On March 24, Townsend Harris High School hosted an open house for accepted students from the class of 2029 and sophomore transfer applicants to explore and get an inside look of the school.
THHS’s strong focus on the humanities drew interest from many of the students The Classic interviewed. Incoming freshman Maya Yakubov said, “[THHS] is a language arts school, which is super interesting to me, because I love to read and write.”
The school’s variety of clubs and sports teams also appealed to the students. When asked about why he decided to apply to THHS, eighth grader Tun Ming said, “I knew there were a lot of opportunities in this school because of the large number of clubs.”
Maya said, “I know that the sports teams are super strong, and I really want to get into [them].”
In preparation for the event, SU Vice President Anastasia Gonidelis said, “This is one of [SU’s] big events that requires a lot of planning in order to ensure success. We organized clubs to participate, student speeches, and musical performances.”
Many teachers and student volunteers were also present at the event to help guide the incoming students and to provide more information about THHS. Accepted student Caitlyn Rissmeyer said, “In the gym, I see a lot of people coming up to me, asking me if I want to join their club, giving information about the school, asking if I have any questions.”
Physical education and health teacher Gabriela Pedreros said, “The ones that run the show are the students themselves. They are the ones talking to the parents, they are the ones talking to the students from their own experiences. It is so important because these students are learning from their future peers..”
Teachers and current THHS students also shared their advice for the incoming class of 2029.
French and Spanish teacher Paola Sierra said that she would encourage students to “continue with the kindness and care that our students have for one another, especially for teachers. They are so sweet and thoughtful.”
A freshman volunteer, Logan Liu, said, “It’s going to be really scary coming [to THHS], but if you meet the right people at the right time, like [through] SING, or any club in general[…] it’ll help you meet new friends and explore what you really like.”
