Long Island

Education

ny-edgreatgrads-sg

When Caleb Cañas walks onto the stage at Hempstead High School's graduation on Saturday, he will join a select group of overachieving siblings.
First came Juan, the 2004 valedictorian, a <a href="/topics/Columbia_University">Columbia University</a> graduate and, now 24, a medical student at Drexel University. Erika, now 20, was ranked third in the class of 2007 and studies architecture at Columbia University.
Now it's the turn for "the little one," as their mother calls Caleb, the youngest of three. Caleb, 18, an earnest young man with a disarming smile, has earned the title of valedictorian this year and is bound for <a href="/topics/Harvard_University">Harvard University</a> this fall on a full scholarship.
Only one other pair of siblings has shared the title of valedictorian in the past decade, a school official said.
Even with his stellar record - a string of AP classes, perfect scores on several Regents exams - Caleb insists that his accomplishments not be characterized as singular. "It's not that out of the norm," he said.
At the graduation ceremony, set for 1 p.m. in the high school auditorium, Caleb will deliver a speech aiming to inspire about 200 classmates to pursue their dreams, as he and his siblings have tried to do. "I did it. So can you. It can happen," he said in an interview.
'Foundation has to be in the home'
In the Cañas-Flores family, achievement begins at home.
Miriam Flores, a single mother since she and her husband divorced a decade ago, said education was the top priority.
At the entrance to their one-bedroom apartment in Hempstead, a sort of shrine to the kids' academic success stands as a reminder: Caleb's plaque from seventh grade, when his classmates voted him "hero," Juan's valedictorian trophy, and Erika's eighth-grade salutatorian trophy.
"She likes to display our trophies," said Caleb, pointing to his brother and sister's "val/sal" awards. "It's too long to say valedictorian/salutatorian, so we just keep it simple."
Flores, a native of <a href="/topics/El_Salvador">El Salvador</a>, gave up her own pursuit of a college degree in psychology in 1984, when she fled her homeland amid a raging civil war.
She settled in Hempstead, married and started a family. After the divorce, Flores supported her kids through a cashier's job at <a href="/topics/Costco">Costco</a> in <a href="/topics/Westbury%2C_NY">Westbury</a> and with domestic work on the side. She became a U.S. citizen about four years ago, she said.
Because she did not want her children distracted by the lure of a little extra cash or overwhelmed by too many responsibilities, she did not allow them to work.
"I've always wanted them to succeed and be a good example for Hispanics," Flores said in Spanish. "The foundation has to be in the home, and children have to have a desire to be someone different."
"Her concerns were always to make sure that they had enough time to take care of their education," said guidance counselor <a href="/topics/Michael_Higgins">Michael Higgins</a>, who worked with the three siblings over nearly a decade. "It's ingrained in them that they were going to be achievers" - an attitude each carried over to their outside activities: track for Juan, band for Erika and trombone for Caleb.
"I saw her efforts and I didn't want them to go in vain," Caleb said of his mother. "I wanted to do something to give back to my mother for what she's given us."
 
Plans to give back to community
At <a href="/topics/Harvard_University">Harvard</a>, the cost of Caleb's education will be covered by the Gates Millennium Scholar program. The scholarship, administered by the not-for-profit United Negro College Fund, is awarded to minority students with significant financial need who demonstrate academic ability and leadership qualities.
Although he plans to major in biochemistry in college, Caleb says he ultimately wants to become an attorney. "As a lawyer, you have a voice, you can be an advocate within your community," he said.
"Finding a lucrative career has never been his intent," <a href="/topics/Michael_Higgins">Higgins</a> said. "What he wants to do is study law and come back and work in a community like this. And if he says he's going to do it, I'm telling you, that's what's going to happen."

LIVALE20

Hempstead High valedictorian following in siblings' footsteps

Lindsey Murphy hopes to one day become a pediatric cardiologist. But for now, the 17-year-old is content with saving lives another way. 
Murphy and fellow Syosset High School senior Adam Krochak, 18, have been working together during the past several years to raise tens of thousands of dollars for Gift of Life International, a <a href="/topics/Great_Neck%2C_NY">Great Neck</a> nonprofit that provides lifesaving heart surgeries for poor children from around the world. 
The two seniors head Syosset High's Interact Club, a service club affiliated with <a href="/topics/Rotary_International">Rotary International</a>. 
They've been raising money by spearheading the school's Blue Jeans for Babies fundraising effort, in which the club's roughly 250 members sell pins they've made out of denim. 
Since they joined the club as freshmen, they've helped raise about $20,000 each year - enough to arrange travel for four children from poor countries to the United States and other countries and to pay the cost of the lifesaving heart surgery. Each child's surgery and transportation cost about $5,000. 
This year the club has raised $42,000, the most ever. Murphy and Krochak said they've stepped up their efforts by holding more events - lollipop and bracelet sales, selling tickets to a "Syosset Idol" competition at the high school, and holding a pancake dinner with food donated by the local <a href="/topics/International_House_of_Pancakes">International House of Pancakes</a>. 
"We really worked hard this year," said Krochak, who joined the Interact Club board as a sophomore - an honor usually reserved only for juniors and seniors. 
Last year, the two students were able to spend five weeks with a 13-year-old Ugandan girl named Lillian brought to the <a href="/topics/Montefiore_Medical_Center">Montefiore Medical Center</a> in the <a href="/topics/Bronx%2C_NY">Bronx</a> for surgery to repair her heart's septum - the partition that divides the left and right sides. The disorder caused oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix. 
Over the weeks the shy girl managed to bond with the two students. 
"It was literally like hanging out with a little sister," Krochak said. "I never thought I would grow so attached." 
Murphy said she was struck by the difference the heart repair made in Lillian's life. 
Before the surgery, she said, "I would walk up the stairs with her, and she would be out of breath halfway through. And after her surgery she would be running around, dancing." 
Murphy and Krochak still keep in touch with Lillian. They videotaped Interact Club members singing "Happy Birthday" to her and sent the video to her home in <a href="/topics/Uganda">Uganda</a>. 
"I talked to her a little while ago," Murphy said. "She has a boyfriend in <a href="/topics/Uganda">Uganda</a>, she plays volleyball, which she couldn't play when she was sick . . . It just has definitely been the inspiration for this year, without a doubt." 
In April, Murphy and Interact Club adviser Carisa Steinberg traveled to <a href="/topics/El_Salvador">El Salvador</a> over spring break to visit children awaiting heart surgery, including four who will undergo surgery thanks to funds the Syosset High School club raised. 
That includes 7-year-old Veronica, who is scheduled for surgery at Montefiore this month. 
"The trip really reaffirmed my belief in Gift for Life," Murphy said. "It's not about heart surgeries - it's about entire families." 
The experience of running the Interact Club and making a difference internationally has made both students want to continue in public service. 
Krochak plans to go to the <a href="/topics/University_of_Michigan">University of Michigan</a>, where he will study business. He said he wants to become a music executive. 
"This club has honestly been one of the most developmental things in my life," he said. "It's made me more mature." 
Murphy is deciding between <a href="/topics/Boston_College">Boston College</a> and the <a href="/topics/University_of_North_Carolina">University of North Carolina</a> at Chapel Hill. But first, she is going to spend a year with AmeriCorps, a federal service program. She will be stationed in <a href="/topics/Mississippi">Mississippi</a>, helping <a href="/topics/Habitat_for_Humanity">Habitat for Humanity</a> and with the Gulf oil spill cleanup and other disaster relief. 
"I just felt like I am so passionate about what I'm doing and I could bring so much more to the college setting if I had another year of something like this under my belt," she said.

Nassau

LFLEDE20

Great Grads: Adam Krochak and Lindsey Murphy, Syosset High School

CHARLES BERLIN 
Charles <a href="/topics/Berlin">Berlin</a>'s teachers use one word to describe him: survivor. In middle school he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a type of <a href="/topics/Bone_Cancer">bone cancer</a> that typically affects children, and endured surgery to remove the fibula in his right leg, followed by chemotherapy treatments for nearly two years. 
Doctors told him that he wouldn't be able to use his right leg again, but <a href="/topics/Berlin">Berlin</a> regained use of the limb through rehabilitation - allowing him to return to his favorite hobby, skiing, and to join the high school's varsity swim team. 
The hardships didn't end there: In 2006, his father, a single parent, was diagnosed with brain cancer, and <a href="/topics/Berlin">Berlin</a> left school to care for him. His father's death in 2008 left <a href="/topics/Berlin">Berlin</a>, his twin brother and older sister with no parents. 
After spending last year in an out-of-state boarding school, Berlin returned to Jericho in the fall for his senior year. 
His plans: Attending <a href="/topics/George_Washington_University">George Washington University</a> in Washington, D.C. 
In his words: "My father always wanted me to enjoy life and never let things get me down," said Berlin, 19. "It's been hard for me at times, but my eyes are very open." 
The view from the guidance office: "With minimal guidance, he has learned how to manage a home, be independent and take care of responsibilities that teenagers shouldn't have to worry about," said guidance counselor Candy Barko. 
- MICHAEL R. EBERT 
GREG ELLNER 
Greg Ellner, 18, knows about overcoming obstacles. 
At birth, he suffered a <a href="/topics/Brain_Injury">brain injury</a> due to a trauma during delivery that led to multiple surgeries and installation of a shunt to reduce excess pressure on his brain. 
But he never used the setback as an excuse - and this year attained positions of co-president of the Latin Honor Society and treasurer of Blue Key Club, a community service group. 
On the science front, he spent six weeks last summer at <a href="/topics/Boston_University">Boston University</a> studying the memory and hippocampus of rat brains in a cognitive neurobiology lab. He won an honorable mention in the 2010 <a href="/topics/Toshiba">Toshiba</a> ExploraVision contest for research on retroviruses. 
In 2008 he visited <a href="/topics/Costa_Rica">Costa Rica</a> as part of a student group helping to build a community center. And he serves as a volunteer with developmentally disabled children in a Power Pals program at Island Fitness in Glen Cove. 
His plans: Attending <a href="/topics/Brown_University">Brown University</a> 
In his words: "I don't think of myself as an inspirational person or different. I work as hard as I can. That's it." 
The view from the guidance office: "More than any other student I've known, Greg has overcome any and all obstacles that he has had to endure. He feels fortunate to have come so far and continues to help those in need," said guidance counselor Mary Jo Moriarty. 
RACQUEL POPOVIC 
Racquel Popovic, 17, has devoted countless hours to helping and caring for others. 
When she was 8, her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and hospitalized in <a href="/topics/Baltimore">Baltimore</a>, where she and her mother visited him every weekend. 
In 2006, when his only chance of survival became a bone-marrow transplant, he went to the <a href="/topics/Fred_Hutchinson">Fred Hutchinson</a> Research Center in <a href="/topics/Seattle">Seattle</a>. Popovic took classes there in a hospital-run school program until her father died in 2007. 
Upon returning to Jericho, she organized a "Hutch Bowl" fundraiser at the high school to give back to the center. The tournament, which raised more than $15,000, consisted of about 30 two-person teams playing EA Sport's "Madden <a href="/topics/NFL">NFL</a>" video game at the Jericho Fire Department. And in December, in honor of her charitable efforts, she was invited to be a guest speaker at the center's fundraising gala. 
Her plans: To study psychology at the University of <a href="/topics/Rhode_Island">Rhode Island</a>. 
In her words: "If you are unfortunate enough to know what it is like growing up with a cancer patient, you know you'd do anything to take their pain away." 
The view from the faculty: "She's a quiet leader. She's out there doing amazing things, but she doesn't force anything on other people. She's so compassionate, and her humility is astounding," said English teacher Ken Darr. 
CARLING SUGARMAN 
Carling Sugarman's humanitarian efforts all began with "Three Cups of Tea." 
After reading the book - about an American's efforts to build schools in remote parts of <a href="/topics/Pakistan">Pakistan</a> and <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> - Sugarman, then a junior, was inspired to explore how she could help educate children and, in turn, promote peace in war-torn regions. 
Her brainstorming resulted in the Peace, Love &amp; Understanding Project, which raises funds for the <a href="/topics/Afghanistan">Afghanistan</a> National Institute of Music, a music school in <a href="/topics/Kabul">Kabul</a>. The project has funded six-month scholarships for 20 kids. 
At Jericho, she has become one of the "best math students in the high school's history," according to teachers. She is a member of the school's Mathletes team, scored a perfect 800 twice in the math section of the SAT, and was a gold medal winner in last year's Long Island Math Fair. 
Sugarman, 18, is treasurer of the school's Tri-M Music Honor Society and Environmental Club and a member of the National and Spanish honor societies. She also plays varsity tennis and lacrosse. 
Her plans: Attending Harvey Mudd College in <a href="/topics/California">California</a>, where she plans to study math or engineering. 
In her words: "I value humanitarian efforts. I can create things to better our world and the lives of those in underprivileged countries." 
The view from the faculty: "What sets her apart is that she is naturally intuitive and analytical, while also being witty and humorous," said math teacher Matt DeMarinis. 
SYDNEY WERBER 
<a href="/topics/Sydney">Sydney</a> Werber, 17, not only participates, she initiates. 
As a sophomore, she petitioned to add Mandarin language classes to the curriculum, and now more than 50 students study the language. 
She is also founder and president of the school's Chinese Honor Society, which holds bake and bracelet sales to fund the adoption of a disabled orphan in <a href="/topics/China">China</a> through the Philip Hayden Foundation. 
Last year, she was one of 43 teens nationwide to win a National Security Language for Youth scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. The program allowed her to spend six weeks living with a family in <a href="/topics/Shanghai">Shanghai</a>, studying Mandarin, and teaching English to sick children. 
At Jericho, she is also president of the school's <a href="/topics/Amnesty_International">Amnesty International</a> chapter, which raised $4,000 to build a water well in <a href="/topics/Africa">Africa</a>, and is vice president of the Model <a href="/topics/U.S._Congress">Congress</a> and the French Honor Society. 
Her plans: Attending the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business at the <a href="/topics/University_of_Pennsylvania">University of Pennsylvania</a>. 
In her words: "I like to learn about different cultures and put myself in experiences out of my comfort zone." 
The view from the faculty: "You don't have this kind of student every year. Once she has an idea, she makes it happen," said Chinese language teacher April Song.

LFJERI20

Great grads: Five students from Jericho High School

In her young life, Alexa Markel has traveled far with family, to countries such as Italy and Egypt, but she said her heart lies in helping her hometown. 
Markel has participated in neighborhood cleanups of Reeves Beach in Riverhead and regularly donates food and clothing to St. Isidore's <a href="/topics/Roman_Catholic_Church">Roman Catholic Church</a> in Riverhead. 
For four years, Markel, who is co-captain of the varsity tennis team, has mentored the district's younger athletes. She also is president of the French Honor Society and French Club and is a member of National Honor Society and Mentathletes, a quiz team. 
Markel attended the <a href="/topics/Obama_Inauguration">inauguration</a> of <a href="/topics/Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a> through the National Youth Leadership Council, a nonprofit that advocates service learning. She also worked 25 hours a week at Tanger Outlet Centers in Riverhead. 
Her plans: To major in anthropology at <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a>. 
In her words: "I've learned to be tolerant of other cultures. We might all be very different, but in the big picture we're all just people." 
A view from the guidance office: "Alexa lives by the motto: service over self," said guidance counselor Natacha Volcy.

LI Life

LFRIVE20

Great grad: Alexa Markel, Riverhead High School

Kara Rafferty, an aspiring engineer, has already demonstrated a love of building things in being part of field teamwork and helping erect homes for families in need. 
At Islip, Rafferty played varsity soccer, lacrosse and basketball - as team captain for the latter two - and helped the soccer team win four league titles and three county championships. She also has received league, county and national distinction in lacrosse. 
But her most meaningful achievements, she said, came off the field. Since sophomore year she has helped build two houses for local families with <a href="/topics/Habitat_for_Humanity">Habitat for Humanity</a>. 
Rafferty's father, Patrick, was killed in the line of duty as a New York City police detective. She says the tragedy "pushed me to do better and not just sit back in life.'' She coaches in the Islip Youth Lacrosse League and is a member of Keep Islip Clean and Athletes Helping Athletes, a school mentoring program. 
"The ability to rise from a tragic situation and have a positive effect on those around her shows her extraordinary traits," said technology teacher and soccer coach Mike Reilly. 
This fall, Rafferty will begin studies at <a href="/topics/Stevens_Institute_of_Technology">Stevens Institute of Technology</a>.

LFISLI20

Great grads: Kara Rafferty, Islip High School

Vennessa Brooks,18, refuses to let her physical limitations confine her spirit. 
In eighth grade she struggled with the sudden death of her father. Shortly thereafter she became ill with what was diagnosed as lupus, an autoimmune disease believed to have a genetic link. Last fall the disease attacked her spinal cord, causing paralysis from the knees down and resulting in brief stays in three hospitals. She became concerned about missing school assignments and often called her guidance counselor from the hospital to keep pace. When she was strong enough, she resumed her studies with a tutor supplied by the high school. 
In April, she returned to high school in a wheelchair, ready to complete her senior year and graduate with friends. 
Her plans: Hopes to attend <a href="/topics/Suffolk_County%2C_NY">Suffolk</a> County Community College in the fall. 
In her words: "I don't think negatively. The hardest part is not listening to the doctors when they say I might not walk again. I know I will." 
The view from the guidance department: "Vennessa always had a smile on her face and was ready to work. Her diagnosis was grim, but Vennessa's attitude was not. Instead, she focuses on all the positives in her life," said guidance counselor Brandi Hopkins.

Suffolk

LFGREE20

Great grads: Vennessa Brooks, Greenport High School

Emma Chasen, 17, cares about current events, - and, as a result, so do many of her classmates. 
During her freshman year, she launched a one-of-a-kind publication at the school called What Do We Care? - an effort to dispel the notion that most teens care more about the mall than social issues. 
The color 8.5-by-11-inch newspaper - which is publishing its fourth issue this summer - includes quotes and commentary from dozens of West Babylon students on issues ranging from <a href="/topics/Global_Warming">global warming</a> to the economy. The concept came to her after a classmate played down the importance of the <a href="/topics/Iraq_War">war in Iraq</a> by saying, "What do we care?" 
Today, the newspaper's printing costs are handled by the Town of Babylon, a move arranged by Supervisor Steve Bellone, who called Chasen after seeing the first issue in 2007. 
Her plans: Attending <a href="/topics/Brown_University">Brown University</a> to study pre-med. 
In her words: "Teenagers need a voice. I created this to empower young people to voice their opinions and make them feel like their opinions matter." 
The view from the guidance department: "I've witnessed the growth in Emma because of her determination to make her vision a reality. She stands behind her belief that teens do care. They just need new formats to help form and express opinions," said guidance chairwoman Stephanie Thomas

LFWEST20

Great grads: Emma Chasen, West Babylon High School

Aakash Abbi, 17, has been a "model" student - literally and figuratively. Last year, he cofounded the high school's Model 
<a href="/topics/United_Nations">United Nations</a> 
Club and has won best delegate honors at the past four Model UN conferences in which the team competed. 
A violist, he's been named to the <a href="/topics/Nassau_County%2C_NY">Nassau</a> County Music Educators Association's All-County and Long Island String Festival Association's All-Island orchestras for eight straight years. He is co-president of his school's Tri-M Music Honor Society and played in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra for six years. 
He was a semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, a first-place winner in the cellular biology category of the Long Island Science &amp; Engineering Fair, and a finalist at the <a href="/topics/Intel">Intel</a> International Science &amp; Engineering Fair. He is an executive board member of his school's Science Olympiad team, president of the literary magazine and founder of the Hicksville Student Enlightenment Forum, a student group that promotes social activism. 
His plans: Attending the <a href="/topics/University_of_Pennsylvania">University of Pennsylvania</a> 
In his words: "Music has been most fulfilling to me on a personal level. Whenever I'm stressed or down, I listen to music or play it. It's a crutch." 
The view from the guidance office: "Regardless of expectations set for him, he insists upon eclipsing them," said guidance counselor Karen Felber.

LFHICK20

Great grads: Aakash Abbi, Hicksville High School

Adam Camiolo's need to help flows through his veins, takes up space in his early memories and even factors into his plans for summer vacation. 
He was 5 when he met P.J., a toddler waiting for a marrow transplant to treat his aggressive leukemia. One of his earliest memories is playing with P.J. while his father, John, founder of the <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> Marrow Organization, put together a drive to find a donor. The drive was successful, but P.J. died waiting for a transplant. 
Then there was Rafaello Carone - though his nickname, Rafi, is perhaps more suitable for the 5-year-old. Camiolo met Rafi in 2007 while working at Park Shore Day Camp in <a href="/topics/Dix_Hills%2C_NY">Dix Hills</a>. One of the worst things about having cancer, Rafi had told him, was sitting around, waiting for treatment, utterly bored. 
The Commack teen's first inclination was to help - a characteristic as much a part of Camiolo's childhood as sports, cartoons and, well, video games. 
"I realized the thing that took up the most time in my childhood was my Game Boy," said Camiolo, now 18 and headed to SUNY Geneseo. Then, an idea struck. "It all started with Rafi," he said. 
Beginning with his four Game Boys, Camiolo collected more than 100, and nearly 300 games from classmates and community residents. So began Games for Kids, a nonprofit project that collects and donates video games to the Ronald McDonald House of <a href="/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY">Long Island</a> and the children's ward of Memorial-Sloan Kettering <a href="/topics/Cancer">Cancer</a> Center in <a href="/topics/Manhattan">Manhattan</a>. 
Camiolo also has raised more than $11,000, which was used to purchase 32 netbooks. The small laptops, which will be deployed in a few weeks to McDonald House and Sloan Kettering, are being formatted with parental controls and <a href="/topics/Skype">Skype</a> by Camiolo and a handful of volunteers. <a href="/topics/Skype">Skype</a>, the videoconferencing software, will allow the children, often away from home, to keep in contact with their families. 
"He's always done things like that," said his dad, John Camiolo. "When he sets his mind to it, he can do it." 
Adam Camiolo also excels academically. He's in Commack's international baccalaureate program, an intense college-level curriculum, and boasts a weighted 4.0 GPA. 
And he remains unpretentious and easygoing. His mother, Caryn, bought him his first console, and he's been a gamer ever since. He prefers his <a href="/topics/Xbox_360">Xbox 360</a> to Game Boy now and likes to play Call of Duty with his father. 
Camiolo has that sort of easy camaraderie with his parents, though it's clear they expect a lot from him. John and Caryn are staunchly committed to the cause, and Adam has taken it up with aplomb. 
"Once, I went around Grand Central Station asking for people to sign up to the donor registry - that was fun," Camiolo said with sarcasm. 
It was a success: He and other volunteers signed up thousands to find marrow matches for cancer patients. 
This summer will feature more of that. Camiolo is looking for a part-time job, but his dad said, " is going to keep you busy for some time." 
Adam rolled his eyes for effect. "That's fantastic," he shot back, dryly. 
He smiled, though, and widely. It'll be a lot of work, but he's game.

LFRUNNC20

Great grads: Adam Camiolo, Commack High School

Christina Kelly stood out in just that way that was all but unforgivable in seventh grade, when she entered a junior-senior high school. 
She was studious, well-read, and boasted a killer vocabulary. 
She was also, at times, shoved, taunted, and carted an imaginary target on her back. 
"I had an obnoxious vocabulary," she said, self-deprecatingly. The punishment was swift, harsh and perfectly high school: "I had everything from taunts to candy thrown at me." But one look at the Elmont senior clearly indicates that she isn't one to be browbeaten. When she speaks, the 18-year-old is poised, even elegant. She's wearing scrubs from her part-time job as a medical assistant and, between work, school and the blur of philanthropic work, it's taken her about three days to find a spare moment to talk to a reporter. 
Kelly is, in all regards, a success story when it comes to playing a bad hand very well. Others, she said, may not be as a lucky. It's the reason she took over the Kindness Committee - a group intent on spreading good deeds through Elmont Memorial School, and the genesis of the school's Big Brothers Big Sisters program. 
"With the junior and senior high schools combined, it's a rough transition from elementary school," Kelly said. "For me, I had to take the experience and learn from it. It was tough at that time to translate it to something good and not be bitter. But I wanted to make sure that the experience wasn't a reality for someone else." 
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kelly's pet project, continues now, about a year after the Kindness Committee was dissolved. The effort received full support from the administration from the get-go. The principal, John Capozzi, told her, " 'Anything you need, funding, anything, if we can help, we will.' They were really behind us," she said. 
So, too, was the student body. In the first year, more than 80 students volunteered to help mentor "at-risk" seventh- or eighth-graders. Big Siblings either do a locker visit each morning or have lunch with their charges once or twice a week. Kelly usually sets up activities - heading, for instance, to Dollar Tree during her lunch period to buy supplies. 
Kelly, who will attend Rutgers University in the fall, is also part of the Model <a href="/topics/United_Nations">United Nations</a>, Future Business Leaders of America and a volunteer at Franklin Hospital Medical Center in Valley Stream. She hopes to study pharmacology, get her doctorate and work her way up the ranks in corporate pharmacy. And she wants to put that vocabulary to good use and own a publishing company. 
Yes, it's a bit off the beaten track. But if Kelly, who has purple scrubs, green polka-dot nails and keen, penetrating eyes, has learned anything, it's that being different is worth it. 
She said she gets it from her mom, Karen. "She's this really individual spirit. Even when things were bad, she would always tell me: 'People dislike you because you're different. They don't have the courage to be different.' "

LFRUNNB20

Great Grads: Christina Kelly, Elmont Memorial High School

Michael Norton, 17, thinks often about the lessons he's learned from his parents - compassion and thoughtfulness from his mother, perseverance and optimism from his father. 
He's had to draw on these lessons more often than most. When Norton was 12, his mother died of a heart attack. Three years later, his father died after a long illness, orphaning Norton and his two brothers, now 19 and 21. Their uncle began living with them but died a year later after a heart attack. Michael lives in his house, and relatives take turns staying with them. Despite the tragedies, Norton said he's been able to excel at school and use his time for volunteer activities, such as shaving his head every year to raise money for children's cancer research. His guidance counselor, Kristen Kastner, said he has taken seven advanced placement courses and maintained a 4.0 GPA. 
His plans: Pre-dental courses or a major in psychology at the University at Buffalo 
In his words: "Every morning you have a choice: You can sit there and let everything get to you, or you can say today's a new day - I can be happy today." 
The view from the guidance office: "Resilience, fortitude, perseverance, maturity and modesty are only some of the words I often hear used when describing Mike," said guidance counselor Kristen Kastner.

LFNORT20

Great grads: Michael Norton, Northport High School

Brian Ghezelaiagh is beating the odds. The 17-year-old has received guaranteed admission to medical school after he attains his bachelor's degree. 
He is also legally blind. Born with a birth defect that left gaps in his retinal membranes, he can see only about three feet ahead. Still, he was able to meet the technical standards to get into the joint bachelor of arts-medical doctorate program at <a href="/topics/Brooklyn_Bridge%2C_NY">Brooklyn</a> College and SUNY <a href="/topics/Downstate_Medical_Center">Downstate Medical Center</a>. He wants to become a psychiatrist. 
One of the top 10 students in his class, he has worked toward a black belt in kung fu and volunteers at St. Charles Hospital in <a href="/topics/Port_Jefferson%2C_NY">Port Jefferson</a>. 
Some people questioned his plan to apply for medical school, Ghezelaiagh says, but he was determined. 
"When someone asks you what you want to be, and you say a doctor and they say great, and you say you have a visual impairment - it's not typically a profession pursued by someone with a disability," he says. 
"He has faced adversity with constant maturity and grace and has taught us about the power of the human spirit," school psychologist Cara Spencer says.

LFCOMS20

Great grads: Brian Ghezelaiagh, Comsewogue High School

As Kate Herzlin, 18, watched the play she wrote being professionally produced on stage in <a href="/topics/Los_Angeles">Los Angeles</a> earlier this month, she spent as much time studying the audience as she did the stage. 
&nbsp; 
"That's actually the best part, seeing the audience reaction," she said. 
This is the third year she has won a national competition, the Blank Theatre Company's Young Playwrights Festival, which produces the winning plays. Herzlin was one of 12 winners. 
She's been writing plays since she was 10, mostly dramatic comedies - "dramedies" - that she pens in two nights, then revises over several days or weeks. 
She also volunteers at Sunrise Day Camp, a program for children with cancer and their siblings. Herzlin herself was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was 10 and has been in remission from the disease for eight years. 
At Sunrise, she works as a counselor, a fundraiser and a member of the advisory board. 
Her plans: To study English at the <a href="/topics/University_of_Pennsylvania">University of Pennsylvania</a>. 
In her words: "I love the fact that I get to sort of do both things - funding research and patient services. It's sort of like I'm trying to beat cancer in both ways and get my revenge." 
The view from the guidance office: Herzlin is "wise beyond her years," said guidance counselor Joanna Zweben.

LFROCK20

Great grads: Kate Herzlin, South Side High School

Cara Liebowitz, 18, created two websites about the disability community and culture - abilities 4u.com and mosaicwebzine.org - in part to share her thoughts about what it's like to live with <a href="/topics/Cerebral_Palsy">cerebral palsy</a>. She offers her writings, both funny and poignant, as a way to help parents of the newly diagnosed. 
Her plans: Attending Kutztown <a href="/topics/University_of_Pennsylvania">University of Pennsylvania</a>; becoming a special-education teacher. 
In her words: "A lot of people think disabled people are inspirational just for waking up and getting out of bed and having a life. I don't want to be considered inspirational for who I am. I want to be considered inspirational for what I do." 
View from the guidance office: "She is a gifted young woman and is proactive about CP. Rather than seeing herself as 'disabled,' she sees herself as 'abled' and ready to conquer the world," said Eileen Valdés.

LFSEWA20

Great grads: Cara Liebowitz, New Hyde Park Memorial High School

David Broberg, 17, is an award-winning musician and composer and a committed volunteer - both locally and on trips to <a href="/topics/Latin_America">Latin America</a>. 
And his teachers say he's an accomplished scholar whose enthusiasm is infectious. 
&nbsp; 
He earned a Good Deed Award from the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education on Long Island for welcoming into his church young people who had recently emigrated from Korea; he taught them instruments and formed a band. His musical composition, inspired by his sister's struggle with depression, received an Award of Excellence at the statewide PTA Reflections Contest. 
He has organized a service trip to <a href="/topics/Belize">Belize</a>, where he taught a summer enrichment class and participated in Christian worship services, and he volunteers in hospitals, nursing homes, a food kitchen and his school, where he tutors classmates. 
His plans: To major in Christian ministry and minor in music at Messiah College in <a href="/topics/Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>. 
In his words: Reflecting on a moment he shared with a 5-year-old boy in <a href="/topics/Belize">Belize</a>, he said: "To be that small difference to one person, it motivates me to do stuff right in my backyard as well. These opportunities are right in front of us all the time." 
The view from the principal's office: "He is genuinely kind to everyone. He's one of the most positive young people I've ever met," said principal Kathleen Valentino.

LFLEVI20

Great grads: David Broberg, Division Avenue High School

Alexa Rivadeneira, 18, enjoyed writing as a hobby and, after completing three manuscripts, published a novel, "Confessions from the Heart of a Teenage Girl," in 2007, at the age of 14. The book's protagonist is a high school girl who falls into drinking and drugs before a car accident wipes away her long-term memory. "Basically, her whole high school slate is erased," Rivadeneira said. She has finished another book, "A Blessing in Disguise," and is working with other authors and literary agents to have it published. 
Her plans: Attending the University of <a href="/topics/Delaware">Delaware</a> to study sociology, with minors in journalism and Spanish. 
In her words: "I think [writing is] a good way to express yourself and express a point. A lot of the books I've written always have a meaning. Ever since I was little I would read, and it would take me into a whole new world. That's what I kind of want to be able to share with somebody else." 
The view from the guidance office: "Writing will always be an outlet for this exemplary young lady who clearly has so much to say," said guidance counselor Jillian Celli

LFLOCU20

Great grads: Alexa Rivadeneira, Locust Valley High School

Eric Engoron, 18, of Roslyn Heights was born with <a href="/topics/Cerebral_Palsy">cerebral palsy</a> and is determined to not let the disability define him. In addition to taking five advanced placement classes in his senior year and being one of the top 10 students in his class, he taught himself Japanese, inspired by a classmate from Japan. 
"I'm not fluent, but I'm on my way," he said, adding that the language will help him in his career goal of working in robotics and artificial intelligence to help those with disabilities. 
His plans: To major in engineering at <a href="/topics/Stony_Brook_University">Stony Brook University</a>. 
In his words: At a recent Intercultural Unity event, Engoron and his friend Taisei Chiba sang "Yellow Submarine" in Japanese. "It's pretty much my desire to show people that a physical disability doesn't mean anything in terms of mental capacity," Engoron said. "That's pretty much been my drive this whole time." 
The view from the guidance office: Counselors say his disability is the last characteristic anyone would use to describe Engoron, who won the Wheatley Medal as the school's overall outstanding student. "He has graced these halls with such dignity and courage," said Mary Harrison, the school's director of guidance. "He's the most compassionate, caring kid."

LFEAST20

Great grads: Eric Engoron, The Wheatley School

Olivia Reed, 18, of Freeport is a singer and dancer who also has excelled in academics. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society and has performed at Lincoln Center, <a href="/topics/Carnegie_Hall">Carnegie Hall</a><a href="/topics/Carnegie_Hall"> and throughout</a> <a href="/topics/Europe">Europe</a> as part of The Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus. 
&nbsp; 
She also has done volunteer work and fundraising for organizations including Toys for Tots and Making Strides Against <a href="/topics/Breast_Cancer">Breast Cancer</a>. 
Her plans: Attending the Benjamin T. <a href="/topics/Rome">Rome</a> School of Music at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Her goals are to perform on Broadway and to teach and share her skills with students. 
In her words: "I've grown a lot this year vocally and dance-wise and acting-wise, but I'm just thrilled to go to school where I can further my skills. That's what I'm really excited for - my first class." 
The view from the guidance department: "She's just an outstanding girl. She's just so multifaceted and talented, and at the same time she does so well in school," said guidance counselor Arlene Slater. What makes Reed even more special, Slater said, is the way she's handled her talent: "She just carries herself with such elegance."

LFBALD20

Great grads: Olivia Reed, Baldwin Senior High School

Kelly Keenan's good works are hard to explain on a resume, according to guidance counselor James Malone. It wasn't her contribution to a specific club or charity event that made her special, he said, although she was very active in school. Rather, it was her everyday kindness to others and her devotion to those less fortunate, whether a student with <a href="/topics/Autism">autism</a> or a lonely senior citizen. 
&nbsp; 
She spent time with special education students in each year of high school, helping them learn better social skills through a national Best Buddies program as president of the program at her school. She plans to continue to be involved in Best Buddies in college. 
She also spent time with two homebound senior citizens once a month through her church, St. Anne's <a href="/topics/Roman_Catholic_Church">Roman Catholic Church</a> in Garden City. 
In addition, Keenan played flute in the orchestra and was vice president of the school's National Honor Society. She has a 97 GPA. 
Her plans: The honors program at the <a href="/topics/University_of_Notre_Dame">University of Notre Dame</a> in <a href="/topics/Indiana">Indiana</a>. 
In her words: "I would say that I really have a strong connection with special-needs students . . . to watch how much fun they have. I just love that for myself and for them." 
The view from the guidance department: "She's a behind-the-scenes kind of kid that doesn't look to get pats on the back," said Malone.

LFGARD20

Great grads: Kelly Keenan, Garden City High School

Amanda Horn, 17, has put considerable effort into helping young people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Starting when she was 8, she has shared her love and knowledge of horses as a volunteer and assistant instructor with HorseAbility, a nonprofit therapeutic riding and hippotherapy program and summer day camp in Melville for people with special needs. 
In school, she has pushed to increase understanding of <a href="/topics/Autism">autism</a> and helped launch a "Lunch Buddies" initiative to encourage social interactions between general and special education students. 
Her plans: Attending Stonehill College in Easton, Mass. 
In her words: "I've always wanted to help others, especially kids with special needs. When I started volunteering when I was 8, I absolutely loved it and knew I would continue to do it. It's just the greatest feeling to help others." 
The view from the principal's office: "What sets Amanda apart from most is not only the quantity of community service that she is engaged in, but the fact that she does this with such feeling and compassion,'' said principal James Polansky. "You know that she really is so intent on helping other people. . . . She is as altruistic and compassionate a person as they come. She is a tremendous human being."

LFSOUT20

Great grads: Amanda Horn, Walt Whitman High School

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