TBR News Media sent a Q&A to local salutatorians and valedictorians, asking about the strategies that helped them become their school’s top performers. Here are the scholars leading Ward Melville High School’s Class of 2025 in the Three Village Central School District.
Oliver Wu: Valedictorian
• GPA: 105.36
• Activities: Kaleidoscope Newspaper (Editor), Tri-M Music Honor Society (President), Long Island Youth Development Music Club, Bluegrass Club, DECA
• Attending Princeton University to study Public & International Affairs
Alexander Song: Salutatorian
• GPA: 104.84
• Activities: Ward Melville Iron Patriots, Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program, SchoolNova TA, Tri-M Music Honor Society
• Attending UCLA to study Computer Science
What advice would you give an incoming freshman?
Wu: The path to “success” is often circuitous. Not everything you do has to (or should) directly or immediately contribute to a goal you have. Be a good person, care for yourself and others, keep space for what you love — these things all have so much value. It shouldn’t be an expectation for you to hollow yourself out in the name of “success.”
Song: Get enough sleep!
How did you stay motivated throughout your studies?
Wu: Nothing like Lorde’s “The Louvre” playing in the background on repeat as I stare at a question I don’t understand (yet). A lot of people say they give 110% in everything they do. I’m gonna echo Michelle Zauner’s mother and say: give 90%, always save 10% of yourself.
Song: I pursued what I truly cared about, which gave me the motivation to keep going forward.
Please share some study habits you employ that helped you maintain high grades.
Wu: Everyone’s saying this, but I need to repeat it: we all underestimate the extent to which our technology has wrecked our brains and destroyed our ability to think with clarity. Keep reading things you enjoy! It makes focusing when you need to study so much more manageable.
Song: I study with my friends, I use active recall, and I create practice problems for myself.
What are your goals or career aspirations?
Wu: Something in government or government-adjacent as a policymaker.
Song: I’m interested in robotics and computer vision.
