Southampton High School Senior Chloe Phillips Nominated for Presidential Scholars Program

As a kid, Chloe Phillips knew her calling was to help people.

Now, as a senior at Southampton High School, she is excelling at the BOCES program in nursing. State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced this month that Phillips, 17, has been chosen by State Education Department Commissioner Betty A. Rosa to be one of the 25 New York State high school seniors nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Phillips, nominated by her guidance counselor, Amy Prince, and Thiele, was the Career and Technical Education (CTE) selected nominee for her progress at BOCES.

“Four years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Phillips said on a recent Thursday after school. “And when I was little, my grandmother had ovarian cancer. I wanted to help so badly. I realized I could go into a career and help people. I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Through her mother’s battle with cancer and the COVID pandemic, Phillips remained focused on her academics, enrolling in difficult courses, and boasting an “A” average. She became fascinated with her mother’s treatment and her desire to learn about nursing motivated her to enroll in the Eastern Long Island Academy of Applied Technology’s Clinical Medical Assistant program which is a part of Eastern Suffolk BOCES.

As a junior, she began spending half of her day at the high school, and the other half of the day in Riverhead at BOCES, learning about nursing. Through the program, she has studied human anatomy, medical terminology, hematology, phlebotomy, and electrocardiography.

Phillips has excelled at the exams necessary to become a certified medical assistant and certified phlebotomist. Through the nursing program, Phillips has become a member of SkillsUSA, which has allowed her to continue to practice hands-on skills in local and state competitions, last year, placing third in the SkillsUSA state competition.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said of the competition, in which she went to Albany to compete against other schools throughout the state.

The Presidential Scholars Program was established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and recognizes high school seniors based on outstanding scholarship. This recognition is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Rosa has nominated 20 high school seniors — 10 girls and 10 boys — and five students in CTE programs from New York to be considered for the honor.

“I had no clue about the award until I received the letter,” Phillips said while sporting her Southampton Volunteer Ambulance jacket. In addition to her academic and technical school success, Phillips is a volunteer member of the Southampton Volunteer Ambulance team working as a helper as she trains to become an EMT. Her responsibilities include attending training courses, meetings, and assisting with paramedic emergency calls.

Personable, reliable, kind, and driven are a few of the words Prince used to describe Phillips.

“Her natural gifts of thoughtfulness and patience are the anchors that make her an able, hard-working student and a loyal, trustworthy friend,” Prince said. “I can easily envision her being the type of nurse that I would want to take care of me if I were to become ill. She is empathetic, humanistic, and a great listener. Many doors are open to this talented, hardworking, compassionate, and insatiably curious young woman.”

Thiele was also quick to sing Phillips’s praises.

“I am delighted that Commissioner Rosa has nominated Ms. Chloe Phillips, for the CTE portion of the 2023 Presidential Scholars Program. Chloe Phillips is a compassionate young woman who excels academically and has made contributions to both her school and our community,” he said. “Being selected as one of 25 students from New York to be considered for this honor is a remarkable achievement, and I wish Chloe luck as she moves to the next level in this notable competition.”

Phillips is also an active member of the North Sea Junior Fire Department, assisting with the fire department sponsored blood drives, department drills, and parades. While volunteering for the fire department, she has learned all aspects of basic firefighting, which includes topics such as fire suppression, salvage, ground ladder, first aid, and public relations.

When Phillips is not volunteering, she enjoys playing on the varsity field hockey team and is the catcher for the varsity softball team. Phillips is also a local race car driver, who competes at Riverhead Raceway with a Chevy S10 truck, an active member of Best Buddies and Varsity Club, and a volunteer little league referee.

Currently, the senior is waiting to hear back from colleges. Some of her top prospects include Oklahoma, Clemson, Cleveland State, Long Island University, Adelphi, Delhi and Jacksonville.

The Commission on Presidential Scholars will select the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars and those students will receive the prestigious Presidential Scholars medallion in June.