Meet the 2011 Graduates: Peter Urian

He's 18 years old. He's a graduate. He's a lifelong borough resident. 

And this fall, he's going to Cornell. 

But when Peter Urian hits the Cornell University campus, his choice of major will take center stage.

"I've been accepted to Cornell for viticulture and enology," said Urian.

When pressed, he explained. 

"It's grape-growing and wine-making," said Urian, chuckling. "I was going to pursue food science, but out of nowhere, my dad found out Cornell offered this program. I immediately thought, 'That would be awesome.' And I became really interested in it."

When Urian began working at a family friend's vineyard in Cumberland County, he was completely sold.

"During harvest, everyone would be in the fields collecting grapes. I'd ride on the back of the tractor and pick up the full buckets they'd collected," he said. "And I got to sit there and eat grapes all day long. Not a bad gig."

The future grape-grower spent his entire life in the Collingswood school system. Through his student career in the borough, Urian said his final year proved both difficult and easy.

"The hardest thing about senior year was having three Advanced Placement classes, and trying to balance the workload of all three," said Urian. "The easiest part was the end of the year. Spring break was so late this year, so it went—senior trip, spring break, prom and graduation. It was a fun way to end high school."

But despite juggling duties, like being captain of the varsity soccer and tennis teams, wrestling for two years, and joining the German Club, National Honors Society and Foreign Language Honors Society, his hard work in school paid off.

"There was one final I had to take senior year," he said of being exempt from others for academic performance, then chuckling. "And I have to (score) at least a 20 on it to pass the class. I think I can handle that."

Urian's advice to next year's graduates is to apply to the best colleges, and to not let anything hold them back from their dreams. 

"What I'll miss most about Collingswood is that sense of closeness you have with everyone. I can name all 200 kids in my graduating class, and I'm friends with all of them," he said.

Collingswood High School Principal Edward T. Hill said Urian will do just fine transitioning from high school to college.

"Peter Urian knows where he wants to go in life, has his direction all picked out," said Hill. "He's a kid who, really, when he walks off the stage (on graduation day), has a solid plan, when so many students don't."