It’s the end of the school year and that means one thing: the academic rankings have been announced along with a new valedictorian and salutatorian for the class of 2016 of Massapequa High School.
Joseph Prusan earned the title of valedictorian, graduating first in his class of 593 students. Prusan is setting his sights on the medical field and looks forward to one day becoming a neuro-radiologist. With a grade point average of 99.872, he’s heading to the University of California in Los Angeles in the fall to study bioengineering, a school he chose in part because he hopes to gain experience at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on the campus.
Prusan found inspiration in his career path through his experience as a diabetic.
“I have always gotten really good care and was intrigued by my doctors and by articles on the condition and finding a cure,” he said.
Much of his high school career focused on science research and working on environmental issues. Through the high school’s science research program, he conducted research to see if nylon could prevent rust on metal beads and he is currently working with centipedes to see if proteins in their venom can be used as a natural pesticide.
He credits science teacher Dr. Paul Hesleitner for always being “open and honest with him when he asked for his advice about his research and helping to expose him to science and technology so that he thought about the subjects in ways that he never had before.”
Prusan is also a Science Olympiad, an Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar and is a member of the National Honor Society.
When he is not in school, he enjoys playing football with friends, traveling with family and volunteering in the pediatric radiology wing at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
“High school is very doable if you work hard and study,” he advised future graduates. “However, don’t get too involved with school that you neglect spending time with your friends.”
Salutatorian Juliet Remi took a random class that wound up framing her future. As a quiet person who shied away from public speaking, she took an introduction to law class that not only transformed her confidence, but set the foundation for three years in the high school law program and the mock trial team, of which she is president and the only member who is a prosecuting and defending attorney.
With a 99.851 grade point average, Remi heads to Colgate in the fall to study political science and gain “a well-rounded liberal arts education that will challenge her to think critically,” she said. She plans to attend law school and become a trial attorney.
“The best parts of my high school career have been in the courtroom,” said Remi. “I’ve been to the Harvard Mock Trial seminar twice and have also been a semi-finalist in the NYS Bar Association Mock Trial Tournament two years in a row.”
The AP Scholar with honor credits her eighth-grade social studies teacher Josee Charvet, who studied law, for first introducing her to law and her Mock Trial advisor Daniel Bachman, who she said is her mentor.
Remi is also a member of the National Honor Society and has earned National Silver Awards for her proficiency in Spanish. She was one of a handful of students who were selected to ask a question at the recent Evaluation of Presidential Leadership Symposium at Hofstra University. She was also in the Chief’s Challenge Club, which works toward improving school culture and providing community service and was treasurer of the club. Remi also played intramural basketball, soccer and volleyball and volunteers at her church.
“I would urge upcoming students to expand their horizons outside their comfort zones; take that random class that you normally wouldn’t consider taking, because you never know where these experiences will lead you,” she said.
