Maspeth High School student Tiffany D’Avanzo is known for excelling on – and off – the field. Photo courtesy Maspeth High School
She may be only 17, but Tiffany D’Avanzo has already gotten the hang of juggling a hefty workload both in and out of the classroom.
The Maspeth High School junior has been heralded by school officials as an exceptional student and phenomenal athlete because of her attention to detail in everything she does. And when she is not hitting the books or the field, she also plays an active community service role throughout central Queens.
“She has an extremely outgoing personality,” said Maspeth HS guidance counselor and football coach Jesse Pachter. “She is very humorous, but knows when to be serious. She is the complete package and I strongly believe she will be very successful in the future.”
D’Avanzo, a resident of Glendale, earned herself a 96 overall grade point average while taking all advanced placement and honors courses. She has also spent much of her time at the school as a member of the Key Club for community service, playing violin in the string ensemble and juggling both varsity basketball and flag football.
When asked how she manages to get enough sleep for her routine week, which included several days with hours in the double digits, she shot back quickly with, “I don’t!”
The student athlete said she had been involved with the school’s basketball team since her freshman year and watched it grow from just a club to a full-fledged varsity team as of next year. There, D’Avanzo recalled forming long-lasting bonds with her teammates as the team worked its way up the ranks with an undefeated record for two years in a row.
She also said one of her most rewarding high school experiences has been helping to grow the Maspeth High girls’ flag football team, which Pachter helped create. Since its inception, she has played as either a center or lineman for the group, which made it to the playoffs in its first year of existence and never looked back.
“I have always had an interest in football,” she said. “I remember I used to throw the football around with my dad at the park, so starting the team was easy. Now everyone on our team is friendly with one another.”
With one more year of high school ahead of her, D’Avanzo said she likes to keep herself busy and explore where she wants her future to go.
“Academically,’ this school is great. It offers a lot of electives and gives you a lot of options,” she said. “Anything you want to do, you can do here. You can create your own club if you want to.”
She might not be sure where she wants to go to college, she said, but D’Avanzo said she was heavily considering becoming a physical education teacher so she can inspire students the same ways her teachers at that high school inspired her.
The Maspeth High School Key Club has been one of D’Avanzo’s core outlets when she is not studying or competing, she said. Over the past year, she has helped organize and execute potlucks and fund-raisers throughout the mid-Queens community for the benefit of various charities and organizations.
“I try and do the best I can to help out however possible,” D’Avanzo said.
By Phil Corso
