Hawthorne High School senior, Haley Cimillo, has always been academically driven. Graduating at the top of her class and being a member of both the National and Italian Honor Societies, Cimillo’s ambition to be a successful student is easily seen. However, HHS has also brought out another talent in the gifted senior – her passion for the arts.
During her four years at HHS, Cimillo has proven to be creatively inclined and credits much of this discovery to HHS art teacher Danielle Russo. Cimillo noted, “She inspires me every day.”
Russo, who has Cimillo’s artwork displayed throughout her classroom, commented on the talented senior, saying, “Haley is one of the few people who is able to express her passion and creativity in a way to communicate her feelings towards others in her art.” She also said that Cimillo has the ability to always put a smile on her face.
Cimillo’s artwork was also on display for all of HHS to admire at this year’s Art Show. Cimillo’s work was displayed in her own VIP area, which was located in the middle of the courtyard with the rest of the Studio Arts Honors class.
In addition to finding a passion for the arts, Cimillo has also been a very active member of the HHS community. Besides being secretary of National Honor Society and historian of Italian Honor Society, she also held the position of vice president for both the Student Council and Italian Club. She was a member of the Art Club, SHARE, Peer Leaders, Fitness Club and Ecology Club. Cimillo also found the time to play varsity volleyball for HHS.
Cimillo credits Italian Club Advisor and Italian teacher Marissa Margarucci for helping her manage the past four years of high school. Cimillo said, “She’s like my older sister; she’s just very comforting.” Cimillo, a student in Italian 4 Honors, was one of the 12 students to attend the trip to Italy over spring break led by Margarucci.
Even with such a full schedule, Cimillo still managed to find time for herself throughout high school. Cimillo mentioned that she enjoys listening to music. Her taste ranges from indie and classic rock to her obsession with the song “Safari Disco Club” by Yelle. She is also an avid reader; her favorite books are the Harry Potter series. She commented, “It’s a classic.”
Just because Cimillo is leaving HHS doesn’t mean she is leaving her passion for the arts. Cimillo will be bringing her artistic talents with her when she attends Marist College next fall. She will major in communications, minor in both photography and marketing and have a concentration in creative advertisement. On choosing Marist, Cimillo said, “I just got that feeling that I was supposed to go there.”
No matter where life takes her, Cimillo will always remember her roots and her time spent at HHS. She reminisced about her high school years saying, “It was all really great. [I learned that] spontaneous plans hold the best memories.”
As her senior year comes to a close, Cimillo will be missed by all, but we at HHS can’t wait to see what great things her future holds.