3MA6APY R 2I9L -2 9JU - NMEA Y4, 52, 021041 6• •B RBOROOOKKLYLYNN M MEEDDIAIA G GRROOUUPP BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP • APRIL 24 - APRIL 30, 20341145 Sponsored by Roosevelt Savings Bank A Division of New York Community Bank • Member FDIC From Three Brooklyn Bay Ridge to Burma, students Saint perform Saviour on Young vocalist is set to take on the music world by storm with both talent and resilience Fontbonne student and aspiring journalist a Rising Star Broadway stage after showing of “Hamilton” student takes trip of a lifetime 1 SBmAaNrt KStIuNdeGnt OPEN YOUR STUDENT CHECKING2 ACCOUNT AND/OR SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND ENJOY: • NO MINIM UM BALANCE FEE • NO PER-CHECK FEE • NO MONTHLY SERVICE FEE Free ▪ Unlimited transactions at NYCB ATMs ▪ Visa® check card ▪ Direct Deposit ▪ Online Banking and Bill Pay3 with e-Statements Convenience ▪ Over 175 locations in NY and NJ ▪ Extended branch banking hours ▪ 24-hour bank by phone ▪ 7 day-a-week banking at many locations Smart Student BANKING1 Open your Student Checking2 Account and/or Savings Account and enjoy: ▪ No Minimum Balance Fee ▪ No Per-Check Fee ▪ No Monthly Service Fee ▪ Unlimited Transactions at NYCB ATMs ▪ Free Visa® debit card ▪ Free Direct Deposit ▪ Free e-Statements ▪ Free NYCB Online Banking with Bill Pay3 Open your Student Checking2 Account today and enjoy: • NO MINIMUM BALANCE FEE • NO PER-CHECK FEE • NO MONTHLY SERVICE FEE Free ▪ Unlimited transactions at NYCB ATMs ▪ Visa® check card ▪ Direct Deposit ▪ Online Banking and Bill Pay3 with e-Statements Convenience ▪ Over 175 locations in NY and NJ ▪ Extended branch banking hours ▪ 24-hour bank by phone ▪ 7 day-a-week banking at many locations (877) 786-6560 • myNYCB.com 1Student Banking is available for personal accounts only and is free of maintenance and activity fees. 2Student Checking For more Accounts information with a Visacall ® debit 877-card 786-are 6560 automatically or visit enrolled myNYCB.in the com Even >more Rewards Program. For complete terms and conditions speak with a branch representative. Restrictions apply. 3No monthly service charges apply. Fees may apply for optional services. Please talk to a branch representative or ask for our fee schedule for more details. Bank is not responsible for typographical errors. BY JAIME DEJESUS [email protected] From Bay Ridge to Broadway. Several students from Fort Hamilton High School were among 1,200 New York City students who were able to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton” for just $10 earlier this month. In addition, three juniors and aspiring artists, Leigh Dillon, Brendyn Owoyemi, and Kalliniki Lambrinoudis, were given the opportunity to perform on stage in front of the crowd, the actors, and their peers following the show. “Every student who participated had to do a project,” said Principal Kaye Houlihan. “And then we had to select a finalist. So we had all the kids that wanted to perform in the auditorium and we tried to really figure out who was the best of the best. That was not an easy task because we had a lot of great performances of well written pieces. The three that we selected had both melodic components as well BY JAIME DEJESUS [email protected] For some individuals, it takes years to find their passion, if ever. For Saint Saviour student Chelsea Miller, now in her senior year, her commitment to women’s rights came early and often. “I think it happened at a young age. Coming from an all-girls school fostered my desire,” said Miller. “I’ve been around women my whole life. I was raised with four sisters.” This past December, Miller was chosen to attend the Women’s Forum Conference in Burma, organized by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Only 300 women around the world attended and Miller received an all-expense paid trip to the conference, which was designed to strengthen women’s contributions in the business sector. Miller was both excited and shocked to hear the news that she had been chosen to attend the conference. “We didn’t find out as capturing the living Hamilton as well as what life was like after Hamilton was gone.” When the three performers found out the good news, they were ecstatic. “I felt so lucky and completely humbled because there were some really good projects and every student gave their all,” said Owoyemi. “To be chosen to represent all of them, and go in front of the geniuses that created the play is such an honor.” “We have this passion for the arts and history as well, so to be able to bring it together was so amazing” added Dillon. “I think our passion really helped with this project.” The three also learned a lot about the history the show conveys. Lambrinoudis discussed her project and what she learned about the characters. “It’s basically Eliza reminiscing upon her past and in some way regretting pushing Alexander away because of his problems,” she said. Though the three students until a week before the trip,” she recalled. Miller wrote an essay regarding how the trip would help her and the leadership back at home. Her essay’s strength, along with her work in the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum, won her a spot on the trip. “It was a 22-hour plane ride,” recalled Miller, who had never traveled that far prior to visiting Burma. “It was complete culture shock to the extreme.” Once settled, Miller learned a lot from the speakers during the conference, who included Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. “I just realize how much we have in common, especially empowerment, though we’re so different. It was interesting to hear leaders,” she said. During the first day of the conference, Miller learned about the death of Nelson Mandela. “That moment resonated, to find out this amazing leader perished,” she recalled. “We didn’t have wi-fi so we didn’t find out until the conference.” Her travels included some of the poorer areas in Burma, which shifted Miller’s perspective on life. “There was so much poverty, like no running water,” she said. “You wake up and realize that you are not entitled to everything you have. There are clearly other people that don’t have those things.” Miler doesn’t yet know which college she will be attending this fall, (Brown and Georgetown are two of her top picks) yet she has great ambitions for the future.“My dream job is to travel the world and travel for women’s rights, using my talents to make a greater impact,” said Miller. Some of the places she’d like to visit include Southeast Asia and Australia. Although she’s looking forward to a bright future that includes helping women, Miller will always remember the invaluable lessons and experiences at St. Saviour. “It has been amazing,” she said. “I love the teachers and the environment. I learned to be empowered. It’s so diverse as well. It’s given me perspective.” Born and raised in Brooklyn, Miller attributes her motivation to her mother. “She’s been such a strong influence on my life, what she’s been through.” When she’s relaxing, Miller enjoys hanging out with family and friends as well as singing and dancing. However, her passion for women’s rights is always a part of her days. Her favorite subject is 20th Century Women’s Politics. Some young people may not realize the positive impact they can have on society. Miller has some advice to those individuals. “I would just encourage other teenagers to take advantage of opportunities. You can make a difference,” she said. “Being able to help is such an amazing feeling.” Photo courtesy of St. Saviour High School Chelsea Miller. BY JAIME DEJESUS [email protected] A bright young girl with a golden voice has great ambitions and is at the cusp of seeing those goals coming to fruition. Gravesend resident Diana Marie Paunetto may only be celebrating her 10th birthday this May, but this well-spoken vocalist has already accomplished a lot. Not only did she come close to landing roles in Broadway’s classic musical, “Les Miserables,” but also last year’s widely popular “Sound of Music” remake starring Carrie Underwood, which aired on NBC. “She’s got quite a gift,” said Diana’s proud mother, Anna Marie Paunetto. “She can hit notes that are incredibly wonderful. She has such great range.” Diana recently auditioned for a chance to sing the National Anthem for one of the Brooklyn Nets upcoming NBA Playoff Island’s minor league baseball club. Although she has attended several auditions, the aspiring singer isn’t simply waiting on their replies. She has already performed in several productions, including local musicals and performances. “If the roles come back, it’s great. If not, it’s on to the next part,” said Anna. And Diana has had her fair share of parts, including a role in “Miracle on 34th Street” with Brooklyn’s The Heights Players and her favorite experience, playing Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol” produced by the Narrows Community Theater. “It was really my fi rst acting lead. I was pretty excited even though it’s lots of hard work,” the young performer said. “I got to meet lots of great new friends. My brother was in it too.” In addition, she is also slated to star in her school talent show (she currently attends P.S. 95, The Gravesend School) in “High School Musical 2.” Most adults never develop that tough skin, but Diana Marie, who has been singing since she was six years old, seems to have done so at an early age. “She has handled rejection better than me,” said Anna Marie. “She loves Carrie Underwood and to know she was one round off meeting and working with her, she handled it like a trouper.” With all the pressure to perform in front of judges and peers, Diana states she doesn’t feel the nerves one would expect. “I don’t really get nervous. I believe that I can do anything,” she said. Although she can fi t many styles, Diana has a sense of what her favorite type of music is. “I like country music most of the time. I also like opera music because it fi ts my voice. Usually, I sing high. I don’t go really low,” she explained. Diana’s gift doesn’t come without working countless hours to improve herself. She has four vocal coaches who help her hone her voice. “They help me a lot with my singing and management,” Diana said, whose role models in the music fi eld include Idina Menzel and Jackie Evancho. “They express themselves like I would express myself. They’re just awesome.” Although a large portion of her time is focused on singing, she has other skills as well. She plays the violin, speaks Italian and Mandarin, and her favorite subject in school is reading. “I have so many books at home,” she explained. “Reading is great for the mind and helps in life.” Diana’s future is a bright one, not only because of her singing ability, but because of her motivation. She clearly knows what she wants and is willing to work to achieve it. “My favorite thing is to express my personality and make people happy,” she said. “I want to become an entertainer or a pop star.” Her mother has faith in her. “She’s a great kid,” said Anna. “I really give her so much credit. It’s diffi cult even for adults to audition with press taking lots of photos at times. She’s got a great mindset.” Photo courtesy of Anna Marie Paunetto Diana Marie Paunetto at the Barclays audition. BY JAIME DEJESUS [email protected] A bright future awaits aspiring journalist, Fontbonne Hall Academy student Emily Thomas. Since she was a child, she’s possessed the gift of creativity. “I’ve had a passion for writing and creative writing since elementary,” she said. Thomas is currently in her junior year at the Bay Ridge high school, an often stressful year for students as many are planning their collegiate futures. Although some of her peers may be daunted by the challenges of SATs, college applications and deciding on a career, Thomas welcomes it with open arms. “I’ve always been someone who likes journalism so with taking forensics criminal justice, it feels like a great way to combine the two,” she said. Recently, Thomas was one of a select few students from various schools chosen to visit 26 Federal Plaza for a teen reporter workshop that focused on how the FBI interacts with the media. “We learned about the Offi ce of Public Affairs, which handles what information the FBI releases and the accuracy of information the outside media releases to the public,” she recalled. The day furthered her interest in journalism and the amount of possibilities the career has to offer, despite the notion some have that print media are dying. Attending Fontbonne has taught Thomas she could achieve any dream she has, thanks to a caring faculty and student body. “I feel because it’s such a small school, I can bond with my teachers and talk about careers,” Thomas said. “It’s great to have that connection with them.” Looking ahead to college, Thomas is considering many possibilities. One school that has caught her eye is SUNY Plattsburgh due to its well known and exceptional journalism program. Despite potentially missing her home and family (in particular her three-year-old brother) she looks forward to the challenge. “I’ve never really been out of Brooklyn by myself,“ noted Thomas. “I’m looking forward to living in a more quiet and suburban area. I’m willing to take on a new experience.” She plans to visit the school this summer. But her time at Fontbonne isn’t over quite yet. Next year, she plans to be the editor at FOLIO, the school newspaper. “I’m really excited about it. I’ve learned so many things. We write about stories in the community and at Fontbonne. It’s great for us to come together and write what’s going on.” Other than forensics, her favorite class is AP English. Among her greatest infl uences and role models is her father, an NYPD offi cer who was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. “He’s really strong,” she said. “He felt awful, but he pushed through it, and he’s doing great now.” Thomas’ father was the fi rst to tell his daughter that she could combine her two passions into a career. Thomas also understands the pressure that her peers face every day in attempting to fi gure out what career suits them best. “During their junior year, people are freaking out because they can’t fi nd out what they want to do. But there are lots of careers of there for everyone and ones that maybe we didn’t know exist,” she said. “We just have to fi nd them.” Photo courtesy of Fontbonne Hall Academy Emily Thomas. Smart Student BANKING1 Be sure to ask about our Smart Student Savings Account too! BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Jaime DeJesus Kalliniki Lambrinoudis, Brendyn Owoyemi, and Leigh Dillon were given the chance to perform in front of stars of “Hamilton” after watching the show. come from different artistic backgrounds, they all share a love for the hit show. “My teacher played some songs in the classroom and I started listening to a lot of it myself and that’s how I got really hyped,” Owoyemi said. “Now, after the show, I’m listening to it every night. And if I’m not listening to it, I’m singing it.” Dillon is also inspired by how “Hamilton” is getting her peers into theater. “I love Broadway and I’ve never seen kids our age get so exited about a show before and that makes me happy because they’re beginning to appreciate something that’s not on a screen,” she said. Although nerves set in before the students took the stage to perform their mash-up, the performance went off without a hitch, and the three will share a bond and once in a lifetime opportunity. “I’m so blessed even just to see the show, but then to be performing there and to have them watch us and I shook creator Lin Manuel Miranda’s hand, it was great,” said Owoyemi. “We had such great support from our teachers. I look at them as mothers too. They helped nurture us and give us support when we needed it.” “The best part for me was when we were walking on stage and I just saw everybody,” added Lambrinoudis. “I thought about how amazing it felt and hoping I could sing. I just wanted to cry.” The Grammy-award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical, penned by Manuel-Miranda (who stars as Hamilton himself), tells the story of the founding father through hip hop and rap. © New York Community Bank- Member FDIC Equal Opportunity Lender
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