Wantagh High School Salutatorian Profile: Jamie Wasserman

The following is courtesy of the Wantagh School District:

Jamie Wasserman has tackled the most difficult curriculum has to offer. The first time she took the SAT, she scored a 1530. Her physics regents exam score was a 99, and there are fifteen 100’s on her transcript. Additionally, Jamie has earned a 5 on her first AP Exam in Biology. 

What her transcript and test scores don’t tell you; however, is that Jamie is a humble, kind, spirited young lady who isn’t interested in beating her opponents or working alone in achieving a goal. She is interested in improving herself, winning fairly, and accomplishing a goal as part of a team.  Winning, to Jamie, doesn’t necessarily mean coming in first even though she is a clear stand out in any crowd.

She has performed as Clara, the lead in the Eglevsky Nutcracker Ballet,. Her face will forever stamp the walls of our high school as class of 2011 Salutatorian, and she leads our dance team both in her role as captain, but truly by example.  Jamie prefers to be a part of a team, sharing her successes and accomplishments with her friends and family.  She is captain of our Academic Team and a devoted member of our Key Club, but what captures the majority of Jamie’s free time is her classical dance training. 

All of what she does requires serious discipline, focus, and commitment, but as serious as Jamie may be about always achieving her best, she happens to be one of the most down-to-earth, bubbly young women in WHS.  She is always smiling and laughing, surrounded by friends who share her ideals and values.  

Jamie has struggled with what academic path to take which, I imagine, can be difficult considering the amount and variety of talent with which she has been blessed. What she has been sure of since the beginning of her college search, however, has been that the college she attends must have an energy and a spirit she can connect to, and a pride she can own.  It’s not about the name, or about what anyone else thinks.  It’s about celebration, unity, togetherness and learning, and she found the perfect combination at the University of Virginia. 

At the end of the day, all of her numbers and stats are extraordinary, and as proud of them as Jamie is, she believes they are just numbers. Jamie is refreshing, engaging, and funny as she continues to achieve her definition of perfection. She said once that she sometimes gets caught up in the need for unreachable perfection…that she would change her perfectionist attitude. Our advice to her would be to never change that, but to stop once in a while to recognize the perfection she has achieved.  Knowing the power of a team and the reward found in sharing success at the young age of 17 sounds perfect to me.