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Poly People

Samantha Meli '31

Samantha M. ’31

A profile and photo by Dov Weinstein Elul ‘24

Samantha M. ’31 has been attending Poly since Nursery. She loves her friends, who she describes as “not afraid, friendly, and fun.”

When considering her classes, Samantha enthusiastically listed a few of her favorites, which include Math, Art, and Dance, all of which she is excited to continue pursuing as she gets older. Samantha, who entered Middle School in 2023 has been adjusting to the new Dyker Heights campus. She has quickly fallen in love with the freedom she has as a Middle Schooler. In Lower School she often had to be accompanied by a teacher to leave the classroom, but now with greater independence, she can travel around campus by herself. “In between classes I run around school and explore,” Samantha said. One of her favorite spots is the Oval where she can get some fresh air, but she never forgets to return to class on time. Samantha reflected on the changes between Lower and Middle School, which she described as “different, but in a good way.” Looking down the road, Samantha sees herself joining the swim team, because she enjoys swimming outside of school and playing on the volleyball team, along with many other activities.

Academics Arts Middle School

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“Poly understands how sports and academics are equally important in students’ lives. We have a wide array of sports to choose from and many teams to join both in Middle School and Upper School. There are facilities and fields for almost every sport you can think of.”

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“John W. ’32 loves P.E. and shows good sportsmanship after each contest.”

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“Junie is a bright and smart student who goes beyond just academics. She was willing to help other students who were struggling,”

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Khari Freeman ’24

“There are so many good people around and there is always someone you can ask for help when you need it.”

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MaKiyah Turner-Hicks ’24

“I decided to come to Poly because of its amazing extracurriculars. I’m really interested in theater, visual arts, language, and sports, and Poly offers all of them.”

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Margaret Cochran ’26

“From a dramatic musical to creating an abstract painting. Poly has so many classes from which you can choose what you really want to do.”

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Nina E. ’32

Nina E. ’32 brightens Lower School everyday with her luminous spirit and irrepressible enthusiasm.

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Parsa Aghazadeh ’25

“Parsa truly embodies what it means to be a Poly student. Not only is he intrinsically motivated and intellectually curious, he is kind and respectful to all…”

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Sophia C. ’31

Sophia C. ’31 lives to challenge and better herself through her pursuit of knowledge.

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Valentina Aberle ’27

“Something that I will take away from this school and the people in it is that it’s OK to make mistakes, that it’s OK to be scared, and that it’s important to be yourself.”

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Zoe D. ’29

Zoe D. ’29 is a great team player and her creativity shines through all of her work.

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Caiden S. ’29

Caiden created a “Band in a Box” video by writing his own piano composition, playing and recording it, and putting it together with three professional musicians playing bass, guitar, and saxophone.

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Jonathan D. ’30

Jonathan D. ’30 wrote a story entitled “How Bird Got its Wings” adapted from a Haudenosaunee folktale.

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Nikash Khanna ’24

“I like the supportive people and the expansive campus at Poly Prep.”

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Zeke Wise ’24

“The campus is so amazing. I feel like I’m on a real college campus.”

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Lucas Hunter ’23

Poly Prep has allowed me to flourish in both athletics and the arts.

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Nathan Nguyen ’24

“What I like best about Poly cannot be limited down to a single simple word or phrase.”

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Mason R. ’31

Mason R. ’31 wants to become the best mathematician in his family.

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Dylan D. ’34

Dylan D. ’34  is great at fostering community among her classmates with her creative storytelling and enthusiasm.

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Shayaan M. ’34

Shayaan M. ’34 is a voracious reader and a kind friend who is always happy to support his classmates.

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Karan T. ’32

Karan T. ’32 has an insatiable appetite for knowledge across ALL subject areas.

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Caroline M. ’33

Caroline M. ’33 is an excellent, creative student who has discovered that she loves to write and read poems.

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Krystal F. ’32

Krystal F. ’32 is independent and responsible, kind, caring, and empathetic. She stands out as a true leader in the classroom.

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Liam S. ’33

Liam S.’33 is very bright and curious student all around, but especially stands out in math. He sees patterns and numbers everywhere!

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Zuva K-P ’28

“I loved history my whole life and this year my teacher is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.”

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Reyhan Sanchez ’24

“My interest in chemistry stems from how cool it is to see the way everything interacts.”

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Sonia B. ‘28

“I really love it here. Go Poly!”

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