Alyssa Slater named salutatorian for Groton High School’s Class of 2025

For Alyssa Slater, becoming the salutatorian for the Class of 2025 at Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS) was not a goal until her junior year, but when she began to realize then that it was something she could attain, she said she “made a decision to take more time and be more meticulous about my work” — and attain it she did!

Alyssa lives in Groton with her parents, Scott and Kim Slater. Scott is a disabled United States Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. Kim is the associate director of the financial aid office at SUNY Cortland. Alyssa said that she grew up as an only child but has learned that she has a half-sister, Jessimine, who lives in Germany. They have never met, but they talk virtually quite a bit.

While Alyssa plans to attend SUNY Delhi this fall to become a veterinary technician, her subsequent goal will be to continue her studies at Cornell University to become a surgical anesthesiologist.

Alyssa’s affection for animals has always been a part of her

“I’ve always known I wanted to work with plants or animals because my grandpa [the late David McCloy] owned a 200-acre farm. I grew up visiting and helping out and just grew to love it,” Alyssa said. “He introduced me to horses early on. I loved them and all animals, and I’ve always had pets — cats, dogs, bunnies and fish.”

Alyssa also mentioned her aunt, Samantha Fralick, who had a garden and used creek water to irrigate it, which Alyssa thought was “really cool.” But the draw toward animals won out over plants as she considered her future.

Also currently residing at the Slater home are their beagle/boxer mix, Carrie, and their English basset hound, Penny. Alyssa spoke fondly about the way Carrie is always by Scott’s side, and how Penny has always been a comfort and companion when Alyssa is home alone.

“My dad has had a bunch of surgeries — like 14 of them,” Alyssa explained. “When he and my mom would be at the hospital, Penny was always there for me, and watching Carrie with my dad made me say when I was 13 that I want to be a person who takes care of the animals that take care of their people. There weren’t a lot of veterinarians in our small town at the time, and I want to be able to do that in another small town someday.”

Alyssa’s involvements in high school

As noted in the June 11 edition of this column, Alyssa is one of 12 GHS students who graduated with her associate degree from Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) last month as part of the Early College High School (ECHS) program at GHS. She was also able to take the animal science/food science track in the GHS STEAM program during her junior year.

Alyssa also found time to be the vice president of both National Honor Society and Junior Class Council, as well as secretary of Senior Class Council. She was also in chorus, played saxophone in band and devoted four years to the drama club, the last of which she was chief of the stage crew.

“I had to give up chorus and band to be in ECHS because of scheduling,” Alyssa explained, “but I didn’t realize at the time how much it would come to mean to me financially. I went for it because all my friends were in it, plus my mom encouraged me because she knew what the financial benefit would be. I was nervous about the TC3 part of it because my friends are my favorite part of high school. I didn’t know if I would find friends, but I did!”

Aside from her friends and all her accomplishments, however, Alyssa’s greatest takeaway from GHS is her experience with drama club stage crew. She acted in “The Little Mermaid,” but she rose in the ranks of stage crew with “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Hello Dolly!” and “Seussical.”

“In life, you need a strong foundation for everything you do — that’s why I went out for stage crew,” Alyssa said. “It taught me patience and the ability to work under pressure in a short time. I wouldn’t give up and quit when it got hard. I would always think it through, and with each show, my methods would change. It showed me that I’m capable of handling situations like that, so I know that I won’t be afraid if they pop up in my future.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

Austin Skinner graduates from Paul Smith’s College

Austin Skinner recently earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resource conservation and management from Paul Smith’s College.

As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith’s provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. The college is able to draw on local industries and resources while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. It boasts a community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive and adventurous individuals who collectively provide experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond and meaningful opportunities for its alumni. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu.

Get ready to swim!

The Groton Memorial Park Pool on Sykes Street will open for the season Saturday, June 21. All users are required to have a pool membership. These memberships are good for five years, and you can now access your membership card on your phone. Only registered members are permitted in the pool area. Membership is free and may be completed online.

Art opportunity at The Good Neighbor

The Good Neighbor Grocery, 209 Peru Rd., will host “Pastel and Ink: Botanical Illustration” Monday, June 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Learn techniques for laying down color with chalk pastels, then add details and definition with micron ink pens. No drawing experience needed, and all materials will be provided. Cost is $40 per person. Register at thegoodneighborgrocery.com/order, in the store or on the Local by Toast app.