By Gina Greco
Town of Webb senior Autumn Townsend, 17, started at the Town of Webb school from the Inlet Common school in the seventh grade.
In the fall she plans to study Graphic Arts and Visual Communications at Cazenovia College.
“I was interested in art at a very young age. I have taken just about every art class that fits in my schedule. It’s what I’m good at,” Autumn said.
She said her favorite art medium is traditional pen and ink.
The Visual Communications class at Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is her favorite class, she said.
Her favorite teachers are English teacher Mr. Cunningham and her art teacher, Mrs. Baker, at BOCES.
Autumn played softball in the past, but this year she made the switch to track, where her events are the high jump, long jump and the 100-meter dash.
She plays the trumpet in senior band.
Outside of school, she is a member of Skills USA.
“I do a lot of volunteer work and fundraising for Key Club,” she said.
She said she keeps pretty outside school with her art projects and trumpet playing.
Autumn said she enjoys listening to ’80s and ’90s rock music.
Her parents are Misty and John Townsend II. Misty is a sales associate at ACE Hardware in Inlet, and John works for Richard H. Lutz Building and Mechanical.
She has one brother, Joseph, who also attends the Town of Webb school.
Autumn said her mother has been her biggest influence.
“We haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, but growing up I have watched her really show me how a woman should be and how strong you need to be. She has taken on two jobs and she has had double shifts. There were points where we wouldn’t even see her for more than a few hours a week. Even though she would have preferred other things, she did everything for us,” she said.
“She really showed me that when you need to do something, you dig deep and do it. And you never let anyone convince you that you can’t do something or you’re not good enough.”
Autumn said her favorite memory is when she went to states for the Skills USA competition last year.
“I had gotten really close with my class and the people who compete with me at BOCES,” she said
“We studied very hard all year long for the competition. We turned the team into a family. We spent two nights and three days together competing and having fun. It was really nice,” she said.
Autumn is currently employed at ACE Hardware in Inlet. She began work there two years ago.“I plan to work at ACE for half of the summer and spend the other half preparing for college and enjoying my time at home,” she said.
She has three cats and one dog that she said she will miss seeing every day.
Autumn said she is looking forward to graduation.
“I want to get to a point where my talent will be needed and recongized,” she said.
She said she will miss the community a lot when she leaves.
“I will miss how close everyone is, and how you know everyone and they know you. There is always someone there to help you in your time of need,” she said.