Floral Park Memorial High School’s Class of 2025 valedictorian and salutatorian

Fiona So and Ainsley Cunningham are the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Floral Park Memorial High School’s Class of 2025.

Throughout her high school career, So has consistently challenged herself by enrolling in more than 10 Advanced Placement courses. Her academic accomplishments are evident through her remarkable overall GPA of 103.04 and recognition as an AP Scholar with Distinction. As a junior, she received the prestigious Brown University Book Award, which is awarded to a student who exhibits excellent verbal and written communication skills.

So not only excels in the classroom, but also as a talented artist and musician. She has pursued drawing since she was 6 years old, participating in numerous competitions at local and national levels. Her artwork has been featured in the Nassau All-County Art Exhibition and the district’s Gallery @77. This school year, she received a Scholar-Artist Award in the Visual Arts category from Long Island Arts Alliance.

Additionally, So plays classical piano and has been recognized with distinct scores in the New York State School Music Association at all six levels.

Outside of school, she is an active member of the USA Diabolo Association. Her competitive spirit has led her to achieve noteworthy achievements, including a first place finish in the group division of the USA National Diabolo Competition and a third place individual finish in the northeast region competition. She shares her knowledge as a Diabolo instructor at the Chinese Cultural Association of Long Island.

A gifted and humble student, Cunningham has enrolled in 10 Advanced Placement courses and regularly sought out Floral Park
Memorial’s most rigorous classes. She will graduate with an overall GPA of 103.

Passionate about STEM, Cunningham is a student of the district’s pre-engineering program. Through the program, she participated in the NASA TechRise Challenge with her classmates, and she co-authored a proposal for a 2U CubeSat project on a rocket-powered lander sponsored by NASA.

As a junior, Cunningham was the recipient of the Rensselaer Medal, which is awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in math and science. Additionally, she was accepted into the Seminar for Top Engineering Prospects at Purdue University.

Cunningham’s success in the pre-engineering program and enjoyment of STEM led her to join the school’s Robotics Club, where she has assumed the leadership role of secretary. She has shared her love and knowledge of STEM with younger children as a “Code Sensei,” managing and leading STEM summer camps last year.

Cunningham guided the campers through coding, robotics and video production projects. Furthermore, Cunningham is an accomplished musician. She plays the violin in the orchestra, chamber orchestra and district orchestra, as well as the school’s jam band.