Art teacher Melissa Nakos is taking on the role of senior advisor this school year.
“I feel good about being senior advisor,” Ms. Nakos said. “I have been the yearbook advisor for five years. I am very involved with the senior class. I have a good rapport with the students. I start to build this type of rapport when they are in their freshman year taking art classes.”
Ms. Nakos said that the expectations of the job “change from month to month.” In the beginning of the year, she said the job centers on communicating important information about things like senior meeting schedules, collaborating with the guidance department on college visits, and organizing things like the “senior sunrise” event. After the fall, it will involve overseeing things like the senior trip, prom, senior awards night, and graduation.
Senior Angelica Mendieta said that Ms. Nakos is “very organized.” Many of the events that Ms. Nakos will help organize with and for seniors are some of the most important and memorable events for high school students.
Angelica said Ms. Nakos is the right person to help oversee those events. “I do think she is capable of taking on this role,” she said. As yearbook advisor since 2021, Ms. Nakos has already been responsible for working closely with the senior class to develop the yearbook, another iconic aspect of senior year.
Social studies teacher Jamie Baranoff, the coordinator of student activities, who said, “I’m very excited to have Ms. Nakos as senior advisor and to be working along with her this year….she’s been the yearbook advisor for quite a few years now, and so she’s has already been very involved in a lot of the senior activities. In the past, she’s helped us with programs for baccalaureate awards and graduation.”
“I think she’ll do a great job,” said social studies teacher Blayne Gelbman, who served as senior advisor before Ms. Nakos. “She’s talented, she’s smart, she’s super creative, she’s a hard worker, and kids like her. You have to really be able to work with other people, whether it’s the kids, or whether it’s different adults in the building, to be successful at this job.”
Ms. Nakos has been working at THHS since 2021. She graduated from Queens College with a degree focused on studio art and art education. She has 14 years of experience in the arts. Before joining the THHS faculty, she worked at Hillcrest High School and the Queens United Middle School 289.
The role of senior advisor runs for a three-year term before another teacher can apply for it or the current advisor can apply to continue on in the position. For now, Ms. Nakos said she’s focused on figuring out her new role. “I am excited for the next three years,” she said.
