VOORHEESVILLE — Clayton A. Bouton High School valedictorian Olivia Suozzo, 18, has not yet decided on a college major, but that may be because her repertoire is already so varied.

Suozzo participated in many activities in high school, including being in Model United Nations for a year, and playing tennis for her first three years of high school. Suozzo also works as a ski patroller at Mount Snow in Vermont.

“We’re supposed to make sure everyone’s healthy,” she says, describing how members of the ski patrol determine if visitors to the mountain can ski, provide first aid if needed, decide if an area or trail is skiable, and mark off hazards on the trails.

Suozzo was the assistant editor for her school’s literary magazine during her junior year, and this past year she was editor of the magazine. As editor, she decided what pieces will be published and selected the cover art for the magazine. She has also submitted art and writing to the magazine, and won the magazine’s writing contest last year. Suozzo’s artwork is mostly two-dimensional, with her preference being drawing and pastels, but she has done some painting as well.

Suozzo also has participated in the Science Olympiad, a competition between teams from different schools involving groups participating in various scientific events. Suozzo, for example, competed in an anatomy and physiology-based event, while another group had to build something.

“It’s fun,” said Suozzo, describing how she and her teammates would meet to collaborate, eat junk food, and hang out.

Suozzo also participated in a Shakespeare recitation contest in which she memorized and did a dramatic reading of both a monologue from one of Shakespeare’s plays and one of his sonnets. In her junior year she recited a monologue of the character Portia from “The Merchant of Venice,” and this past year she recited one of Rumour’s in “Henry IV.”

“I think all the teachers have been really incredible and really supportive,” says Suozzo. She’ll especially remember English teacher April Levy and her physics teacher and Science Olympiad advisor Ted Simmons.

“He’s sort of been a mentor for me,” says Suozzo.

This summer, Suozzo says she’ll be relaxing for the next month and a half before she goes to Harvard College. Her older sister, Julia, who was valedictorian three years ago, is also at Harvard. Suozzo also has an older brother, David, who recently finished at New York University. Despite her similarly high-achieving siblings, she says her parents have never been one to pressure her.

“They’ve been very good to not to pressure me and let me live my own life,” she says.

Suozzo will be entering college with an undecided major, but is considering something related to chemistry or physiology. She has thought about pursuing scientific research and teaching at a university.

“It’s the sort of thing I’ve always really imagined,” she says, explaining how her mother inspired her when she taught graduate students at Albany Medical Center while working as a researcher there.

Suozzo says she is excited to begin college, but also feels “a little weird.”
“I’m ready to go,” she says, “But I know I’m going to be homesick.”

Suozzo said her sister’s experiences at Harvard piqued her interest in the school.

“I got the impression that they really care about their students.”

Suozzo says she and her sister are very close, and that their mother has even offered to help pay for them to have dinners together.

Suozzo says she also “bounced ideas” off her sister for her valedictory speech, as well jotting down ideas in a notebook. She said she wanted to talk a little bit about life in her speech.

“Part of my philosophy is there are still ups and downs,” she said, but she added she wants to balance this truth about life with some optimism.

Although ready for the next step in her life, Suozzo says she’s thankful for her experiences at school.

“I appreciate everything that Voorheesville has done for me, and they’ve done a very good job preparing me for the next phase,” she says.