Community Corner

Teen Celebrates Human Faces of Greenport

One teen is shining the spotlight on Greenport personalities for a new Facebook page.

A Greenport teen has embarked on a mission to celebrate the unique individuals that give the village its character and color.

Skye Gillispie, 17, of Greenport, recently kicked off the Humans of Greenport Facebook page.

The site features photos and brief anecdotes about the men and women who comprise the fabric of the village.

Gillispie, who will be a senior at Greenport High School in September, said she  became interested in Humans of New York the moment she discovered the page on Facebook.

"The beautiful photos and the stories they tell really illuminate the beauty of New York City," she said.

And so, the teen decided to take action and shine the spotlight on her own hometown. "I created Humans of Greenport from my couch at home," Gillispie said. "I had thought of the idea a while back and finally got to setting it up one rainy afternoon. It's the beauty of social media. You can create something so vast by pressing a few buttons."

Gillispie said she picks the people to spotlight on the Humans of Greenport page based on her knowledge of true village natives and suggestions from others.

"And often spontaneously when I spot them on the sidewalk," she said. "I think it's their roots and influence in the community that draws me to them."

Greenport was the perfect spot to launch her dream, Gillispie said, because it's "full of unique people in a beautiful village, all pushing each other to follow their dreams. It's my hometown but also just an accepting community for just about anyone."

By creating the page, Gillispie hopes to illuminate Greenport and catapult the village onto the international canvas. "I want to share the story of these people for one main reason. I want others to discover that it is the 'Humans of Greenport' that make Greenport a tourist destination, the foodie hub of the North Fork, and just a thriving place. Many don't realize the greatness that lies within these people that rest within such a small seemingly insignificant place."

Looking ahead, Gillispie said she hopes to study communications with a focus on marketing and journalism in college. "I'd love to utilize social media to change people's lives, but we'll see where the next few years leads me," she said.

Of all the "Humans" she's interviewed so far, Gillespie said "Haywood," a popular figure known to most village residents by his first name only, inspired her the most.

"He was my first 'Human of Greenport' and is an iconic member of the Greenport community. My goal in featuring him was to reach as many as possible because everybody knows and loves Haywood. It worked," she said, reaching over 2000 people. "His daily 'Good morning' on my way to work truly puts a smile on my face."

Gillispie said it's never too soon for young people to begin pursuing their dreams. "In this day, teens are just as likely to follow their dreams in our technological world. Don't be discouraged if people don't take you seriously."



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