Portraits of achievement – Introducing the valedictorians and salutatorians of 2024
Angelly Avila-Rosales, valedictorian
GPA: 101.63 (weighted)
College: Yale University
Major: Neuroscience Angelly’s academic record is impressive — a high honor roll member since her freshman year, a National Honor Society member and recipient of several academic recognition awards — but her commitment to community involvement is equally impressive, if not more. As president of the Interact Club she organized fundraisers and volunteered for the Southold Rotary Club for various food drives and distributions and their annual Lobsterfest. As secretary for the International Club, she fundraised with UNICEF for the people of Ukraine. And as a food pantry assistant at the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation, she helped prepare and distribute more than 5,000 meals for the organization’s Feed-a-Kid program.
Angelly is also a co-president of the school’s environmental club and editor-in-chief of the its literary magazine, Founding Voices. She counts the Southold community as a whole as her inspiration for pursuing neuroscience at Yale, and hopes to attend medical school in the future. She enjoys learning languages in her spare time — currently Portuguese — and hopes to study more languages, like American Sign Language, in college.
Amy Estrada, salutatorian
GPA: 101.27 (weighed)
College: Cornell University
Major: Applied economics and management A first-generation Southold High School graduate and recipient of a double New York State Seal of Biliteracy in both French and Spanish, Amy’s ambitions are evident from her extensive resume. As a member of Southold’s FIRST robotics Team 870, she was part of the team that placed second in the world championships in Houston, Texas, in 2022 and 2023, working on the team’s business, virtual presence, scouting, strategy and game design teams.
The senior class president, Amy is also part of the National Honor Society, International Club, Environmental Club and an all-league volleyball player, on the varsity team since 2021. She is also an NJROTC CyberPatriot team commander and chief financial officer of virtual enterprise. Amy said her interest in economics started at a young age, when she sold lemons and plantains in her farming community in Guatemala. She hopes to use her education at Cornell to focus on international development and help other families like hers.
Thomas Sklodowski, salutatorian
GPA: 101.10 (weighted)
College: SUNY/Stony Brook
Major: Chemistry Thomas is co-captain of Southold’s varsity quiz bowl team, a varsity tennis player, a member of the school’s chamber orchestra, select choir, Founding Voices literary magazine, environmental club, chess club and National Honors Society chapter — and also works at Kontokosta Winery in Greenport. His academic resume seems to leave little time for anything else.
However, it wasn’t just academics that inspired his decision to pursue a degree in chemistry. While he counts his chemistry teacher, Ms. Berberich, as a major inspiration, it was also his video gaming hobby that “inspired a large part of his creativity and wonder in the world,” he said — opening his eyes to the possibilities of science to accomplish the things that have always been seen as fiction.
Southold awards and honors
Milana Albanese – Southold Music Boosters Scholarship.
Marvin Alvarado Valle – 1st Lt.Joseph J. Theinert Memorial Fund Scholarship.
Angelly Avila-Rosales – Valedictorian Award; New York State Academic Excellence Award; 2024 Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine Public Service Award; Times Review Media Group Scholarship.
Sofia Bartolani – New York State Attorney General Letitia James Triple “C” Award.
Maria Baten Lopez – Southold Rotary English Language Learner Scholarship.
Quinn Bruer – Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; New York State Council of Administrators of Music Educators Scholarship; North Fork Community Theatre Scholarship.
Jordani Chacon – Southold High School Family and Consumer Science Department Award.
Anna Cooper – Barbara Bogel Ackermann “Most Improved Student” Scholarship; New Suffolk SCOPE Education Services Scholarship; Special Education Administrators of Suffolk Scholarship; Cutchogue Fire Department Jason and Steven Cooper Memorial ROTC Scholarship; Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Scholarship.
Amy Estrada – Salutatorian Award; New York State Academic Excellence Award; Griswold-Terry-Glover Southold American Legion Post 803 Scholarship; William J. McGonegal Memorial Award; Southold Faculty Association Scholarship; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Scholarship; Southold- Peconic Civic Association Senior Student Award; Andreas Emmanuel Markakis Memorial Scholarship; Southold Music Boosters Scholarship.
Alexa Feeney – U.S. Marine Corps Scholarship; Zaveski-Lucey Memorial Foundation Award; Custer Observatory Scholarship; Southold High School Family and Consumer Science Department Award.
Aiko Fujita – Richard M. Osmer Memorial Sports Fund Award; Justin R. Flynn Memorial Scholar Athlete Award; Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; Ann and Don Scott Memorial Award; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship.
Katherine Garms – Southold Music Boosters Scholarship.
Sofia Gillan – U.S. Air Force Scholarship; Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award in Memory of Santo Goldsmith; Southold Fire Department Scholarship; New York State Senate Youth Leadership Recognition Award; Southold Free Library Scholarship; Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship; Custer Observatory Scholarship; North Fork Chamber of Commerce Award; North Fork Women Anne MacKay Memorial Scholarship.
Amelia Harmon – Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship.
Anne Hayes – Southold High School Family and Consumer Science Department Award.
Kaitlyn Heath – Suffolk Association of School Business Officials Award.
Isabel Hegel – Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship.
Bryan Henry – Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; East End Detachment U.S. Marine Corps League Scholarship; Southold PTA Student Award; Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship; Southold Faculty Association Scholarship; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship.
Jocelyn Kaelin – Rotary Club of Southold Performing Arts Scholarship in Memory of Jere Jacob; Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; Cutchogue Fire Department Grant for Higher Education in Memory of Stanley L. Victoria and Wayne Glover.
Flynn Klipstein – Richard and Marion Pierson Memorial Scholarship; Rotary Club of Southold Student Recognition and Community Service Award; Southold SCOPE Education Services Scholarship; New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Student Achievement Award; Southold High School Principal’s Award; Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship; Suffolk County Highway Superintendents Association Scholarship.
Rose Lopez Duenas – Katherine S.Leavay Memorial Scholarship; The Book Snuggery Media Scholarship.
Evan Maskiell – Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship; Southold Soccer Club Scholarship.
Juan (Max) McCarthy – Suffolk County Chapter of the New York State School Facilities Association Scholarship.
Anahy Merino Fernandez – Rotary Club of Southold Vocational Excellence Award; New York State Attorney General Letitia James Triple “C” Award.
Olivia Misiukiewicz – William J. McGonegal Memorial Humanitarian Award.
Kelsey Newman – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award in Memory of Russ Goldsmith; Dominick Giovanniello Sr. Memorial Scholarship; Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital Scholarship; Town of Riverhead CSEA Scholarship; Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship.
Madeline Palumbo – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award in Memory of F.J. Kiernan.
Dylan Reilly – Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship; Southold High School Family and Consumer Science Department Award.
Brian Schill – Richard M. Osmer Memorial Sports Fund Award; Stevan Fickeissen Memorial Award; Roman J. Wilinski Memorial Scholarship; Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; Southold Fire Department Packard Hose Vocational Scholarship; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship; Southold Soccer Club Scholarship.
James (Jack) Sepenoski Jr. – Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship; Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; Southold PTA Student Award; Southold School Athletic Association Scholarship; Southold Soccer Club Scholarship.
Thomas Sklodowski – Salutatorian Award; New York State Academic Excellence Award.
Lindsy Taggart – Ann and Don Scott Memorial Award.
James Treharne – East End Counselors Association Award; William J. McGonegal Memorial Award; Southold PTA Student Award.
Kathleen Ward – Southold Music Boosters Scholarship; Cross Sound Ferry Scholarship; Custer Observatory Scholarship.
Grace Zehil – U.S. NAVY ROTC Scholarship; Southold Fire Department Keith Purcell Memorial Scholarship; The Coaches Fund Scholarship; Karish Education Memorial Fund of the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons Scholarship; Evan James Vaillancourt Memorial Scholarship.
Tristan Zugmeyer – U.S. Marine Corps Scholarship.
Future plans for Southold graduates
Milana Albanese – SUNY/Cortland; Jorge Alburez Alvarez – Suffolk County Community College; Marvin Alvarado Valle – SCCC; Angelly Avila-Rosales – Yale University; Sofia Bartolani – LUISS Guido Carli University of Rome; Maria Baten Lopez – SCCC; Quinn Bruer – SUNY/New Paltz.
Jocelin Campos Velasquez – SCCC; Jose Carbajal Lazaro – SCCC; Daniel Cartselos – SCCC; Jordani Chacon – Five Towns College; Tsz (Johnny) Chen – SUNY/Buffalo; Anna Cooper – Quinnipiac University; Nicole Corazzini – University of Maine; Harrison Craigue – SUNY/Buffalo.
Mae Dominy – University of Alabama; Amy Estrada – Cornell University; Alexa Feeney – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Aiko Fujita – Saint Anselm College; Katherine Garms – University of Delaware; Sofia Gillan – Georgia Institute of Technology; Amelia Harmon – SUNY/Oneonta; Anne Hayes – SCCC.
Tristan Healy – employment; Kaitlyn Heath – SCCC; Isabel Hegel – University of Alabama; Bryan Henry – SUNY/ New Paltz; Jocelyn Kaelin – Virginia Wesleyan University; Caige Kaessinger – Sacred Heart University; Flynn Klipstein – Auburn University; Mackenzie Koke – College of Charleston.
Rose Lopez Duenas – SUNY/Plattsburgh; Alex Lopez Olmos – United States Air Force; Evan Maskiell – University of Massachusetts/Amherst; Juan (Max) McCarthy – Northern Kentucky University; Blanca Mejia – SUNY/ New Paltz; Anahy Merino Fernandez– SCCC; Abigayle Miller – SCCC; Olivia Misiukiewicz – SUNY/Binghamton; Olivia Mohr – Lynn University.
Ariana Montenegro – Long Island Beauty School; Anthony Munoz Lopez – employment; Kelsey Newman – Coastal Carolina University; Luke Newman – Queens College; Nyla Olsen – Villanova University; Madeline Palumbo – Colgate University; Antony Ramirez Escobar – undecided; Dylan Reilly – University of Mississippi; Corlynn Rempe – Hartwick College; Ava Rose – Bryant University.
Brian Schill – New England Institute of Technology; James (Jack) Sepenoski Jr. – SUNY/Cortland; Thomas Sklodowski – SUNY/Stony Brook; Jordan Sosa – SUNY/Cobleskill; Jessica Sousis – SCCC; Lindsy Taggart – University of Charleston; James Treharne – Quinnipiac University.
Diego Umana – SUNY/Oswego; Skyler Valderrama – Northwestern University; Maylin Velasquez Cortave – SUNY/ Oneonta; Kathleen Ward – Syracuse University; Devin Watkins – SUNY/ Delhi; Grace Zehil – Boston University; Tristan Zugmeyer – University of Tampa.