At the age of 26, Nily Rozic, a member of the class of 2004, became the youngest woman to ever serve on the NYS Legislature. She started her career in government as an aide to more than a dozen campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.
Nily Rozic’s campaign advocated for the benefit of working families, immigrant communities and women.
She has sponsored and passed legislation with the purpose of “revitalizing New York’s environment, expanding government transparency, and strengthening workforce development programs.”
THHS was Ms. Rozic’s first choice high school. Like most alumni, Nily was active in the school community and even joined clubs and teams to supplement her academic experience.
When asked to reflect on her career at THHS, Ms. Rozic explained that she was very involved in “many after school clubs and activities, and [she] always volunteered outside the classroom, in [her] local community.”
While omitting to elaborate on her social life and experiences at THHS, Ms. Rozic does insist that THHS gave her a leg up in her career.
She expressed, “I’m grateful for the many great mentors I’ve had throughout my career and fortunate to have had an important head start at THHS.” Ms. Rozic continues the tradition of mentoring fellow Harrisites by speaking to graduates in her field, including Ms. Rebecca Lynch who is also a politician and THHS alumna.
Unlike most high school students, Ms. Rozic knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue public service. Similar to other alumni, the ephebic oath left a lasting impression on Ms. Rozic.
“Public service was a critical part of my upbringing and developed during my years at THHS,” she said. “This oath set me on the path to public service, to leave my city ‘greater than I found it.’”
In her current work, Ms. Rozic fulfills her civic duties the best way she knows how: through politics.
This year, Ms. Rozic played a large role in the addition of several new holidays to the school calendar. She stated, “I worked hard to ensure that as the community evolves, the calendar should evolve with them.”
When asked what advice she would give to rising THHS students, Ms. Rozic had a definitive answer: “You can make a difference anywhere: home, school, office, neighborhood, or just hanging out with your friends and family.”
She also extended the opportunity for students to come and volunteer at her office anytime to come and learn about her profession.
Ms. Rosic sincerely emphasized the potential of all THHS students. “We must work together,” she urged, “ to ensure that our generation does even better than the one before it.”
