Lynn Classical senior president a busy fellow

LYNN – Taking a break from his challenging class schedule, Lynn Classical Senior Class President Johnny Long offers his voice for the daily announcements before last period classes every day.When he is not planning fundraisers and events after school, such as the prom and other school activities, he is working one of his two jobs, one at CVS and the other as a manager at the McDonalds Restaurant located inside Wal-Mart on the Lynnway.So when his history teacher suggested that he prepare for his senior economics class by applying to attend an Economics for Leaders program at Cornell University last summer, no one would have blamed him if he politely declined for scheduling reasons.But Long saw an opportunity, not only to improve his knowledge in his favorite subject, but to learn leadership skills that will help him now as class president and manager, and in the future when he starts his own business.Long was one of only 50 high school seniors in the country to attend the weeklong seminar at the university, located in Ithaca, NY. His days were spent at economics seminars, his nights participating in a variety of leadership activities.He says the math came easy to him, but the course was very helpful knowing that he would be entering economics class this year. He credited the teacher with doing a great job helping the students understand the concepts of economics, but it was the leadership activities – some physical; others mental – that he said helped him the most.”The leadership helped me a lot,” he said. “I knew that I needed it to help me with being class president and also in the future when I go to open my own business.”At the end of the program, Long took an economics exam which he passed with a score higher than 80 percent, meaning he was awarded with a certificate from the Foundation for Teaching Economics, the organization that organized the seminar.Long is preparing to apply to several area colleges known for their business programs, including Babson, Boston University, Brandeis and Boston College. He hopes to major in business, and says his future plans are to “become an entrepreneur, open my own business and then become a teacher when I am in my 30s.”His week in upstate New York was not all work. Long said he took time to tour the campus and everything that Ithaca had to offer, and he also fostered lifelong friendships with the other students there, setting up a Facebook.com web page so they can all remain in contact.”For me the most important part was the leadership training, meeting those 50 people really helped me,” he said. “This is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and everyone else that was there thought so too.”