About 300 miles north of Westhampton Beach is the large suburban Ithaca College. Out of the 63 students from Westhampton Beach to apply to Ithaca in the last seven years only 39 have been accepted. Senior Shannon Giere is one of the 39 to get in.

Shannon stressed that applying to college is a “really, really hard” process and that “you have to be diligent and meticulous.” Shannon said, “It’s not a casual thing you can do a little at a time. You just have to push yourself to accomplish all of the requirements, because they don’t end.” She added, “Don’t overlook the price of a college: that’s what became the deciding factor for me.”

Shannon applied to six schools in total: University of Connecticut, University of Florida, Fordham University, Syracuse, Cortland, and Ithaca. She was accepted into all except Fordham and Syracuse. Shannon decided upon Ithaca because of her visit there, the money she was receiving, and her family living near by. Ithaca has a great school for her major. Shannon said, “I got the opportunity to see the Communications school and the opportunities and was won over.”

For Shannon, the hardest thing about leaving for college is her fear of homesickness. She said, “I’m very close to my family so it’ll be a big leap being so far away from them for so long. I’m scared of the transition socially, like making friends.” Shannon is going to “miss the whole high school experience” and she is also going to miss her friends and teachers. About leaving her hometown of Remsenburg, she said, “Remsenburg is really small and really nice, and it has been my home for 16 years, so I’ll just miss being there. When I think of home, I think of Remsenburg and that’s what I think will affect me the most, knowing that I’m not home.”

Lastly Shannon added, “High school is different for everyone. It’s your attitude that defines your high school experience.”

Good luck at Ithaca Shannon!