International Student Finds Her Passion

MOUNT VERNON – Ava Dilone, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, is making a difference in the lives of those around her through the Career Technical Education (CTE) program. She is in her second year in the nursing assistant program, which is offered through CTE at the high school.

Ava is learning how to care for others, as she is in the middle of her nursing assistant clinicals, which allow her to apply and practice skills learned in the classroom. Here, she works with the elderly in the community to assist them in their day to day lives.

“I have a passion for helping people, I love the feeling of helping people,” said Ava. “That’s why I love the nursing assistant program because I get to go to clinical and help the elderly. I wash them, I feed them, I brush their teeth, I put their dentures in, the whole nine yards and I just love doing it. The opportunity is really great.”

Outside of the nursing assistant program, Ava is currently taking an International Baccalaureate English course and participates in numerous programs at the school. Some organizations include Her Honor, where she has two mentors that she meets with to help her navigate college applications and essays. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and Kool Nerds, an Emergency Medical Technician program through the school that trains students to be EMT certified.

Ava is currently deciding between going to college and joining the Army. If she chooses to go to college, she wants to study dental hygiene, as her mother works in the same profession. She has been accepted into Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of Bridgeport, University of New Haven and is waiting to hear back from Farmingdale State College. Her top choice is the University of New Haven, where she received a $25,000 scholarship.

If she does decide to join the Army, Ava would serve as a physical therapist. She recently started to look into joining the Army and has taken the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, a multiple-choice test that measures young adult’s strengths and potential for success in the military.

“My parents don’t want me to go, but I find it rewarding to go to the Army,” said Ava. “I feel like it will make me stronger in the end and I get a lot of benefits joining the Army and serving this country. That’s why I’m interested in joining the Army.”