Sachem East’s Valerie Zeffiro Commits to Siena

senior Valerie Zeffiro signed her National Letter of Intent to swim at Division I Siena College Wednesday morning.

Joined by her parents, Sachem East Girls Swim Coach Kathleen Dugan, Sachem Athletic Director Pete Blieberg and Sachem East Principal Rory Manning, Zeffiro officially became one of a handful of Sachem athletes this year to sign with Division I programs.

“It’s a great college for me academically and athletically,” Zeffiro said. “I’m really excited to be a part of Siena’s Division I swim team where I’ll be with a great group of girls and I look forward to continuing to succeed athletically and academically.” 

Zeffiro said she’d be entering a special academic program in college where she will attend Siena for four years and then head into Albany Medical College. She will be a biology major as an undergraduate on a pre-med track and said she will consider being a dermatologist or anesthesiologist.

Extremely active with volunteering in and around the community, Zeffiro said she looks forward to continuing in her efforts of lending a helping hand. Last year, Zeffiro received a Certificate of Excellence from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program as well as the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House as a result of her significant number of volunteer hours in the community.

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As a swimmer, she qualified for the New York State championships the last three years and was an alternate for the finals this past season. She also participated in the Empire State Games in 2010, winning gold medals in the 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke, respectively.

“Any time you have someone signing out of your program going to a Division I college for a sport that they’ve trained under, it is a great accomplishment not only for her, but for the program and for Sachem in general,” Dugan said. “It’s something for the other kids to look up to. Siena is getting a No. 1 person, and while we’ll miss her, they’re going to benefit.”

Article submitted by Chris R. Vaccaro, Sachem Schools