Schools
Whiz Kid: Mary Harrison
Nonnewaug Senior Mary Harrison is this weeks' Woodbury-Middlebury Patch Whiz Kid.
Mary Harrison
18
Senior
Woodbury
Nonnewaug High School
As a member of the State Student Advisory Council on Education, Woodbury’s Mary Harrison is one of a select group of students who have the opportunity to advise the state Board of Education on student matters.
Harrison is among about 25 Connecticut high school students that were chosen to sit on the Student Advisory Council and travel to Hartford to give Connecticut’s Education Commissioner their opinions on matters affecting their school districts.
Harrison recently had the opportunity to give her input on what the roles of student representatives would be on school governance councils in failing school districts.
“It is a way for students to make a real difference and to help districts that are struggling,” said Harrison.
Harrison also takes her Advisory Council role to the local level where she attends the Region 14 Board of Education meetings quarterly to brief the members about the happenings on this state level organization as well as to share information with them about Nonnewaug High School.
She is also a member of the Senior Class Student Council, serving as the chairperson of Nonnewaug’s ‘The Bald and the Beautiful Event’, a fundraising event where NHS kids raise money through pledges for a cancer charity. Students culminate the event by having their heads shaved by local hairstylists as an act of solidarity with those going through chemotherapy for the disease. Last year, NHS students raised nearly $2,500. This year the recipient of the student’s efforts on May 20 will be St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Harrison had her own head buzzed as a sophomore for this event.
“This event is near and dear,” she said. “My grandma had cancer, but she was a survivor. I do it for her and people like her.”
Harrison serves as a co-captain on the Debate Team, is on the National Honor Society where she heads up the Scholarship Committee, is an outside hitter on the Chief’s varsity Volleyball Team, sings with the Waterbury Chorale, volunteers her time with the area Red Cross at local blood drives and tutors students in geometry.
Future plans include college and hopefully landing a job that would satisfy her desire to live abroad and serve in a diplomatic manner in another country.
