Those who know Ehlayna Napolitano know that she is a girl who wants to make things happen. Whether it is on the school paper, in her church involvement or after school tutoring elementary school students, you are sure to find the 16-year-old Woodbury resident leading by example.
“Ehlayna is just so good at working with others in her teaching and showing,” says Marisa Holtman, Nonnewaug High School English teacher and adviser to the school’s newspaper, The Chief Advocate. “Kids respond so well to her.”
Napolitano, who has been on the staff of the Advocate since her freshman year, was promoted to editor as a sophomore and now sits at the helm as the paper’s Editor in Chief. “She is an excellent writer,” Holtman says. “She has a maturity level beyond a lot of others her age.”
Holtman adds that Napolitano’s insight and ability to be very perceptive is crucial to being a top notch journalist, something she is confident her student will pursue.
“I’ve always loved to write,” Napolitano says. “I love being able to take news and put it into a format that people will understand and want to read.”
Napolitano says it was her first taste of journalism as a freshman that got her hooked. “I want to do this for the rest of my life,” she says.
Napolitano’s leadership qualities and desire to be involved are evident in many areas of her life. She has been a member of the NHS Student Council for two years, and will run for the Vice President position next year she says. She was also inducted into the National Honor Society in the fall for her overall academic and leadership qualities as well as her community service involvement.
Napolitano also takes her love of learning and teaching to the younger generation as a tutor for elementary students in Diane Baker’s Fourth Grade Class at Mitchell School.
“I love it. I love being able to see the progress being made with the kids,” Napolitano says. “Tutoring helps me. It helps me to communicate my ideas. It helps me to bring my ideas down to a different level where they can understand.”
Baker, who taught Napolitano in fifth grade, says even back then, “I knew that Ehlayna had a special talent. She was hard working and dedicated. She had her priorities straight and the drive to see things through.”
Now her former student is back in her classroom, and Baker says she comes ready to work.
“Ehlayna is a bright student who goes the extra mile,” Baker says. “When I thanked her for all of her hard work she simply replied that she does it because she loves it and it makes her happy. She is a positive role model whom my students look up to.”
Outside of school, Napolitano is active in her church community as an altar server, member of the Youth Choir and the Youth Core at St. Teresa’s Church. She is the Youth representative on the Parish Council. She also helps co-teach first grade Sunday school with her mother and takes her love of writing with her when she acts as co-editor of the Youth Core newspaper.
One of the highlights of her church activities is the annual Mission Trip where kids from St. Teresa’s join about 400 other youth groups from churches around the country in the summer for a week dedicated to helping others in need.
“It is a great experience,” Napolitano says, adding that this will be her third year of participation. “I love this. It is a great trip.”
This summer the group heads to Owego, NY to build homes for residents there. The group will stay at a high school for a week, break up into six-person crews and, armed with hammers, nails and a lot of good spirit, make homes for a few residents who need some help.
According to Tina Walewski, St. Teresa’s Youth Minister, Napolitano is mature beyond her years and has done so much for the parish. She characterizes her as an “amazing, dedicated, spirit-filled and inspirational young woman.”
Walewski commends Napolitano’s rich involvement within the church.
“From singing in the Youth Choir, being part of the Youth Core and representing our youth ministry on our parish council, to the fundraisers for our parish mission Children of the Light in Honduras, to her work on now her third mission trip, Ehlayna exemplifies all that is good and does so with grace and intelligence. She is an outstanding young woman.”
Baker echoes this sentiment. “As far as the future is concerned,” Baker says of her former student, “I'm confident that Ehlayna will be a success at whatever she chooses to do.”
