Superintendent’s Spotlight: Juely Duran

Warwick Valley High School senior Juely Duran’s high school journey has been defined by determination and growth. Over the last four years, she has transformed challenges into momentum, rising to first chair cellist in the orchestra, building an impressive academic record and earning acceptance into a highly competitive seven-year accelerated medical program.

Despite her undeniable success, the road to getting there didn’t come without its challenges.

Adjusting to Warwick’s academic demands

Juely transferred to Warwick Valley from New York City during her freshman year. While she was grateful for the opportunity, the transition pushed her academically and personally.

“The curriculum up here was so much more advanced — in a good way,” she said. “But it felt like I was in college as a freshman.”

Freshman year became a year of adjustment. Her grades reflected the learning curve at first, but by sophomore year, they began trending upward — and haven’t slowed since.

Inspired by her mom’s determination

Raised by a single mother who immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic, Juely describes her mom as her greatest inspiration. Starting as an EMT, her mother recently earned her doctorate in nursing.

“She beat every possible odd,” Juely said. “Seeing that someone with the life she was brought into can be where they’re at now — it definitely means that with the opportunities I’m given, I can do more and be more.”

A commitment to music

One of the clearest examples of Juely’s growth can be seen in the orchestra room.

She first began playing the cello in elementary school, but stopped during the COVID years. When she arrived at Warwick as a freshman, she hadn’t touched her instrument in more than three years.

“I walked in there clueless,” she recalled. “I hadn’t touched the cello in over three years. I didn’t know my music. I didn’t know anything.”

She remembers her first concert clearly.

“In my first concert I was only able to play one song, and it was just the bass part — not even the cello,” she said. “I had to sit for the rest.”

It would have been easy to step away again. Instead, she stayed, practiced and rebuilt her skills. By senior year, Juely was performing a solo at the WVHS Winter Orchestra Concert and serving as concert master in her section.

“I want to thank Ms. Maynard, for sure,” Juely said. “We definitely bumped heads, but she kept me going.”

A future in medicine

This same resilience is guiding her toward a future in medicine.

Today, Juely maintains a demanding schedule that includes AP Biology, Pre-Calculus, Statistics and SUNY English courses. While she especially enjoys math, biology continues to fuel her long-term goals.

This fall, she will begin a seven-year accelerated program at the New York Institute of Technology’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury – a highly selective program with a 6 percent acceptance rate that combines three years of undergraduate study with four years of medical school, followed by residency and fellowship training.

“It’s scary. It’s intimidating,” she admitted. “But at the end of the day, I’m going to reach 30 years old anyway. So by the time I reach it, I might as well be a doctor.”

Growth

Juely’s interest lies in osteopathic medicine, a holistic, hands-on approach to healthcare that emphasizes treating the whole person. Over the summer, she immersed herself in the field, completing an intensive online biochemistry course through Harvard titled Molecules to Medicine while also interning at a private medical office, where she observed patient visits, practiced taking vitals and witnessed firsthand how textbook knowledge translates to real life.

“Patients’ symptoms aren’t always going to be the way you learn them in a textbook,” she said. “You have to think critically and figure out a way to treat them on the spot.”

Critical thinking, patience and compassion, she believes, are essential, especially as she hopes to work in pediatrics, possibly emergency pediatrics, where she can combine her love for working with children and her commitment to thoughtful, individualized care.

Looking back on the last four years, Juely says what she’s most proud of isn’t just the accolades, but the growth.

“Freshman year, I was just trying to keep up,” she reflected. “Now I know what I’m capable of. I know that if I put in the work, I can get where I want to be.”