Gabriella Picarello
Receiving a Columbus Citizens Foundation Scholarship gave me the opportunity to attend the Mary Louis Academy, a private catholic high school in Queens. So far, my journey at TMLA has been nothing short of amazing! In my freshmen year I found many ways to get involved at my new school. I joined both the track and cross-country teams, and won three medals. I also got involved in many other activities and clubs, including the cooking club, the book club, the baking club, Students for Animals, Stage Crew and of course, the Italian Club. At the end of the year, I won a Scholar Athlete Award for maintaining a 4.0 average during freshman year while running track and cross-country.
I was also very proud of myself for landing on the Principal’s List all three trimesters and finishing up my first year of high school with a 4.21 overall average. At the conclusion of freshman year, I applied for and was accepted into the Service Learning and Leadership program, which will give me an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people in our surrounding communities in the coming years. In my sophomore year, I have not only remained involved in all my after-school activities and on the track and cross-country teams, which placed third in both the city and Brooklyn/Queens championships, I have also remained on the Principal’s List. This year I have also enrolled in my school’s Diplomas of Designation program, where I will be on a pre-med track during my final three years at the Mary Louis Academy.
