Schools
Whiz Kid: Well-Rounded Tuckahoe Student Excels at Science and Music
Devin D'Agostino continues to pursue his intellectual interest in science, despite bullying.
Name, age: Devin D’Agostino, 13
School:
Achievement: Devin will always stand up for others and displays an outstanding passion for science and learning on a day-to-day basis.
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Key to Awesomeness: Devin is first in his class, participates in science club, spearheaded a recycling program at Tuckahoe School, plays the saxophone and stands up for less popular students when they are being teased.
Devin came up with the idea for a recycling program in the environmental club. A new recycling club puts bins in classrooms and goes back to collect the recyclables, he said.
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He also plays the saxophone and took home a blue ribbon at the New York State School Music Association competition last year for his level, along with participating in the Hamptons Music Educators Association festival.
Devin participates in science club and Science Olympiad, in which team members answer questions about science, showcasing their knowledge while competing against other students on Long Island. One of the project assignments within the competition was to create a structure that could hold a certain amount of weight. “I ended up making the architectural design” for the tower, Devin said.
His passion for science goes beyond his science club participation. Devin never grew out of his “dino-phase.” He says “I have always liked paleontology and I always go to the American Museum of Natural History.” He takes his friends and family on personal learning tours through the museum and has a wide collection of dinosaur books and memorabilia. Right now, he is reading "The Lost World" by Michael Crichton. He expects to go to college for paleontology.
What really makes Devin a Whiz Kid is his display of courage when he stand ups for others. “I try to stand up for kids who are getting bullied,” he said. Devin has been teased in the past for being “nerdy,” so he knows what it is like to be the target of bullying, he said. Therefore, he tries his best to stop bullying when it happens to someone else.
Not only will he stand up for others, he said he will not abandon his passion because it is “nerdy” to those bullies.
