For Great Neck South salutatorian Rachel Brenner, her success came down to three things: time management, hard work and passion for what she did.
Going through Great Neck South High School, Brenner said, she found a passion for many subjects. Mathematics, however, was her favorite until she took an economics course this school year.
Brenner said that while other classes were interesting, economics was better in that she could use what was being taught.
“I find a lot of the time I’m actually applying knowledge that I’m learning from a textbook,” Brenner said.
Brenner said there weren’t too many long days. But she was really involved with extracurricular clubs, particularly Model Congress and DECA, the school’s business club, and really enjoyed it.
“When I was studying for DECA, it wasn’t really work,” Brenner said.
Brenner will go to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League school. She will study business, with an emphasis on management and finance.
Brenner said she is not too sure yet what she’ll do when graduating next time around, but she expressed interest in business consulting, and definitely intends to keep pursuing her passion.
“I think it just comes down to doing what you enjoy in all honesty,” Brenner said.
