Noam Algazy, a senior at Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills, was one of 370 students nationwide to recently participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, an exploration of U.S. diplomacy, intelligence and defense in Washington, D.C.
“I really learned how many factors go into each little decision,” said Algazy, 17, of national decision-making. “There’s a lot of teamwork required.”
At the weeklong forum, Algazy visited the Pentagon and other federal institutions, while meeting with various senior military officers and civilian policy makers — including a private discussion with Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) in his Washington office.
Students were also divided into 25-person groups for a decision-making simulation that involved an invasion of mineral resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It was really pressurized,” said Algazy, who was elected president of his group. “There was a lot of information coming at me from all directions, and I had to think fast.”
Algazy also gained a new perspective on China’s growing role in the global economy.
Algazy is president of his school’s DECA business club and a member of the Business Honor Society, National Honor Society and the varsity swim team.