It is with pleasure that I introduce to you the Newfield High School student of the
month for October, Ms. Sydney Taub. She currently holds an unweighted GPA of 94.06
and a weighted GPA of 97.8542. Sydney will have the potential to graduate in June with
approximately 40 college credits. She’s challenging herself this year taking six advanced
placement classes and one college class. In addition to her studies at Newfield, she’s
treasurer of the Glamour Gals Club, vice president of the newspaper, member of Class
of 2018 student government, the National Foreign Language Honor Society treasurer,
member of the Mock Trial team, and president of the National Honor Society. Outside of
school, Sydney’s a competitive dancer who has been named a Platinum Plus Achieving
Soloist and a Starbound National Dance Competition Grand Championship Winner, a
leadership intern at Camp Invention, a volunteer at NY Blood Center, was a junior
docent at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County and was an
assisted living volunteer for Jefferson’s Ferry. She is honestly one of the most well-
rounded students I’ve ever met. Ms. Martin, Sydney’s French teacher since 7 th grade
stated she’s never seen Sydney sad or mad, always with a positive outlook and a smile
on her face. She went on to state what a pleasure it’s been watching her develop into
the beautiful, passionate, kind-hearted, ambitious young woman she is today.

I was so impressed when given the opportunity to sit and chat for a bit with Sydney.
When asked, she stated that her mother is her biggest inspiration. Mom came here
from Jamaica with nothing and created a wonderful life full of love and support for
herself and her little brother. It was evident she comes from a tight-knit family. She
plans to major in political science and shared a story with me about her grandfather
that inspired this major, and also helped me make the connection to Sydney’s volunteer
work at the Holocaust Museum. She shared a story that Grandpa, while growing up in
Nazi-occupied France during WWII, saw his brother (Sydney’s great uncle) kidnapped
and brought to a labor camp. Grandpa and great grandma sought refuge in an
abandoned apartment. Though at one point they were seen by the gestapo, they
weren’t taken. Soon after, through an unknown connection, Sydney’s grandpa and
great grandmother found help and were escorted from Nazi-occupied France into
Liberated France. Between Grandpa’s stories, and her volunteer work at the Holocaust
museum, Sydney’s decided she wants to help others by way of becoming a civil rights
attorney or entering the world of politics. Either way, I’m confident she’ll thrive. She’s
applied for early decision to Brown University, following in the footsteps of her cousin
and uncle. She’s also applied to Yale, Boston University, Boston College, Tufts
University, Villanova, Stony Brook and a few more.

Sydney, it’s no wonder so many at Newfield were so pleased with your being chosen as
our student of the month. You are extraordinarily impressive in so many ways. I look
forward to the positive impact we all know you’ll have on the world. On behalf of the
Middle Country community, congratulations on a job well done!!