Not many 17-year-olds can truly claim to have their lives figured out, but Hawthorne High School senior Christina Pecoraro can. She plans to attend the University of North Carolina next fall semester. She plans to attend New York University Medical School after her college graduation. She plans for a residency in emergency medicine. She plans to have an eventual career as a physician of emergency medicine. And she’s on the path to fulfill every one of the goals she has set for herself in the future.
In October, Pecoraro applied early decision to the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro. She was notified two weeks before Thanksgiving that she had been accepted. Pecoraro was so sure about UNC that she had officially made the decision to attend the school next year at around the same time many other seniors were still trying to figure out where to apply.
Pecoraro applied to the school’s Pre-Med program, opting for a major in human biology and a minor in kinesiology. When Pecoraro discovered she had been accepted into the program, she was ecstatic. According to Pecoraro,“ I couldn’t believe I got accepted.”
Upon receiving her acceptance, Pecoraro wanted to share the news with Joanne Dallessio, her anatomy and physiology teacher who wrote her letter of recommendation. Pecoraro partially credits Dallessio with influencing her to choose the field of medicine.
“I always knew I wanted to help people. It just felt right,” Pecoraro said as she explained her motives for choosing to enter the medical field.
Taking courses such as AP Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics, and Sports Medicine has helped prepare Pecoraro for college courses by providing her with the background she needs to take on pre-med courses. In addition to these courses at HHS, Pecoraro attended medical camp this past summer at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, where she stayed for ten days. The camp was essentially a medical school crash course where Pecoraro was able to observe surgeries, dissect a human corpse, perform activities in emergency room situations, and diagnose real-life medical conditions on actors pretending to have specific symptoms.
Aside from preparing herself academically, Pecoraro is confident in her future because of the support she has received from her friends, saying, “Their excitement builds on mine and makes me much more confident and comfortable.”
Pecoraro’s friends, peers, coaches, and teachers expect big things from future Dr. Pecoraro, and, no doubt, they will not be disappointed.