Long Island

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Graduations

Newsday caught up with some of Long Island’s high school valedictorians from 2008. 
Their journeys from high school to college and their professional careers have seen them change job aspirations, cities and perspective. These experiences have covered fields from law to teaching and taken them all across the country. 
Read about their stories, the lessons they've learned over the last decade and their advice for today's graduates. 
The following images were provided by the valedictorians.

liVALS180516_gallery

Christine Falce, Island Trees High School

Long Island's 2008 valedictorians 10 years later

LI's 2008 valedictorians: Where are they now?

From astronauts to musicians, Long Island high schools have produced some rather notable alumni through the years.

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etbay_17   0717 /hj

HawkinsAlumni /el

Notable alum Sal Valentinetti / mg

notableHS- frank viola

NotableAlum Alan Zweibel George W. Hewlett High School 1968 / mg

NotableALum Carol Leifer Wheatley School 1974 / mg

NotableAlum_Tobias Harris Half Hollow Hills West 2010 / mg

62 NotableAlum_LorraineBracco_HicksvilleHS / mg

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64 NotableAlum_LoriLaughlin_HauppaugeHS / mg

larry brown/kb

163185601/mcv/kb

BaldwinAlumniNew/kb

144. Mick Foley / jcm

141. Paul Scheer / jcm

140. Dan Lauria/lt

134. Judd Apatow / mg

133. Larry Miller /lii 

75 NotableAlum_Ashanti_GlenCoveHS / mg

130. Bob Iger/cem

128. Jeff Wilpon/cem

127. Edward Burns / mg

122. Steven Matz / jcm

Steve Buscemi

9 NotableAlum_SteveBuscemi_ValleyStreamCentralHS / mg

3 NotableAlum_KevinJames_Ward MelvilleHS / mg

61 NotableAlum_JennaUshkowitz_HolyTrinityHS / mg

56 NotableAlum_AshleyMassaro_JohnGlenHS / mg

jcm / 114 NotableAlum_BrianDennehy_ChaminadeHighSchool

113  NotableAlum_FredArmisen _ValleyStreamCentralHighSchool / mg

112  NotableAlum_ChuckD_RooseveltHighSchool / mg

110 NotableAlum_MichaelMcKean_NorthShoreHS / mg

107 NotableAlum_BobCostas_CommackHighSchoolSouth / mg

106 NotableAlum_DarrelYoung_AmityvilleHS / mg

105 NotableAlum_GeraldoRivera_BabylonWestHS / mg

104 NotableAlum_HaroldDieterle_BabylonWestHS / mg

103 NotableAlum_LeslieWunderman_BaldwinHS / mg

100 NotableAlum_LouisUccellini_BethpageHS / mg

96 NotableAlum_CarlYastrzemski_BridgehamptonHS / mg

Bill O'Reilly

95 NotableAlum_BillOReilly_ChaminadeHS / mg

93 NotableAlum_MegWhitman_ColdSpringHarbor / mg

91 NotableAlum_RosieODonnell_CommackHS / mg

90 NotableAlum_CarlyAquilino_CommackHS / mg

89 NotableAlum_ClintonKelly_ComsewogueHS / mg

87 NotableAlum_MoiraKelly_ConnetquotHS / mg

86 NotableAlum_KathleenHerles_DeerParkHS / mg

85 NotableAlum_RossGload_EastHamptonHS / mg

83 NotableAlum_NelsonDeMille_ElmontHS / mg

Notable Long Island high school alumni

Meet some of LI's notable high school alumni

Alicia Keys, Conan O'Brien and more people with fame and brains. Find out which stars graduated at the top of their class, either in high school or college.

Entertainment

Celebrities

Celebrities who were valedictorians

David Duchovny 

Tiffani Thiessen

Mare Winningham

Bette Midler 

Troian Bellisario

Cody Simpson 

Jeff Bezos

Cindy Crawford 

Conan O'Brien

Conan OBrien

Alicia Keys

alicia keys

Weird Al Yankovic

Jodie Foster

Jodie foster

Chevy Chase

Emmylou Harris 

Ben Stein

16 celebrities who were valedictorians

Sandra Bullock says she worked hard for hers, Robin Williams won more than one, and Sylvester Stallone was voted... what? See what these stars' classmates and teachers had to say about them back in the day with these superlatives from their school yearbooks.

Celebrities' high school superlatives

J.P. Rosenbaum

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell superlatives pl

Eddie Murphy

murphy cropped superlatives pl

Kate McKinnon

Kevin Connolly

 Sandra Bullock

Tom Cruise

Robin Williams

Patti Lupone

Lorraine Bracco

bracco

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis CROPPED

Amy Schumer

Sylvester Stallone

Celebrities' superlatives

Which high school superlatives did these celebrities win?

Graduates will enter a country offering boundless opportunity. More than ever before, they will have the ability to define and pursue their own versions of happiness. But they know that already. They’ve been hearing calls to lean in and dream big throughout their lives. American society today does not lack for people eager to make a difference. 
What we lack today is a culture of kindness. We’ve lost the ethic of encouraging people to respect others, even those with whom they disagree. 
Brené Brown, author of “Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone,” would be an ideal graduation speaker to advance this urgently needed message. In this book, she highlights trends with which recent grads are likely to be all too familiar: Our increasingly polarized culture and public debates; the increased isolation and loneliness that too many people today feel. 
Brown notes the irony that our ability to sort ourselves, so that we are surrounded by those who share our beliefs, hasn’t made us feel a greater connection with our community. Rather, it has left us feeling disconnected. Political debates today seek not just to convince people that those with different views are wrong but that they are untrustworthy, ill-intended and even less human. Our lack of interaction with people with different views makes it easier for us to accept attempts to objectify and humiliate them. 
Social media — which is increasingly a primary vehicle for interacting with others and expressing our political beliefs — has driven this lack of civility. People who would never consider insulting someone to their face or using profanity among strangers feel free to insult and denigrate others with the anonymity of being online. 
The next generation ought to be reassured that it doesn’t have to be that way. Brown urges people to have the courage to reject the tribalism that is at the core of this desire to put others into out groups. She counsels people to “move in,” and recognize other people as unique and vulnerable human beings. It’s much harder to hate someone from up-close. 
Another important message for new graduates that Brown shares is to remember that it’s OK not to have all the answers. You don’t need to pretend to have an informed opinion about everything. No one does. Recognizing what you don’t know is a sign of thoughtfulness and maturity. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, rather than offer your opinions, during a conversation. You’ll learn from the process even if you don’t agree with everything the other person shares. 
Brown urges the public to reject the false dichotomy of having to pick sides, as if the world and every debate is divided neatly into two competing teams. Life is more nuanced and complicated than that. It takes bravery and maturity to step out from the pack and refuse adopting wholesale the positions and assumptions in “your” group. Being willing to reject both extremes and stand alone is central to maintaining your integrity and true individuality. 
New graduates should look for opportunities for real connection. Social media and sharing pictures is no substitute for sharing actual experiences with someone.
Brown highlights the power of joining with groups for big celebrations or sharing times of grief. Maintaining a connection to society more broadly is important just as it’s important to maintain deep personal friendships and relationships. This connection to humanity is a foundation of mental and physical heath, and overall well-being. 
New graduates don’t need to hear about chasing their dreams and fulfilling their potential. But they do need to be reminded that kindness and conviction can stand together, and help build a better future and stronger society; that standing up strongly for your beliefs doesn’t require attacking or belittling others. 
Rebuilding civil discourse and a culture of respect is among the great challenges facing graduates, and they should be encouraged to recognize this as a vital and worthy goal. 
Carrie Lukas is vice president of Independent Women’s Voice. She wrote this for InsideSources.com.

Opinion

Commentary

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College graduates should be urged to make this change

Opinion: What we should urge college grads to do

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Long Island 2018 high school graduations

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LI's 2008 valedictorians: Where are they now?

Meet some of LI's notable high school alumni

16 celebrities who were valedictorians

Which high school superlatives did these celebrities win?

Opinion: What we should urge college grads to do

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