For our fifth alumnus profile, we had the chance to interview Delaney Parker, who was part of the Class of 2012. There is no doubt that Delaney left her mark at Manhasset, both as a performer and as a student. She is now a senior at NYU and is majoring in Vocal Performance with a focus on Music Theatre in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

As a Manhasset High School student, Delaney was always immersed in the music and drama departments. She was in every MHS musical during her time here and was a part of the Symphonic and Women’s Choir. She believes that Mr. V and Mr. Fessler were both essential in preparing her for her journey as a music major in a competitive conservatory-style program. The activities she was a part of with the choirs and drama departments also prepared her for theatre on both the university and professional levels. Her success in in these extracurriculars also translated into the classroom, where she was enrolled in multiple honors and AP classes. She says she is so thankful the rigorous courses, especially for teaching her about time management. Teachers like Dr. Dorman (AP World History) definitely prepared her for any college class she was bound to take.

After graduating in 2012, Delaney took her talents right to the city: to NYU. As mentioned before, she is a music major, but she is also pursuing a minor in Entertainment Business which includes courses in Steinhardt, Tisch School of the Arts, and Stern Business School. There are only about 25 students per class in her vocal performance program; these include both Classical Voice and Music Theatre students. Although she is part of the music program, all the students are still required to take the general NYU core classes. She is so thankful for this. Pursuing a minor while studying for such a specific and intense subject has challenged Delaney all throughout her college career, but in the end, it has been extremely rewarding to her. She advises prospective college students to take advantage of all the opportunities given to them.

“Join a club, sign up for that Entertainment Law course–it’ll probably be worth it!”   -Delaney Parker

Below, we posed few questions to Delaney so that she could fully illustrate her time at NYU and Manhasset.

How have you adjusted to life at NYU and is there anything you would like to tell prospective students about the school and student life?

Life at NYU is not like life at any other university. Although I used to mock their motto “in and of the city,” I have seen just how true it is. We don’t really have a campus; dorms, dining halls, and school buildings are intertwined with restaurants, museums, and theaters. There is just so much life happening! It’s an electrifying place to live and it is even more exciting to go to school here. Students are exposed to endless opportunities outside of school that they wouldn’t normally have had at a typical campus school. Because I’ve been in New York, I’ve had the chance to work with current Broadway actors, composers, and directors. I feel very lucky for that.

What will you cherish the most about your time at NYU after you graduate this year?

While I am so pleased with the academic experiences I’ve had at NYU, I am even more grateful for the personal ones. I have made some great friends at NYU that I will certainly have for life. College is a place where likeminded people can come together and actually get excited about studying something. I am inspired by my friends here everyday; people are hardworking, talented, and lots and lots of fun! I am so glad that I’ve had the chance to work with professors and my fellow classmates on incredibly important shows and performances. The life skills I’ve learned while studying at NYU will stay with me forever and I don’t think I could’ve gotten those anywhere else.

What makes Manhasset so special to you?

Manhasset instilled a strong sense of community in me. It is such a small town where people know and care about one another. The teachers genuinely wanted the students to succeed, and it felt really special to have so many people believe in you. It was also great to go to a school where most all of the students knew one another. Familiarity is not something I take for granted while living in one of the biggest cities in the world, so I still get excited when I see a fellow Manhasset person here. I will always feel at home at MHS.