Schools

Meet the Valedictorian and Salutatorian at North

Top students will represent Sachem proudly in the next chapter of their lives.

Amanda Valdes and Krystal Cheng have made it a point to take advantage of the many opportunities surrounding them at Sachem High School North the last four years.

So besides being ranked one and two, respectively, at the top of their graduating class this year, they both have loaded resumes which were helpful in guiding them to the next chapter in their academic careers.

Valdes will study computer science at Stony Brook University and has hopes of being a software engineer. Cheng will study biological sciences at Cornell University and plans on being a doctor, though she’s uncertain of the medical path she’ll take.

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“As I got used to high school I wanted to try everything,” said Cheng, “all the clubs and everything Sachem has to offer. I had a great experience.”

Valdes concludes her high school career with a weighted average of 104.44 as the Valedictorian. She has also served as both vice president and president of her class’s student government, president of the Spanish club, helped work with students of special need in the Sachem CARES Club, participated in Science Olympiad, and was an active member of the Sachem North TV Club.  

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She is a member of the in the Business and Marketing Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Foreign Language Honor Society, and National Honor Society. Valdes also placed first in the Behavioral Science category at the Nebula Science Fair, receiving overall honorable mention, and received third place honors at the Long Island Science Congress.

Her only major task left at Sachem is the speech she’ll give Saturday morning at graduation.

“I’ll try to keep it simple, she said. “I’m not going to give the whole cliché that we’re on to the next stepping stone.”

As for Cheng, she sported a 104.08 weighted average and took 11 Advanced Placement courses in her time at Sachem.

She has obtained induction into the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and is vice president of the Foreign Language Honor Society. She has also taken coursework in Foundations of Computer Integrated Surgery and Introduction to Biological Molecules at John’s Hopkins prestigious Summer Pre-college Program.

Cheng is also an accomplished violinist, who has earned high honors at NYSSMA, performed at many charitable functions, and was selected to be section leader for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra at a concert in Carnegie Hall.

“These girls are going in divergent career paths,” said Sachem North Principal John Dolan. “What they have in common is that heir work ethic exceeds their intelligence. Their optimistic view of the world will make a difference.”


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