Sarah Deonarain
June 2019
Townsend Harris
South Ozone Park, NY
A South Ozone Park high
school student is on her way to
Harvard after 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 after a
rigorous nomination, application
and interview process.
The 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
Townsend Harris High School
up that college is expensive and
difficult to pay for, and being the
first 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), after
she discovered it had been nearly
defunct for almost a decade.
She researched the benefits 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 Theodore 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 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.
An AP Scholar with Honors,
Deonarain has received awards in
the American Classical League’s
National Greek Exam and earned
state honors in math, science,
English, language and music.
She has been recognized by the
Arista and Archon National Honor
Societies.
The 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.
The editor of the Phoenix,
the student literary magazine,
Deonarain critiques submissions,
produces webzines and organizes
film 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 for their jobs or
children’s schools.
The 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.”
– By Carlotta Mohamed
QNS.COM BT TIMESLEDGER, JUNE 7-13, 2019 19
/QNS.COM
