32 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • MAY 30, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
kids & education
SHE’S HARVARD BOUND
South Ozone Park student earns Ivy League scholarship
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A South Ozone Park high school student
is on her way to Harvard aft er
receiving a $10,000 scholarship.
Sarah Deonarain, a senior at Townsend
Harris High School in Flushing, is one of
six students from New York City selected
to be a Milken Scholar for its 2019 scholarship
program aft er a rigorous nomination,
application and interview process.
Th e Milken Scholarship program is a
joint initiative of the Milken Institute and
the Milken Family Foundation founded
in 1982 supporting education and medical
research. Open to college-bound
high school seniors in New York City,
Los Angeles County and Washington,
D.C., Milken Scholars are selected based
on academic performance, community
service, leadership and their ability to
persevere in the face of personal challenges.
Deonarain was elated upon her acceptance
into the program. She will receive
a lifelong mentor/support system that
includes ongoing career-related counseling,
assistance in securing internships,
opportunities for community service
and a fund to assist her pursuit of any
post-undergraduate career goals.
“I think for the longest I’ve been wanting
to go to Harvard and it’s always hard
to hear growing up that college is expensive
and diffi cult to pay for, and being
the fi rst one to go to college in my family
— not even in my nuclear family but
in my extended family as well — my
biggest fear was how am I going to pay
for this?” said Deonarain. “Milken giving
me this opportunity to experience
Harvard with one less weight on my
shoulder is incredible and it makes me
excited for my future there. It’s amazing
and more than I could’ve hoped for.”
Deonarain, who is very fond of debate
and public speaking, spearheaded the
revival of the Townsend Harris High
School chapter of the National Speech
and Debate Association (NSDA), aft er
she discovered it had been nearly defunct
for almost a decade.
She researched the benefi ts of debate
practice and prepared a presentation
convincing school leaders to relaunch
the program. Now the president,
Deonarain has competed with her peers
in NSDA events, Poetry Out Loud, and
the Th eodore Roosevelt Public Speaking
Competition. She has also led the Science
Olympiad team to a record seventh place
in the state and earning individual city
and state honors in Parasitology.
“All through out middle school I loved
giving speeches. I loved writing speeches.
Talking in front of an audience and
Townsend Harris High School senior Sarah Deonarain is one of six students from New York City selected to be a Milken Scholar for its 2019 scholarship
program.
giving presentations has always been the
best part of any class or projects, and
that kind of carried into high school,”
Deonarain said. “It’s been incredible to
give back to other students who are looking
for an outlet just like I was years ago.”
Deonarain has debated on various
school-based topics such as healthier
school lunches, politics, immigration,
the importance of arts and education,
and mental health awareness.
Th e concertmaster of the school
wind ensemble, Deonarain has played
at Carnegie Hall and on WQXR, New
York’s classical music radio station.
Additionally, she is overall director
of S!NG, a musical theater competition
among the grades at Townsend
Harris. Deonarain wrote original scripts
and directed actors, singers, dancers and
musicians in annual performances.
Th e editor of the Phoenix, the student
literary magazine, Deonarain critiques
submissions, produces webzines
and organizes fi lm screenings.
As an intern for New York State
Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, Deonarain
publicized events, organized tree-planting
projects, worked on issues of community
concern, and organized a celebration
for Asian American Heritage
Month. She also tutors students of all
ages at the public library, organizes
workshops for English language learners,
and helps adults whose English language
skills are limited complete paperwork
Photo courtesy of Sarah Deonarain
for their jobs or children’s schools.
Th e soon-to-be high school graduate
is planning to study government
at Harvard and pursue a career in law,
diplomacy or politics.
“It’s kind of nostalgic and very sad that
this is the last time I’ll be doing some
of these things … in this community
in Flushing and in Townsend Harris,”
said Deonarain. “But it really makes me
excited for the future that I was able to
have experiences and come to understand
what my passions are and what I
want to do and set goals for myself. I’m
even more excited having Milken and
Harvard, that the two of them together
could potentially help me do greater
things.”
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