Youth in Focus

by Richard A. Ross

A bright ray of sunshine

Monticello’s Casey Berson is one of the area’s most well-rounded students who exudes a magnetic and affable personality

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Casey Berson is a senior at Monticello High School.

MONTICELLO, NY — Prior to meeting Casey Berson, I had the chance to talk about her with senior co-advisors Mary Truesdell and Ginger Maher. Both have known her for the past four years in their capacity as counselors and class advisers. Truesdell said of Casey, “She is very thorough; you can always count on her to do a great job.” Maher added, “She’s so well-rounded: in academics, socially and in sports. She’s a kind and generous person. To sum it up, she’s a ray of sunshine.”

Following a half-hour conversation with Casey, this reporter would have to say she is all of that and more. Casey is one of the top students in Monticello High School. That in and of itself would not make her unique. Monticello has always had its share of great academic achievers. With Casey, it is more a function of her diversified involvement. It would be hard to imagine a student partaking of more activities than she does.

In the academic realm, Casey has a packed agenda with calculus, her SUPA (Syracuse University Project of Advance) English class which called for the writing of four papers last semester including a personal claim, an ethnography, a language paper and a reflection paper, AP music, and AP chemistry.

A member of chorus who has participated in All-State Chorus for the past two years, Casey also plays oboe in band and studies musical theory that includes sight singing and harmonic analysis with teachers Mrs. Wegrzyn and Mrs. Trombley.

A love of music has prompted Casey’s involvement in Monticello’s musical productions of “Bye Bye Birdie,” her role as Lady Larkin in “Once Upon a Mattress” and this year’s role as Dolly Tate in “Annie Get Your Gun.” Add to her resume a run of dramatic role as student director/producer of “Twelve Angry Jurors,” her role as the Mock Turtle in the mini-musical “Alice in Wonderland” and her part in “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

Following the ancient Greek precept of “sound body; sound mind,” Casey is also involved in athletics. This past fall in tennis, she and doubles partner Kim Franklin helped lead Monticello to their best season ever. Casey was co-captain of the team that won the sectional title. Taking a break from sports in the winter allows her to get involved with school dramatic enterprises. Come spring however, she plays softball.

Casey has “a few other irons in the fire.” She is on the math team, serves as co-captain of the SCIL team. (Monticello has a great track record of beating other schools in the county), is treasurer of her class, vice-president of student council and oh yes, on Quiz Bowl on Fridays.

A person who clearly cares about others, Casey devotes time in the fall to Monticello High School’s food and toy drive. She served as co-chair of the toy drive, which raised enough money to buy the specific toys requested by 80 Head Start children. The food drive committee raised enough money to feed 100 families.

Casey is the child of Gary Benson, who is a dentist in Monticello, and Rose Benson, who teaches special education at the Monticello Middle School. Her older sister Halie, a graduate of Monticello, is currently a student at Boston College. Her younger brother David is a freshman at Monticello.

Casey has already been accepted at Boston College but is waiting to hear from Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, Franklin and Marshall, Syracuse and Maryland. Her adviser Ginger Maher said that she had received a call from Harvard’s local interviewer saying that “in all of his years he had never met a more charming, articulate young woman.” Those sentiments are echoed by principal William Stickney who said, “As much as you can be impressed by all of the good stuff she does, her personality outshines it all. She is a really great kid.” None of this praise seems to have gone to her head. Given all of her accomplishments and all of the accolades, she still has her feet on the ground.

Mrs. Maher is right about Casey, She is indeed “a bright ray of sunshine.”