Even after 17 years on the job, things haven't gotten stale for High Tech High School principal Karol M. Brancato.
"Every graduating class has its own personality," she said recently. "They can be playful or serious. This one has a very nice tone. They're very generous and kind spirited."
High Tech is a countywide school based in North Bergen, part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology.

High Tech High School's graduation is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Arthur F. Couch Performing Arts Center in Secaucus.
"I may be partial," said Senior Class Advisor Christine Lindsley, "but I feel this is a great class. They're go-getters, independent, goal-oriented, they did well in school, and many are going to colleges like Columbia, Cornell, Rutgers, and Stevens."

Arts and culture

Brancato and Lindsley aren't the only ones who give the school and its students high marks. In its "Best High Schools 2008," U.S. News & World Report rated High Tech High School in the top 5 percent of U.S. schools.
And Newsweek rated the school 710th in the United States.
"We have very talented kids, some academically, some in terms of arts, and in many other ways," said Brancato. "About 10 percent of our graduating class has been accepted to Ivy League schools."
But their talents go way beyond the classroom. "My job is to say 'yes' as many times a day as possible and make it happen," said Brancato. "Yes to, 'Could we arrange to go on this field trip?' and yes to, 'Can we purchase this supply?' "
"Everything they ask for are good things," said Brancato. "They're asking to find a way to do things to help the learning community. We have zero tolerance for bullying or harassment."
Brancato said that at High Tech there is an "emphasis on how to treat each other in the community. Students push in their own chairs so the janitor doesn't have to push in 300 chairs."

Signs of the times

The kids who will be going out into the 2008 world face challenges that are unique to this era in modern history.
"Adolescence has always been a confusing time," Brancato acknowledged. "These days it's easy to feel unattached; the world moves so fast, and so much is done by virtual friendship."
"You constantly read stories about bad things happening on MySpace," she continued. "It's easy to feel estranged. That's one of the reasons that a community's shared values are so important."

The award winners

High Tech, which welcomes students from throughout Hudson County, also boasted 10 Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars. The scholarship program, under the Garden State Scholarship Program, honors students according to class rank.
This year's winners were Jonathan Bourdett and Ethan Elenberg of Bayonne; Jenieve Guevarra, Amy Patel and Natalie Rivera of North Bergen; Gabrielle Gulo, Wilson Matos and Steven Santos of Jersey City; Catherine Tarakajian of Weehawken; and Laura Hecht-Felella of Hoboken.
High Tech does not have a valedictorian or salutatorian. But it does have County Academic Achievement Students. This year they were Ethan Elenberg and Laura Hecht-Felella.
Hecht-Felella will be one of four students speaking at graduation. "I will talk about how generations are defined by change," she said. "Things like terrorism, elections, global warming, the Internet, cell phones, so much has changed in the past decade, and our generation has to change along with it."
She'll also talk about the talents of her fellow students, whether they are singers, dancers, or athletes. "We have such a diverse group of talent in such a small school," she said.
And last, she will acknowledge their teachers. "Our teachers support us in everything we do," she said, "whether academic or extracurricular."

Off to the bar (not that one)

Hecht-Felella is typical of the talented, well-rounded seniors graduating in 2008. Though she majored in dance, she said she wants to be a "humanitarian lawyer."
"I want to help the underrepresented who have no one to advocate for them," she said. "I took a lot of hard classes, and dance was a relief for me. I really love it."
I took AP English literature and the second level of AP calculus," she continued.
"Calculus is my favorite class. It's absolutely amazing. I have no idea whether I will use it. I may pursue a math minor in undergrad. I am well prepared."
Hecht-Felella, who grew up in Hoboken, will be going to Hunter College in New York in the fall, where she has a full scholarship.
"I may major in political science with a math minor," she said.

High Tech sets the bar high

Hecht-Felella, who is senior class president, recently finished organizing the prom.
"The class is really diverse," she said. "You have friends with hidden talents. They all have something they can do besides just being smart."
"It's a huge honor," she added. "People have so many different talents, you can learn so much from everyone."
She said that she had fellow students who could play the piano or the flute or sing beautifully.
"Everyone is so humble about it," she said. "It's fun to be here. I'll miss it."
One of the things she'll miss is the faculty. "Everyone was willing to give you extra help," she said. "They were all very eager to teach us and to give of their free time."
But she also said she was excited to be going to New York where she will be living on the Hunter campus in a dorm for honor students.
"There will be challenges," she said. "The world has changed a lot, but I'm glad I went to High Tech. I feel confident in what I will bring to college. I feel well prepared for college, for living on my own, and for life in general."
©The Hudson Reporter 2008