‘I just wanted to be a part of everything, so I just got involved’

Stacy Wansor is a Warwick Valley High School senior who has been a class representative since her freshman year.

You’d be hard-pressed to find something with which Stacy isn’t involved, from academics to athletics, the arts and her constant drive to unite her classmates around causes and occasions.

High School Principal Marguerite Fusco recognized Stacy’s unique drive and civic-mindedness right away.

“Stacy has been asking me about ways to get into extracurriculars from the minute she walked into this building,” said Fusco with a smile. “Right from the start, she was looking for ways to create events that would benefit her peers, her class, and the school. To this day, any time we have the activity fair, Stacy’s there – at every table, it seems – representing all the different things she’s into and getting other students enthused and involved.”

Stacy couldn’t disagree.

“Honestly, yes,” she said, “I just wanted to be a part of everything, so I just got involved!”

Blood drives, among the efforts

Most recently, Stacy successfully organized her first in a series of blood drives. During homecoming week, she was omnipresent in the Transportation Garage, working on the senior class float and other arrangements.

“It’s like she lived there,” said one classmate.

Stacy helped organize a Thanksgiving pie fund raiser for her class. She participates in Autism Awareness and a number of other clubs. Stacy is also an accomplished cellist who plays in the orchestra and has competed in NYSSMA every year.

Economics, government and law

Stacy is also involved in student government, which aligns with her favorite subjects, anything having to do with history and government. This year, that happens to be AP World History.

“I love learning about other countries; how they react to things compared to the way we do here,” she said.

Stacy wants to pursue her passion for helping others by studying political science in college, and has her eye on one program that blends economics, government and law.

“That would be awesome, because I hope to work specifically with government systems,” said Stacy, adding that a possible goal of hers is to become an advocate for people affected by the burden of bureaucracy when trying to establish lives for themselves and their families in America.

The Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute

“It can be draining on people, dealing with these tasks that become almost like a full-time job. I’d like to ease those processes for people; maybe make our government more empathetic, more understanding, of other people’s issues.”

Stacy has already gained some insight into those challenges through her involvement with the regional delegation of PRHYLI.

“P-R-H-Y-L-I: the Puerto Rican Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute,” said Stacy. “We learn leadership skills and about passing immigration bills. It’s helped me learn the process and gave me the idea that’s something I might want to do. Being part of Congress would be amazing! I can imagine passing bills that would help people, and to be a spokesperson for them.”

Stacy is a member of the National Honor Society. She earned Summa Cum Laud honor roll status all four marking periods last year at the same time she was named a NYS Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete. That means she carried a GPA higher than 90 through her varsity athletic season. She runs cross country and indoor track and plays softball.

Helping others to ‘stay connected’

She has been brainstorming with a group of fellow Wildcats for yet another mentoring opportunity.

“We want to go talk to the Middle School kids about getting community involvement,” she said. “We want to encourage anyone thinking about dropping out of sports to keep on going, because sports are a great way to stay connected!”

‘Make the community a better place for everyone’

What’s up next for Stacy? She said she’s very focused on getting into college at the moment, but it’s no surprise that she’s also got something in the works with - and for - her classmates.

“We’ve started working on preparations and fund raising for senior prom, so that’s really exciting,” she said.

“Stacy is involved in everything, and is always looking to make the community a better place for everyone,” said Fusco. “What’s more, she represents herself, her family, and the school with such integrity.”