Millbrook salutatorian Skyler Fountain looks to new challenges

MILLBROOK — Skyler Fountain has had an illustrious career in the Millbrook Central School District. Her role as salutatorian of this year’s Millbrook High School’s Class of 2021 follows in that trend, including a stint in the Drama Club’s production of “The Addams Family.” 

She gave up the drama club to pursue her other love,  sports. While staying active in athletics, including a stint on the cross country team that attended the state championships in 2019, as well as a one-time member of the lacrosse team and the JV basketball team, Skyler simultaneously pursued another passion: the courtroom. Now the team captain, Skyler has also been involved with the Mock Trial Team since she was a freshman.  

With all of those activities, she was also an active member of the school chorus, as well as a member of the National Honor Society. Skyler was also on the Yearbook Club and volunteered with Hope On A Mission in Poughkeepsie biweekly.

One can only imagine that her schedule at college in the fall, when she attends SUNY New Paltz, will be equally busy. She plans to pursue a degree in communication disorders with an eye toward speech pathology. She’d like to work in the school system as a speech pathologist, a career path that is becoming increasingly more popular. A long-time baby sitter, Skyler loves working with children. 

Why New Paltz? Skyler said she knows others who have gone there and recommended it. She also got a very nice scholarship and likes that it is close enough for her to visit  home on weekends, so she can continue to baby sit some of the children she has cared for over the past few years. She may get a car in the winter and the 50 minute drive to Millbrook isn’t too far.

Baby sitting is a part of her  summer plans; she also hopes to spend time with her grandparents in Maine. That’s where she hopes to find time to read, another passion of hers (especially historical fiction), and maybe do a little sewing. She’s a young lady of many talents and interests.

When Skyler has the time, she also enjoys running and hiking; she’s a big fan of the outdoors. She also loves spending time with friends — many  are the same friends she’s had since kindergarten — her pets and her family, which includes her parents and a younger brother. 

Skyler, as with so many others, touts the advantages of a district like Millbrook that is relatively small, allowing for students to engage in a wide array of activates. 

She said she will miss Millbrook, including her teachers. She will also miss the cross country team she has been a part of since her sophomore year. She will be taking much of what she has learned in Millbrook with her, and she knows she’ll be back, because home is where her heart is.