Allison Altilio is a senior at North Arlington High School who is heavily involved in clubs and extracurriculars. She is a member of the Interact Club, Multicultural Club, Traffic Safety, National Honor Society, and Student Council. Allison is extremely passionate about her club involvement, explaining that “I’m a member of these clubs because I genuinely enjoy thinking of new ideas and projects with other members, it can be very exciting!” This year, she has organized a food drive and led the Valentine’s Day virtual rose delivery sponsored by the Student Council. She also created a community service opportunity for students to donate blankets to the homeless in Texas when the winter storm hit, and set up a gift card raffle for Black-owned businesses as a tribute to Black History Month. Allison’s proudest moment in high school also stems from her involvement in clubs: volunteering at the St. Rocco’s toy drive in Newark every Christmas season. 

When it comes to school, Allison’s favorite class this year has been Propoganda, Genocide, & Oppression because of the current events discussions held every Wednesday afternoon. “I think it is so important to be aware of what is going on in the world around us and how it impacts society”, Allison states. “I also love hearing everyone’s interesting perspectives on the news because it can be quite an eye-opener, as some students think of different solutions or proposals that I have never thought of before.”

Although Allison hasn’t decided on a college yet, she knows that she definitely wants to major in education. “I grew up having two Aunts who are both amazing teachers and they really inspired me.” Allison recalls, “I used to go to their classrooms in the summer to help set up for the upcoming school year, and seeing the effort and creativity they put in for their students was so touching.” Allison wants to project that same effort for her own future students because it “really does make a difference! Having a passionate teacher makes the learning experience even more worthwhile.”

In her spare time, Allison loves to spend time with her family or enjoy nature by driving to the Meadowlands Environmental Center to walk her dog. Her hobbies also include baking desserts to share with her friends and exercising on her treadmill. 

As her senior year is nearing its end, Allison considers her biggest achievement to be keeping her grades up while being highly involved in clubs throughout her high school career. Her involvement in extracurricular activities this year has definitely positively impacted many people during the pandemic, especially the virtual rose delivery that brought smiles upon many of the students’ faces and the blanket drive that helped out the homeless population impacted by Texas’ winter storm. Allison is a well-rounded student who has accomplished a lot throughout her high school career. As a parting message, she advises students to never doubt themselves, as you never know what you are capable of!