Way to Go!: Leilani Blakeman, of East Meadow
Leilani Blakeman with Dean of Students William Brennan, left, and guidance counselor Mona Allen. Credit: East Meadow School District
An East Meadow High School sophomore has been making her mark in everything from community service to community theater.
Leilani Blakeman, 16, has involvements that include being a member of her school’s Model Congress, World Hunger Action and Key clubs, as well as the English, Social Studies and Tri-M Music honor societies.
She also is treasurer of the school’s choir and participates in its Theatre Guild. Her proudest moment in theater, she said, was making it to the final callback for the role of young Cosette in “Les Miserables” on Broadway.
“Ever since I was little, I watched a lot of Broadway shows and knew it was something I wanted to do,” said Blakeman, who takes private dance lessons and is active in the local and regional theater community.
In addition, Blakeman was named her school’s Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) ambassador for the current school year. In that role, she is slated to discuss world issues with officials in government, education and business at a state leadership seminar in June.
She was selected after a rigorous process that included interviews by faculty members, administrators and a former HOBY ambassador, school officials said.
“We are very proud to be represented by Leilani,” East Meadow guidance counselor Mona Allen said. “She is mature, intelligent, sincere and a natural leader.”
— MICHAEL R. EBERT
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
