cambria Heights native has found the constant repetition of different speeches helpful in developing her overall character. For each competition, she studies assigned prose and poetry pieces and has to present them in her own words. “I felt that speech would help me grow as a person and help me work on my presentation skills,” said Simon. “Since freshmen year, I’ve 1 > Absolutely Free Student Checking •No minimum balance •No per check fee •No monthly maintenance fee > Free unlimited ATM transactions at NYCB locations > Free VISA®CheckCard > Free Direct Deposit > Free On-line Banking with Free Bill Pay† > 24 Hour Bank by Phone > Convenience •Over 140 locations in NY and NJ •Extended branch banking hours •Supermarket banking •7 day-a-week banking at many locations > Pre-Paid Solutions •VISA® Gift Card •Pre-Paid Long Distance •Pre-Paid MasterCardTM •Pre-Paid Wireless Service •MetroCards For more information call 718-448-7272 or visit www.myNYCB.com For more information call 718-263-0937 or visit www.myNYCB.com †For your online security, information will be verified by the Bank. Once the verification process is complete, your Free Online Banking & Free Bill Pay account will be activated and ready for you to use. No monthly services charges apply. A separate fee applies for optional services such as Money HQ. Please talk to a branch representative or ask for our fee schedule for more details. © New York Community Bank. Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender seen myself advance, and my speech has become better because of it.” At the beginning of the school year, Simon received a prose piece, Fannie Flagg’s “Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man,” and a collection of poems by authors including Langston Hughes. She practiced at home and twice a week at school on vocal variation, timing and energy. “We recognize how much effort she’s putting into all of her work,” said Earl Simon, the teen’s father. “She has a good story to share with everyone. We recognize that she is serving as a role model in her own way.” The grand tournament was Simon’s only chance to qualify for the national competition. Had she not placed in the top six spots, she would have been out of luck until next year. “I was extremely nervous,” she said. “But the pieces were really fun for me.” Simon worked on presenting her poetry in a “powerful and passionate” way, saying she felt the approach “brought out her inner essence.” Taking it a step further, Simon worked to relay every emotion that characters in the story and poems felt. “You have to try to imagine how you would feel in that situation and portray that,” she said. “It’s difficult knowing that you can relate, but still not completely.” Outside of the speech, debate and student congress team, Simon maintains a spot on St. Francis Prep’s honor roll, is a member of the National Honors Society, tutors, volunteers, does community service and participates in a science research program. She is interested in neuroscience, scientific research and pediatric medicine. Simon and her family will travel to Philadelphia for the upcoming national tournament on May 25-26. OPEN YOUR STUDENT CHECKING2 ACCOUNT AND/OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND ENJOY: • NO MINIMUM BALANCE FEE • NO PER-C HEC K FEE • NO MONTHLY SERVICE FEE Free ▪ Unlimited transactions at NYCB ATMs ▪ Visa® check card ▪ Direct Deposit ▪ Online Banking and Bill Pay3 with e-Statements Convenience ▪ Over 175 locations in NY and NJ ▪ Extended branch banking hours ▪ 24-hour bank by phone ▪ 7 day-a-week banking at many locations ©2013 New York Community Bank- Member FDIC Equal Opportunity Lender SBmAaNrt KStIuNdeGnt Please visit our Full Service Branch and Recruitment Center located in the Student Union at Queens College! 1Student Banking is available for personal accounts only and is free of maintenance and activity fees. 2Student Checking Accounts with a Visa® check card are automatically enrolled in the Even >more Rewards Program. For complete terms and conditions speak with a branch representative. Restrictions apply. 3No monthly service charges apply. A separate fee applies to optional services such as Money HQ®. Please talk to a branch representative or ask for our fee schedule for more details. Ashley Simon is taking her storytelling talents from the borough to the national stage.
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