BY JULIA PENCHUK
Jericho High School named eight valedictorians in the Class of 2022. These students demonstrated hard work ending with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. These students are proud to be graduating Jericho High School and moving on to the next chapter of their lives.
Rebecca Cho
College: Princeton University
Major: Earth and Environmental Science
Proudest achievement: “I attended the International Science and Engineering Fair and was awarded the Grand Prize in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Category and the H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research.”
Advice: “Pursue what you love. Take time to reconnect with your teachers, friends and family. Having a support system is vital and you get to spend time with people you know and love.
Cho also spends time exploring her love for writing and music. She wrote for Jericho’s Pegasus Magazine, the Environmental Club blog and enters her own poetry to TeenInk and The Incandescent Review.
Janice Rateshwar
College: Sophie Davis Biomedical Program/ CUNY School of Medicine
Major: Biomedical Studies
Proudest achievement: “Starting the STEAMBites program. This program helps build the community and encourages science by allowing high school students to teach middle school students about emerging STEM topics.”
Advice: “Develop discipline and good habits early because consistent hard work is the key to success. It’s also important to have fun and make sure you don’t burn out.”
Rateshwar was also named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar and earned Third Place in Translational Medical Science at the International Science and Engineering Fair.
Claire Ma
College: Cornell University
Major: Biological Sciences
Proudest achievement: “Receiving the Scholar-Athlete award. I love sports and being able to balance sports and school as a three-season varsity athlete for all four years of high school was really a challenge.”
Advice: “Work hard and play hard. High school is a time where all these memories are made and it goes by so fast you don’t want to regret not being able to have fun because you’re studying all the time.”
Whether it’s playing volleyball, running track and field, or her grades, Ma always want to do the best she should. She wants to be remembered for her strong work ethic and a desire to work hard.
Evelyn Zhu
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major: Computer Science
Proudest achievement: “Starting the JeriCODE program. It began as a small idea between me and a friend but grew to be something much larger than either of us imagined. With support from teachers, principals, and administrators, we have been able to run JeriCODE for 2 years and now impact 150+ kids.”
Advice: “Do what you want to do and what you think is best for you. Also, don’t stress too much about what other people think.”
Zhu has been a competitive chess player for over 10 years. Her accolades include the Woman International Master title, National Master title and gold medals at international youth events. She also co-founded the Unruly Queens, an organization that empowers girls through chess.
Matthew Logan Ingber
College: Binghamton University
Major: Biology on a Pre-Med Track
Proudest achievement: “Being a part of the varsity baseball team that won the conference championship after not winning a game the previous season. It showed the perseverance of the group and made me proud to be a part of a team with that kind of grit.”
Advice: “Enjoy your time in high school, it moves fast. Also, I implore you to respect others, especially your teachers, because they really do so much for their students and a little bit of respect goes a long way.”
Ingber thanks the Jericho community for warmly welcoming him when he moved to Jericho in ninth grade. For Ingber, school wasn’t just a place for learning, it was a place to create meaningful connections with others.
Ethan Zhang
College: Stanford University
Major: Applied Mathematics
Proudest achievement: “Getting into the USA(J)MO, a difficult invitational contest, in each of my high school years. I’m particularly proud of this accomplishment because I still vividly remember hearing about it telling myself “I WILL NEVER GET IN!”. This accomplishment represents all the progress I have made these past 7 years.”
Advice: “Pursue your passion. Finding one’s passion is the key to discovering oneself and one’s potential. For students who are still undecided, try out different clubs at school and determining which ones feel most compelling.”
Zhang’s classmates would usually describe him as the “math guy”, but he would also like to be remembered for his niceness and smile. “I would love to be remembered by the phrase ‘that math guy with the sweet smile,’” Zhang said.
Mackenzie Setton
College: Johns Hopkins University
Major: Molecular Biology
Proudest achievement: “My progress and growth as a runner over the years. Even with COVID-19 challenges, I was fortunate enough to find success on the track this year, placing sixth at States in the 800-meter race and recently named Nassau County’s Distance Runner of the Year.”
Advice: “Prioritize your family, friends, mental and physical health. No school grade or college acceptance letter is worth sacrificing these crucial aspects of one’s life.”
Setton will be continuing her athletic career on JHU Track and Cross Country Team. Since eighth grade, she has dedicated countless hours a week to training and competing for Jericho’s soccer, track, and cross-country programs.
Pranav Dendukuri
College: Cornell
Major: Applied Economics with a concentration in Finance
Proudest Achievement: “Placing at FBLA Nationals in San Antonio for Securities and Investments as a freshman.”
Advice: “Try as many new things as possible as easily as you can in high school and figure out what you really like. And always take moments to stop and appreciate those bits of life and excitement that are in every moment that you are in high school.”
Dendukuri was captain of the varsity volleyball team and played on the basketball team. He is grateful that Jericho brought him friendships that he will carry with him forever.
