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Health & Fitness

Syosset Celebrity Alumni Includes…You!

With a list of celebrity alumni that includes actress Natalie Portman, movie producer Judd Apatow...

The other day I was at a business conference in Dallas, Texas. I found myself sitting with a global group of attendees at lunch and the topic of discussion turned to famous people who had graduated from your high school.

The names and places that were mentioned included a film score composer and Academy Award nominee Alan Silvestri who was alumni from a high school in Teaneck, New Jersey as well as members from the rock band Blue Oyster Cult who attended Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington, NY. Interesting enough, it was I, who attended Syosset High School/SHS, who received the most oooo’s and ahhhhh’s from my verbal contribution.

With a list of celebrity alumni that includes actress Natalie Portman, movie producer Judd Apatow, actress and Broadway Theater star Idina Menzel, and Broadway and movie actor Adam Pascal, SHS clearly does not have a shortage of accolades. While I remember Adam playing drums in my school’s “Battle of the Bands”, it seems as though his role in Rent now seems to take precedence.  With Idina now married to Taye Diggs, I’d say we can add him to the list through matrimony!

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With graduation time approaching, it is easy to get excited about the new college students as well as work force that will shortly be presented.  As I speak with my neighbors, the same questions and concerns seem to be popping up from their senior High School children. Did I pick the right college? Where are my friends going?  What career path should I take?  For some of us, celebrity status was achieved early in our lives, but for most of us it takes a few tries to figure out what directions life will lead.

 I am one of the latter people.  I have traveled down several career paths and taken many detours that have allowed me to discover the world, learn from many people who have crossed my path, and learn from the many different cultures I have been lucky enough to encounter.  

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My first career was in health education, then clinical nutrition. But it wasn’t until I started working in the area of marketing and recently social media that I can say I found a more fulfilling and sustainable path. The past 10 years I have traveled around the world and have met many professionals from multinational companies as well as small businesses.  While my recent 15 minutes of fame might be posting for this blog now, there is a big world out there and still many opportunities to discover. 

So for the many soon to be graduates with cap and gown waiting to be worn that may be confused, I say don’t worry. The celebrity SHS alumni list doesn’t have a period at the end of it. There will always be an opportunity to find your way onto the list or perhaps more importantly, achieving goals that fulfill your life at that given moment in time.

Congratulations SHS 2011.

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