Garden City High School Senior Spotlight: Natalie Palmeri

GARDEN CITY, NY — This week, Garden City High School shines its senior spotlight on Natalie Palmeri.

Palmeri is a scholar athlete who has proven herself both in and out of the classroom. She has earned First and Second Honors, as well as the Principal's List, throughout her high school career and is a college-recruited lacrosse athlete. She has played lacrosse all four years of high school and taught the sport to younger peers in her free time.

She has been involved in volunteer work for the past several years through the UFT: Coalition for the Homeless. She first shared her compassionate nature with the class of 2021 when she organized a coat drive two years ago. When the pandemic hit and schools were shut down, Palmeri united her classmates and coordinated a mobile food drive. Together, the students collected more than 300 bags of food, which Palmeri delivered to the local food pantry. This year, she collaborated with her peers to again host food and coat drives, resulting in more than 15,000 pounds of food being donated to the Mary Brennan INN.

As shared by faculty members, “Natalie has shown us all how important it is to appreciate what we have and how rewarding it is to come together for the sake of others who are less fortunate than us.” She is described as determined, focused and resilient across all domains.

Submissions are from staff, students, or parents. To nominate a GCHS senior, please contact Assistant Principal for Guidance and PPS Mandi Stefankiewicz at stefankiewiczm@gcufsd.net.