Sewanhaka Names Class Of 2018 Valedictorian, Salutatorian

New Hyde Park Memorial High School has named Arianna Ragusa and Saumya Sharma as valedictorian and salutatorian of the Class of 2018.

Arianna approaches life with gusto, taking on each and every task with grit, determination and dedication. She never takes her innate intelligence for granted and is incredibly humble and down-to-earth. Arianna loves to learn and has a thirst for knowledge that is contagious. The accomplished senior, who holds a GPA of 101.6, delves deeply into topics and applies what she learns to real-world situations. She is always willing to help her classmates and takes a leadership role during group assignments, making her the type of student every teacher dreams of having in their class. Whether she is working hard to complete tasks related to her Girl Scout Gold Award or shooting bulls-eyes on her archery team, she gives her all to everything she does. She relates well to others and has incredible compassion coupled with a desire to help.

Saumya is intelligent, articulate, creative and personable. Her work ethic is tireless and impressive, yielding the 101.0 GPA that has qualified her as second in her class. Saumya arrives to class every day prepared and ready to learn. She has a thirst for knowledge and a voracious appetite for new, challenging topics. Even during the summer months, she has taken advantage of learning opportunities and travel programs, including Harvard University’s Secondary Summer Program in Chemistry and Physics and the Hong Kong Rising Star Program through Savannah College of Art and Design. All the more impressive is how Saumya is able to manage and prioritize her extracurricular activities with such a challenging academic load. From her early morning science research class and the Science Olympiads to her afternoon commitments as a leader on the Lance Yearbook Committee, Chariot Newspaper, French Club, Red Cross Club and Mathletes, Saumya does it all with diligence, enthusiasm and maturity. Additionally, she’s a force to be reckoned with as captain of the varsity tennis team.

Principal Dr. Richard Faccio and the entire New Hyde Park Memorial community congratulate Arianna and Saumya on this outstanding achievement.

Story, Photo courtesy of the Sewanhaka Central High School District: New Hyde Park Memorial High School’s Class of 2018 salutatorian Saumya Sharma is pictured with as valedictorian Arianna Ragusa.