Whiz Kid of the Week: Ivy Croteau, a Master of the Arts at Southold High School

Whiz Kid: Ivy Croteau

School:

Age: 16

Grade: Senior

Whiz Kid's Accomplishments: Ivy Croteau is a senior at What’s unusual is that she’s only 16. Even more unusual? She’s ranked fifth in her grade and is taking all AP classes.

But that isn’t all. Ivy also sings, dances, plays the violin and piano and also acts. Some of her artwork (two sketches and several paintings) was just shown at in Greenport.

Ivy's mother said that her daughter started ballet at age 2, violin at 3, the piano at 5 and has been acting in school plays since elementary school. She also acts in in Mattituck. In fact, this summer, she will be appearing in their production of “Footloose.”

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Ivy skipped a year when she was in fifth grade, according to her mom. “She was academically advanced and the school suggested it. It was a good decision,” Paula Croteau said.

Ivy said that right now music is her favorite, especially the piano. “She’s a very gifted pianist,” her mom said. “She’s always been very passionate about the theater and has had the lead in a number of plays,” she added. “It helps that she has a voice/dance background. She feels very comfortable on stage.”

Ivy has already been accepted to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. “It’s a top-tier women’s college,” Croteau said. “It’s an amazing school that has everything anyone could ever want to study and Ivy’s received a research scholarship there.”

She hopes to have a double major in theater and creative writing. Will Ivy, who is turning 17 in May, be ready to go away to college? Her mom said that “Southold High School here was a positive experience for her, but it’s small and limited. She is ready to go away.”

Last summer Ivy went away for six weeks, to Spain and Portugal, with the Long Island Youth Orchestra, to play the violin, so she won’t be leaving home for the first time.

Croteau advised all new moms: “I urge mothers to watch and see what your child is gifted at and then get them involved early. It’s great for their confidence. Ivy loved going to dance, voice and music lessons right from the beginning. She was always passionate about it. It really does pay off to put them in as many creative situations as possible.”

It’s certainly worked for Ivy.

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