See this year&#39;s valedictorians, salutatorians, extraordinary seniors&nbsp;and more.

Long Island

Education

Graduations

LIGRADUATIONS220612

Meet Long Island's 2022 valedictorians

LIVALS220517_weblink

animation_1652484714

Meet Long Island's 2022 salutatorians

LISALS220517_weblink

LI college graduation guide: 'Class of 2022 has persevered'

LICOLLEGES220514_IG_LIB_main

LICOLLEGES220514_photos

LI's graduating seniors talk about high school in a pandemic

webinar_0518_weblink

marketing-event-051822

10 years ago, they were valedictorians. Where are they now?

LIVALS220425_weblink_NOANIMATION

LIVALS220425_photos

Twins in two LI school districts named valedictorian and salutatorian

liTWINS220515_IG_LIB_main

liTWINS220515_photos

LI Class of 2022 college commitments

skMASS211015_gallery

She escaped gang violence, he runs a consulting business

LFSENIORS220612_weblink

LFSENIORS220612_photos

&quot;People who are worth having in your life will accept you for who you are.&quot; See what else Newsday&#39;s Extraordinary Seniors had to say to next year&#39;s graduating class.

LFSENIORS220612_video

'Be authentically yourself': Advice from Newsday's Extraordinary Seniors

Smithtown

West Babylon

Bay Shore

Brookville

East Hampton

Massapequa

Floral Park

Huntington

Jericho

Baldwin

Syosset

Greenport

Plainedge

Hewlett

Newsday

7525f6fff8349d99fe18683656ff51753476ad5d.jpg

John Asbury

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had two pieces of advice for Hempstead High School’s valedictorian this week: Dream big and don’t let life pass you by. 
 Jean-Pierre, who attended Hempstead's&nbsp;Franklin elementary school, passed on the wisdom to valedictorian Daniella Marroquin in a surprise phone call. She also recorded a speech to be given at the Hempstead High commencement. 
 Jean-Pierre said she connected with Marroquin, who came from an immigrant family that sacrificed everything for their children to have a better life.&nbsp; 
 &quot;One thing I’ve learned from others, is that when you have a platform, it’s important to look back and be that person to be a mentor to someone,&quot; Jean-Pierre told Newsday. &quot;Talking to her is important to do …&nbsp;&nbsp;we want to make sure we’re talking to folks looking up to us. She’s much smarter and more incredible than I am, but her story is so familiar.&quot; 
 Marroquin was summoned to the high school Tuesday, preparing for a Newsday interview about leading her class with a 102.63 GPA, or about a 4.1, but instead had to quickly ready herself in a counselor's office for a phone call from the White House. 
 When she picked up the phone, Jean-Pierre was on the other end. 
<a class="p-smartembed" data-attr-f="3x2" data-attr-q="0.3" data-attr-w="400" data-onecms-id="contentid/MzAxYWViOTUtNGVmMS00" data-onecms-type="image" href="javascript:window.parent.actionEventData({$contentId:'contentid/MzAxYWViOTUtNGVmMS00', $action:'view', $target:'work'})" polopoly:contentid="contentid/MzAxYWViOTUtNGVmMS00"><img src="/image-service/alias/contentid/MzAxYWViOTUtNGVmMS00/liKARINE220624.jpg?f=3x2&amp;w=400&amp;q=0.3" /></a> 
 “This is going to be one of the best times of your life and I’m reading about how brilliant you are,” Jean-Pierre said. 
 Jean-Pierre had reconnected with the Hempstead district after students wrote letters&nbsp;from her former elementary school, now known as Joseph A. McNeil Elementary School, which she attended for one year during fifth grade when her family moved to Hempstead.&nbsp; 
 She said she was touched after reading about her elementary school and&nbsp;receiving the stack of letters from Hempstead students. 
 &quot;When I read that, that's when it really hit me, what me being press secretary represented for young people,&quot; Jean-Pierre said. &quot;You never think grade school kids know who the White House press secretary is. The fact they know that …&nbsp;it really meant something to them. it really transcended this moment to me.&quot; 
 In her recorded commencement address Friday, Jean-Pierre thanked the students from her alma mater for reaching out to her, as well as&nbsp;teachers and staff from the district. She also celebrated graduates and noted her own historic achievements&nbsp;as the first Black and first LGBT+ press secretary, rising from the Hempstead school district. 
 Marroquin, 18, told Jean-Pierre about her plans to go to Barnard College at Columbia University to become a doctor, like her mother.&nbsp;Her mom came to the United States from El Salvador before she was born, but gave up her career as a pediatrician to be a homemaker so her children could pursue higher education. 
 Jean-Pierre asked her about the difficulties of finishing school during the pandemic. 
 “It’s not been what I expected,” Marroquin said. “Not everything went to plan. But these last few months have been more stress free and I’ve been able to reminisce a bit more, and it’s a little bittersweet and I’m excited for college.”&nbsp; 
 She then asked Jean-Pierre for advice about how to pursue her education. 
 Jean-Pierre told her try not to be discouraged or lose herself and her idealistic hopes to change the world. 
 “Follow your dreams and your passion, whatever makes you happy and you’re passionate about, go for it. Don’t worry about anything else, because I promise you, it will all work out,” Jean Pierre said. “Try to enjoy yourself too. Don’t let life pass you by. College is when you truly make friends and never lose who you are.” 
 Marroquin said after the call that she was nervous, but said it was easy to converse with Jean-Pierre. She called it&nbsp;“one of the greatest forms of recognition of her accomplishments” as valedictorian. 
 “I think it’s very inspirational because I think Hempstead itself is known as a predominantly minority, low-income community,” Marroquin said. “She’s achieved a very high position, so that’s inspirational for other Hempstead alumni as well.&quot; 
 Marroquin’s parents, teachers and principal Stephen Strachan expressed pride in Marroquin reaching her goal as valedictorian. 
 “She came in as a Freshman with a focus and a goal. She came from 8th grade and said she will be valedictorian,” Strachan said. “She remained focused and driven, even through the pandemic challenges.”

Nassau

LIKARINE220624

liKARINE220624_photos

White House press secretary to Hempstead High valedictorian: 'Dream big'

White House press secretary to Hempstead valedictorian: 'Dream big'

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who attended Hempstead schools, surprised Daniella Marroquin, Hempstead High School valedictorian, with a phone call, offering her congratulations and words of wisdom. Newsday TV&rsquo;s Cecilia Dowd reports.

liKARINE220624_video

White House Press Secretary surprises Hempstead valedictorian

Hempstead

Hempstead Town

06212022_Matt_White_House_Press_Secretary_Karine Saint-Pierre_Hempstead_valedictorian_Milano.00_03_01_07.Still012.jpg

Dandan Zou and Jean-Paul Salamanca

The five pairs of twins have known&nbsp;each other since they were in preschool. 
 More than a dozen years later, they walked off the stage Saturday to&nbsp;cheers, capping&nbsp;off a high school life that was unlike any other. 
 Celebrating with friends and family on the lawn of&nbsp;Mattituck Jr/Sr High School following the Class of 2022's graduation ceremony, twins Julienne and Kathryn Schuch said sharing&nbsp;that&nbsp;moment with each other made it more special. 
 &quot;We're very close, and we weren't always very close, but over the past few years in high school, we got a lot closer and to be graduating with her is a very nice thing,&quot; Julienne said. 
 The twins were among 109 students&nbsp;at their small high school, and thousands of seniors across Long Island, who graduated this week following two years of pandemic learning. 
 One set of twins plans to attend college&nbsp;together.&nbsp;The eight other students will head to different colleges, excited to tread a new path on their own.&nbsp; 
 “My entire life has been like 'Jules and Kate,' ” said Julienne, 17, who will attend High Point University in North Carolina. Her sister, Kathryn, will be at Flagler College&nbsp;in Florida. 
 “You're always known for being together. Like you're not very individual. It's always just like the two of you,” Julienne said in an interview days before graduation. “So I'm excited to go out and meet friends.” 
 Nicolette Cianfrogna, 18, echoed similar sentiments. She is heading to SUNY Cortland upstate, and her sister, Isabella, to Hunter College in Manhattan. 
 “I want people to know me first and not compare me [to my sister],” Nicolette&nbsp;said. “I want to be my separate person.” 
 Twins Ariel and Kaitlin Elmore&nbsp;will attend the University at Albany&nbsp;and SUNY Oneonta, respectively.&nbsp; 
 Burke Evers will be off to SUNY Oswego, while Ethan Evers heads to&nbsp;the University of Maine. 
 Ben and Sam Dufton&nbsp;are sticking together.&nbsp;Both plan to attend the School of Music at Belmont University in Nashville. The brothers, who have had the same schedules in the past three years, will be roommates in college as well. They are also in the same band, “Audawind,” along with their older sister. 
 “I just look forward to sharing the same experiences with Sam,” said Ben, 18. “It'll be a lot of fun.” 
 While the high school had multiple sets of twin graduates in the past, Principal David Smith said five is the highest in recent memory. In 1982, there were at least four sets, he&nbsp;said. 
 “What makes this one so interesting is, as a cohort, they have been together, all 10 of them … since preschool,” he said. 
 The Mattituck-Cutchogue district is a tight-knit school community with about 1,100 students. The teenagers said they know “pretty much every single person” in their senior class, and it’s rare for them to go anywhere in town without seeing someone they know. 
 “If you go into the grocery store, there's like a 95% chance that you're going to see someone [you know],” Sam Dufton said. “I think that says a lot about our town.” 
 Over the years, some of the twins became close friends, and the bond runs deep. 
 The Cianfrognas and the Schuchs live a few streets from each other. Their mothers met at a doctor’s office before the Schuch sisters were born and they had playdates since they were little. 
 “We were born to be friends,” Julienne Schuch said. 
 Both the Schuchs and the Cianfrognas&nbsp;said&nbsp;that no matter how far apart they are, they will find a way to stay connected. 
 &quot;Ever since we were kids, we told each other that we would always keep in contact, so I would bet that out of anyone in this school, we would keep in contact with them,&quot; Kathryn Schuch said.&nbsp; 
 The Cianfrognas agreed. 
 &quot;We're going to FaceTime each other, see each other during breaks,&quot; Nicolette&nbsp;Cianfrogna said as she and her sister stood side by side after the ceremony. &quot;We're going to be more distant than usual but ... &quot; 
 &quot; ... I know we're going to get through it,&quot; Isabella Cianfrogna finished the sentence with a smile.

LIGRADS220626

'Born to be friends': 5 sets of twins graduate from Mattituck High

5 sets of twins graduate from tiny Mattituck High

liGRADS220626

The twins have been together from preschool through Mattituck High School and graduated with a ceremony on Saturday in Mattituck. Newsday TV&#39;s Steve Langford reports.

LIGRADS220626_video

Meet the 5 sets of twins who have been in school together for 14 years

Mattituck

Cutchogue

twins.jpeg

Long Island 2022 high school graduations

onecms:7b142277-a528-4617-b82b-7d37be664114

Most Popular

Latest videos

Education video slot

Mamdani made universal child care a cornerstone of his campaign. NewsdayTV's Macy England talks with experts on how his plan could impact Long Island.

'I think it's an awesome idea'

Smithtown High School West sophomore Nicholas Cardi, is working with NASA on a project called Radio JOVE.

An out of this world experience

NewsdayTV's Jasmine Anderson is joined by education experts to discuss the rising concerns of marijuana vaping in Long Island schools.

'Young people are turning to vaping ... to cope'

President Trump vowed new immigration policies following the deadly ambush on two National Guard soldiers in Washington. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'I don't agree with it. I think it's appalling'

Sign up for The Classroom newsletter

Education Newsletter Widget

Education Article Bottom Module

Education Video Playlist

The Levittown school district proposed adding armed guards. Newsday reporter Darwin Yanes has more.

A private contractor would cost up to $1M

Educators and addiction experts across Long Island say that with the legalization of marijuana, vaping among adolescents has become a concerning trend.

Some schools installing detection systems

The robotics club at Floyd built a T-shirt bot, a machine that shoots shirts into the crowds at sporting events.

'You just watch the crowd go wild'

Jayden Flores, a Mepham High School freshman, was killed on his e-bike crash on his way to school. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'I don't know what we're going to do'

Farmingdale Superintendent Paul Defendini reunited with a service dog, Daler, who he raised as a puppy since the 2023 Farmingdale bus crash.

Daler helped comfort students after 2023 Farmingdale bus crash

Two months into the state's "bell-to-bell" ban on electronic devices in schools, some districts are reporting positive changes in the classroom. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'Students are much more talkative to one another'

NewsdayTV's Jasmine Anderson and Newsday education reporter Dandan Zou talk to Long Island school administrators about how the school cellphone ban is going so far.

'Kids are outside. They're playing. They're laughing together.'

South Country school community members are asking the state comptroller's office to conduct an independent investigation into the district's finances. Newsday education reporter Darwin Yanes explains.

'Students deserve more'

How Long Island schools are trying to reassure parents amid immigration crackdown. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

'We will make sure that you are ok here'

The offers came after Newsday reported Hempstead town issued more than 80,000 tickets in four school districts that had never agreed to participate in the program. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

Bus ticket vendor offered to pay districts

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced Stony Brook University will receive $300 million from the state to establish a quantum research and innovation hub. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'An incubator of ideas and possibilities'

Roosevelt schools superintendent Shawn Wrightman spoke to Newsday about the ICE detention of high school senior Alvaro Castro Velasquez, who was detained by agents weeks from graduation.

'I'm still feeling hopeful'

Newsday TV shorts

Vertical videos

From Magic of Lights at Jones Beach to the Dinosaur Carinval at CSTL, check out all the fun things to do and explore this weekend.

What's up on LI: Holiday light shows, Dinosaur Carnival and more

Bruce Springsteen's rendition of "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" was recorded during a concert at C.W. Post in 1975. NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano reports.

50 years since Springsteen brought 'Santa' to LI

Laney McGowan died after a long and courageous battle with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of genetic epilepsy. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'We always prayed and we wished they would have a cure'

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes us out to Center Moriches, where it is extra busy this time of year at Nettie's Country Bakery.

Out East: Nettie's Country Bakery in Center Moriches

Newsday film critic Rafer Guzmán talks with NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland about three of this year's most-anticipated movies about to hit the big screen.

NewsdayTV's holiday movie preview

The rooms — which one judge described as "putrid" and "cramped" — have been packed with multiple detainees at same time. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'These are conditions that no person should be held under'

Tis the season for your favorite holiday traditions at Matt's Christmas Tree Farm and Waterdrinker Winter Wonderland in Manorville. Newsday Travel reporter Carissa Kellman has more.

'Tis the season for holiday traditions in Manorville

Fernando Mejeia, an employee at Schmear Bagel Café in Port Washington, was arrested by ICE agents in June and later deported. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

Port Washington community rallies around deported bagel store worker

Newsday food writers Andi Berlin and Erica Marcus got together for dim sum at Orient Garden in New Hyde Park, one of the spots on Newsday's list of best Chinese restaurants.

Newsday food writers talk best Chinese restaurants

Newsday business reporter Tory Parrish explains why the cost of beef is rising across Long Island.

Long Islanders feeling the impact of rising beef prices

Long Island Trending Bar

Suffolk

Newsday is highlighting the passionate, engaging and innovative educators of Long Island with its Teacher Spotlight feature.

Teacher Spotlight

High School Sports

The polls have closed in Long Island's more than 120 school districts after residents weighed in on board candidates, budgets, and propositions. See the results in your district.  Read more here.

Most Popular

Latest videos

Stay logged in.