Monday, June 9 looked a little different for the Harborfields High School Class of 2025. Instead of their regular schedules, seniors spread out across the greater Greenlawn community to participate in a Day of Service, an event created by Bridget Hickey as part of her Capstone Project for Civics Awareness and Community Action.
Hickey didn’t want the project to be a solo endeavor. She challenged her entire class of 258 students to join her in giving back and they responded in full force.
With support and assistance from Mrs. Patricia Taylor, seniors were assigned one of 13 volunteer sites throughout the community. The Day of Service projects included cleaning up and painting lamp posts on Broadway, designing a mural at the Northport VA Hospital, donating items and crafting with residents of Paumanack Village, collecting food donations and stocking shelves at HACO’s food pantry, and much more. Some chose to serve within the school district itself, collaborating on a project with students at Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School and cooking and crafting alongside students in the Career Transition Class at the high school.
Remarkably, the number of students not participating was smaller than the size of an average class roster.
“I wanted seniors to participate in community service beyond the hours they need for different clubs,” shared Hickey. “I hoped they would discover a love for volunteering and feel inspired to stay involved in their communities long after high school.”
Bridget not only encouraged her peers to give back, but she did so in a way that directly reflects the values of the Harborfields Central School District. Harborfields is committed to developing life-long learners with the intellectual, social and emotional skills necessary to achieve success as active citizens within their local community and in an ever-changing diverse global society. Her project exemplifies how student leadership can bring the district’s Strategic Plan to life through meaningful action.
The Day of Service left a lasting impression on the seniors who participated, the staff and students who worked alongside them, and the community members who benefitted from their efforts.
A significant concern for the elderly, falls create health problems that affect the quality of life and generate significant expense.
Stony Brook University’s Jeannette Mahoney, Professor of Neurology and Chief of the Division of Cognitive and Sensorimotor Aging in the Renaissance School of Medicine, has developed a smartphone app called CatchU that is designed to alert patients and their doctors to the potential likelihood of falls.
Jeannette Mahoney with her grandmother Jean Sisinni, who died from a fall and for whom she’s dedicated the work on CatchU.
The National Institute of Aging (NIA) recently named CatchU as one of 21 finalists out of 275 entrants around the country for its Start-Up Challenge. As a finalist, Mahoney received $10,000, recently participated in entrepreneurial training sessions, and is receiving one on one mentorship.
“Falls are a leading cause of injury and death for older adults, including persons living with Alzheimer’s Disease,” Joy Toliver, Program Analyst at the National Institute of Aging explained. CatchU is a “novel approach” that has the potential to “expand access to high-quality, comprehensive fall risk assessments and to improve the health and quality of life of older adults.”
If CatchU is chosen as one of seven winners in the next stage of the challenge, Mahoney, through her company JET Worldwide Enterprises, is also eligible to receive $65,000.
Previous participants in a challenge that is now in its third year have gone on to raise significant equity funding, secure multiple grants and form partnerships with health systems to expand the impact of their solutions, Toliver added.
An ‘honor’
“I’m super stoked — it’s really such an honor to be selected by members of the NIA that believe in you, your science and your product,” Mahoney said.
A photo of the CatchU app courtesy of JET Worldwide Enterprises Inc.
She plans to use the prize money she’s received so far to help with app enhancements, legal fees for review of new service agreements, and exclusive license obligations.
The app links impaired multisensory integration, in which people combine information from visual and other cues, with poor motor outcomes. Mahoney has been working in this field for about a decade. Through a 10-minute health app that monitors reaction time as a person is asked to respond as quickly as possible to targets they can see, feel or see and feel at the same time, CatchU provides a quantitative risk for falls.
Across the country, about three million older Americans require an Emergency Room visit each year as a result of fall-related injuries.
Closer to home, Suffolk County residents from 65 to 74 are hospitalized at the rate of 106 per 10,000, while those number increase with each decade. From 75 to 84, residents require hospitalization at a rate of 311 per 10,000. People in the county who are over 85 visit hospitals after falls at the rate of 821 per 10,000, according to the Suffolk County Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan.
For seniors over 75 years old in Suffolk County the hospitalization rate from falls exceeded that for the state exclusive of the city by more than 30 percent.
According to research Mahoney has done, older adults with poor multisensory integration are 24 percent more likely to fall than those with intact multisensory integration.
“We believe that results of the CatchU test will likely change over time for better or worse depending on levels of remediation,” she explained. “Our goal is to uncover what type of remediation (whether it is sensory, cognitive, or motor focused or some combination), and what duration/ frequency is most beneficial in subsequent clinical trials.”
Mahoney envisions using CatchU as a new standard of care for predicting fall propensity in adults 65 and over. Depending on performance, people could receive remote testing every six to 12 months.
Possible remediation
While people could download the app today, they wouldn’t be able to take the test without a provider code. Doctors would receive the results of their tests directly and could offer a range of recommended actions. This could include tai chi, physical therapy, core balance, strength training or other exercises.
Mahoney and her colleagues are running a clinical trial in Westchester County. The study attempts to determine whether integration measured on CatchU is comparable to integration measured on the lab apparatus. They submitted this research for publication.
The clinical trial also seeks to determine whether older adults with poor multisensory integration that receive feedback about their CatchU performance would go on to fall less often or have a longer time to fall compared to older adults with poor multisensory integration who did not receive any such specific feedback.
Alzheimer’s assessment
CatchU could provide beneficial information for people who might develop Alzheimer’s Disease.
From what Mahoney and her colleagues can tell, the same simple reaction time test taps into inter-related sensory, motor and cognitive neural circuits that are all affected by aging and/or disease.
Mahoney has shown that an ability to integrate sensory information is associated with higher amyloid burden, which is a known biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Our current R01 project work will help us uncover the exact structural and functional neural correlates of impaired multisensory integration, which may shed light on the specific outcome measures that are adversely affected by poor integration,” Mahoney explained.
A returning Seawolf
Mahoney rejoined Stony Brook University in October, over 22 years after she graduated from the downstate flagship SUNY school with a bachelor of arts degree in Psychology and Social Science. She described coming back to campus as a “surreal” experience and appreciates how her colleagues have been“super helpful and supportive.”
Mahoney lives in upstate Stony Point with her husband Timmy, their 14 year-old daughter Kayleigh and 10-year old son Peter.
Mahoney formed the company JET Worldwide Enterprises almost exactly five years ago. It is based in Stony Point and has two employees. The company name, JET, comes from a nickname for Mahoney’s first name. If she is able to secure future funding, she hopes to move JET to incubator space at Stony Brook.
The family enjoys playing board games, including Mahjong. Mahoney learned the tile game from her mother, who learned it from Mahoney’s grandmother Jean Sissini.
Mahoney has dedicated CatchU to her grandmother, who passed away in 2021 after suffering a fall.
While Sissini is no longer with them, the family knows she is “always with us in spirit,” Mahoney said.
Howard Hanna Coach Realtors of Port Jefferson invites seniors looking to downsize to a FREE educational luncheon at the VFW Post 3054, 8 Jones Street, Setauket on Saturday, March 22 from noon to 2 p.m.
A panel of experts will be on hand to explore the planning and process of Downsizing for Seniors with a focus on housing options for seniors, addressing the challenges of buying a selling a property, financing issues and options, repairs and maintenance, Trusts and Estates and more. Whether you are looking to make a move this year of sometime down the road, this is an event you won’t want to miss!
Lunch and prizes for all attendees as well as all your questions answered. Free but registration is required by calling 631-994-0082 or go to https://bit.ly/DownsizerWorkshop.
Senior Citizens Dept. appreciation lunch on 05/01/24. Photo from Town of Smithtown
Senior Citizens Dept. appreciation lunch on 05/01/24. Photo from Town of Smithtown
Senior Citizens Dept. appreciation lunch on 05/01/24. Photo from Town of Smithtown
Senior Citizens Dept. appreciation lunch on 05/01/24. Photo from Town of Smithtown
Senior Citizens Dept. appreciation lunch on 05/01/24. Photo from Town of Smithtown
On Wednesday May 1st, the Town of Smithtown Senior Citizens Department honored over 100 unsung heroes who dedicate their time and energy to helping others. Department Director; Doreen Perrino, together with Smithtown Councilwoman Lynn Nowick and Senior Citizens Center staff presented each volunteer with an official Certificate of Appreciation from the Town of Smithtown.
“It was an absolute pleasure celebrating the volunteers for their generous commitment and dedication to our Senior Citizen Center. Their kindness and support make a world of difference and we are truly grateful for all they do. Selflessly lending their time and talents to enrich the lives of their neighbors embodies the very best of what a community is about.” – Councilwoman Lynn Norwick
The Volunteers at the Senior Citizens Department have devoted their time, skill set and altruistic spirit, within the community in a variety of ways, including delivering meals, donating quilts and other handmade gifts to veterans, hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters. In addition to aiding the center staff with a vast number of services, clubs and other amenities, volunteers have donated handcrafted projects to organizations such as: Brooksite MultiCare, Luxor Mills Pond Nursing and Rehabilitation, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, St. James Rehabilitation and Healthcare, St. Johnland Nursing Center, The Hamlet Nursing and Rehabilitation, Long Island Veterans Home – Stony Brook, Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Northport American Legion.
Additionally, the Smithtown Senior Citizen Center Volunteers assist in facilitating on site activities such as the Garden Club, Video Exercise and operating the boutique. The Center Committee volunteers work to support the Senior Citizens Department through fundraising and with the annual Tender Years Treasury event.
“Volunteers are the lifeline of this department. Whether you’re a home delivered meals volunteer driver, a crocheter, knitter or quilter creating works of art to be donated to local nursing home residents and veterans, a member of our Creative Club, designing handmade cards for the community, a volunteer teaching others to play Canasta, or you play piano for all to enjoy – your efforts are appreciated more than you know. You all matter. You all make a difference and your generosity of time and spirit has a profound, lasting impact on our community. Volunteers make a commitment to share their time, and in doing so, makes life better for those in need. While I know you volunteer without expectation, we are proud to host this luncheon each year to let you know we are forever grateful for your contributions to the community through the Smithtown Senior Citizens Department. Giving selflessly to help others speaks to your character and strength. We are proud of all our volunteers and look forward to many more years together, making a difference” – Doreen Perrino, Smithtown Senior Citizen Center Director
Bill Maynard, a navy veteran and retired Lieutenant for the FDNY, was highlighted during the luncheon ceremony, for his 30 years of service in delivering for themeals on wheels program at the Senior Center. Maynard and his wife have been married 32 years, are blessed with four children, and eight grandchildren. Bill Maynard is also a member of the Smithtown American Legion and Board member for the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce.
Also recognized for longevity, was Serafina Marolla who has been a volunteer at the center for 29 years. Marolla currently volunteers for the Senior Center’s Creative Club, dedicating her time to creating beautiful handmade cards, each one personalized with a heartfelt sentiment of encouragement, support and inspiration. The cards are then distributed to local nursing home residents. When the Senior Center hosts celebrations Serafina is famous for her “chicken dance” skills. Serafina Marolla recently celebrated her 90th Birthday!
For further information regarding the programs available at the Smithtown Senior Citizens Center or to learn more about becoming a volunteer, call the Senior Center at 631-360-7616.
Injuries from falls can result in a loss of independence. METRO photo
By David Dunaief, M.D.
Dr. David Dunaief
Taking a tumble can result in broken bones and torn ligaments. These can be serious for older patients, where the consequences can be devastating. They can include brain injuries, hip fractures, a decrease in functional ability and a decline in physical and social activities (1). Ultimately, a fall can lead to loss of independence (2).
What can increase your fall risk?
Of course, there are environmental factors, like slippery or uneven surfaces. Other contributing factors to personal fall risk include age and medication use. Some medications, like antihypertensive medications, which are used to treat high blood pressure, and psychotropic medications, which are used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia, are of particular concern. Chronic diseases can also contribute.
Circumstances that predispose us to falls also involve weakness in upper and lower body strength, decreased vision, hearing disorders and psychological issues, such as anxiety and depression (3).
What are some simple ways toreduce your fall risk?
It is most important to exercise. This means exercises that involve balance, strength, movement, flexibility and endurance, all of which play significant roles in fall prevention (4). The good news is that many of these can be done inside with no equipment or with items found around the home. We will look more closely at the research.
Nonslip shoes are a big help and, during the winter months, footwear that prevents sliding on ice, such as slip-on ice cleats that fit over your shoes.
In the home, inexpensive changes, like securing area rugs, removing tripping hazards, installing grab-bars to your bathroom showers and tubs, and adding motion-activated nightlights can also make a difference.
And, of course, pay attention when you’re walking. Resist the urge to text or read from your mobile device while you’re moving around. A recently published study of young, healthy adults found that texting while walking affected their gait stability and postural balance when they were exposed to a slip hazard (5).
How does medication put you at risk?
There are several medications that heighten fall risk. Psychotropic drugs top the list, but what other drugs might have an impact? A well-designed study showed an increase in fall risk in those who were taking high blood pressure medication (6). Those on moderate doses of blood pressure medication had the greatest risk of serious injuries from falls, a 40 percent increase.
These medications can reduce significantly the risks of cardiovascular disease and events, so physicians need to consider the risk-benefit ratio in older patients before stopping a medication. We also should consider whether lifestyle modifications, which play a significant role in treating this disease, can reverse your need for medication (7).
How much does exercise reduce fall risk?
A meta-analysis showed that exercise significantly reduced the risk of a fall (8). It led to a 37 percent reduction in falls that resulted in injury and a 30 percent reduction in falls that required medical attention. Even more impressive was a 61 percent reduction in fracture risk.
Remember, the lower the fracture risk, the more likely you are to remain physically independent. The author summarized that exercise not only helps to prevent falls but also fall injuries. Unfortunately, those who have fallen before, even without injury, often develop a fear that leads them to limit their activities. This leads to a dangerous cycle of reduced balance and increased gait disorders, ultimately resulting in an increased fall risk (9).
What types of exercise are best?
Any consistent exercise program that improves balance, flexibility, and muscle tone and includes core strengthening can help improve your balance. Among those that have been studied, tai chi, yoga and aquatic exercise have all been shown to have benefits in preventing falls and injuries from falls.
A randomized controlled trial showed that those who did an aquatic exercise program had a significant improvement in the risk of falls (10). The goal of the aquatic exercise was to improve balance, strength and mobility. Results showed a reduction in the overall number of falls and a 44 percent decline in the number of exercising patients who fell during the six-month trial, with no change in the control group.
If you don’t have a pool available, tai chi, which requires no equipment, was also shown to reduce both fall risk and fear of falling in older adults (11).
Another pilot study used modified chair yoga classes with a small assisted-living population (12). Participants were those over 65 who had experienced a recent fall and had a resulting fear of falling. While the intention was to assess exercise safety, researchers found that participants had less reliance on assistive devices and three of the 16 participants were able to eliminate their use of mobility assistance devices.
Our best line of defense against fall risk is prevention with exercise and reducing slipping opportunities. In addition, if you are 65 and older, or if you have arthritis and are at least 45 years old, it may mean reviewing your medication list with your doctor. Before you consider changing your blood pressure medications, review your risk-to-benefit ratio with your physician.
Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com or consult your personal physician.
Setauket Elementary School. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim
By Mallie Jane Kim
Some area seniors and persons with disabilities will qualify for a 50% cut to the school portion of their property taxes next year, after the Three Village Board of Education voted during their Feb. 7 meeting to raise the maximum income levels on a tax exemption aimed at easing the financial burden on vulnerable groups.
The move comes after nearly a year of advocacy by area senior Rochelle Pollack, who approached the podium with her walker at several board meetings since March 2023 in order to ask the board to make the change. She said seniors have elevated medical and prescription costs — alongside the high inflation rates impacting everyone. “House prices have skyrocketed,” she said at an April 2023 meeting. “It’s great if you’re selling, but it’s not if you’re staying, as school taxes have also skyrocketed.”
Pollack pointed out that someone making $40,000 but paying $14,000 in property taxes is left with $26,000 to live on. “In this day of high inflation, gas, food, heat, medical procedures and prescriptions, I dare any of you to live on $26,000,” she told the board. “How can seniors?”
According to Deputy Superintendent Jeffrey Carlson, it’s unclear how much the savings for these groups will impact all the other homeowners in the area.
“What makes it tricky for the board is there’s no way to know how many people will now get this exemption,” Carlson explained, adding that changing the income levels opens up the exemption to a whole new group of people. “How many? No idea. We have no idea what income levels are, so it’s hard to say how much it will cost everyone else.”
During previous board meeting discussions of the exemption, Carlson compared it to splitting a restaurant bill. If two people in a group of 10 want to pay less because they only had water and salad, the other eight diners must pay more — the cost of the bill doesn’t change. “For one person to pay a little less, it means everyone else pays a little more.”
New York State raised the maximum allowable income levels in 2022 to $50,000 for those aged 65 and over, but the board opted to meet that increase halfway in light of uncertainty over how many seniors will take advantage of the tax credit, and what the real impact will be on all other homeowners.
The sliding scale approved by the board will mean people over 65, or those with disabilities, who make up to $39,500 can qualify for the maximum 50% benefit. At the lowest end of the exemption, those making $47,000 to $47,900 can get a 5% tax break. Residents would need to apply for the exemption to the town assessor by March 1.
Carlson explained that the state used to raise maximums for this income-based exemption incrementally each year, but until last year hadn’t made an increase since 2009, hence the substantial jump. Previously, residents needed to make $29,000 or less to qualify for the 50% discount.
Trustee David McKinnon vocally supported increasing the income levels for the exemption, as he had during previous board discussions, as a moral issue of fairness. He called property taxes regressive by nature since they tend to disproportionately burden people with lower incomes — the less a person earns, the higher percentage of their income they end up paying, on average. McKinnon also praised Pollack for her advocacy in raising the issue to the board.
“She’s been an incredibly effective advocate for seniors here,” he said. “I knew nothing about this particular issue, and she came in at considerable cost to herself.”
The board was unanimous in approving the increase, and left open the possibility of bringing the district in line with state maximums next year, depending on the impact this change has on the rest of the community.
Mount Sinai duo join Ward Melville, Northport standouts in Maryland for game of a lifetime
The Under Armour All-America senior team representing the North gather together during practice June 29. Photo from Meaghan Tyrrell
By Desirée Keegan
Although North fell to South in a 10-9 overtime thriller during the Under Armour All-America lacrosse game in Maryland June 30, featuring the country’s best high school seniors, recent Mount Sinai graduate Meaghan Tyrrell was just proud to have been a part of it.
Ward Melville midfielder Shannon Berry grabs the ball during the Under Armour All-America senior game June 30. Photo from Shannon Berry
“Being chosen to be part of the Under Armour game is such a huge honor because it’s the top 44 players in the country being chosen, which makes for a great game,” she said. “It was quality, competitive lacrosse, which is good to have before heading into college.”
According to Ward Melville senior Shannon Berry, another player selected for the game, the teams arrived in Baltimore Thursday, June 28, and the girls spent the first evening at the Under Armour headquarters, where they received all of their gear. The teams practiced twice on Friday before taking the field Saturday morning.
“It was crazy to talk to some of those girls over the weekend and reflect on our time as young lacrosse players, and to see how far our journey’s as lacrosse players have gone,” the Princeton University-bound
midfielder said. “All of my teammates were both incredible lacrosse players and great people. They were all extremely competitive, but also very friendly and kind.”
Tyrrell said working alongside former competition was part of what made the experience unique.
“It’s cool to get to know people that you’ve played against in school and travel lacrosse,” she said. “I think our team clicked practicing on both offense and defense.”
Tyrrell played with teammate Meaghan Scutaro, a defender headed to the University of Notre Dame, for the last time. She said it was the best way she could cap off her high school lacrosse career.
“I can’t think of any other way to say goodbye to high school lacrosse,” she said. “The game itself was so fun.”
The Syracuse University-bound attack scored twice, her second tying the game at 9-9, which is something she’d consistently done for her Mustangs girls lacrosse team across her career.
Recent Mount Sinai graduates Meaghan Tyrrell and Meaghan Scutaro, at center, with their families during a photo shoot. Photo from Meaghan Tyrrell
“It was a great feeling to be able to help the team,” she said. “We had an opportunity to go into overtime and be able to try and win.”
Berry totaled four ground balls and five clears, taking one shot on goal.
“The level of competition was certainly the highest I have played in so far in my career,” said Berry, who played at attack, midfield and defense during the game. “The entire experience was incredible. Under Armour and Corrigan Sports truly do an amazing job of honoring the senior athletes and giving them an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Ward Melville graduate Alex Mazzone was chosen to play in the boys game. The Georgetown University-bound defender was on the South team that toppled North 22-15.
“It was really awesome to have both a male and female to represent Ward Melville,” Berry said. “It was great knowing that both of us were there representing our community.”
Northport attack Emerson Cabrera said the athletes are treated like professionals. They’re given new sneakers, cleats, uniforms and sticks and are followed around by photographers all weekend. The game is also broadcast live, and the teams took part in a charity day, working with Harlem Lacrosse, which Cabrera said was rewarding.
Northport’s Emerson Cambrera, at center, with future teammates Hannah Mardiney and Sarah Reznick. Photo from Emerson Cabrera
She assisted on Bayport-Blue Point attack Courtney Weeks’ goal, who Cabrera said is a longtime friend of hers with whom she played club ball.
“Everyone wanted to contribute somehow to the score, I was lucky to get a dodging opportunity to create an open cut for Courtney,” she said. “This was really an experience like no other. Under Armour makes it so special for us. I’m very proud to have ended my high school career being an Under Armour All-American.”
Cabrera, along with many of her teammates from the all-star game, will continue to compete alongside one another at the collegiate level. She’ll be joining Long Beach goalkeeper Sarah Reznick and Notre Dame Prep attack Hannah Mardiney at the University of Florida in the fall where several other local alumnae currently play, like soon-to-be senior Sydney Pirreca (Mount Sinai) and sophomore Shannon Kavanagh (Smithtown East). Cabrera added that ending her high school career with this game wasn’t just an honor, but a dream come true.
“It’s been something I’ve wanted to be a part of since I was little,” she said. “All of us have played with or against each other over the years and many of us will be joining forces together in college, so it was easy for our team to mesh. The transition I’m sure will still be a little tough, but as long as we all work hard, I’m sure it’ll go well.”
Mount Sinai’s valedictorian Jonathan Yu and salutatorian Jack Pilon are like many other students in their class, looking forward to college, and even further, future careers.
Yu finished with a 103.12 GPA. The senior was the environmental club vice president, a National Merit Scholarship award winner and he ran winter and spring track.
Mount Sinai valedicotiran Jonathan Yu. Photo from Mount Sinai School District
He said his proudest accomplishments were as a member of the school’s Ocean Bowl team. The team is made up of four students who travel to competitions where they test their knowledge of marine sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics and geology. This year the team won the regional Bay Scallop Bowl at Stony Brook University and went on to compete in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, where it placed eighth.
“It was a great accomplishment,” Yu said. “It was great to explore, go to different places and meet new people.”
Yu will attend Georgia Institute of Technology where he plans to study physics, a subject which to Yu is a means to understanding a complex world.
“The world is so complicated — so it’s nice to simplify it,” Yu said. “At the simplest level everything in the universe follows a certain set of rules, and I think that’s amazing.”
Yu said he hopes to take his passion for the subject to work as a researcher, and added if he had any choice of destination, it would be to work in Antarctica.
“It just seems like a really interesting place,” Yu said. “There is so much going on, from ice movement to the wildlife.”
As a word of advice for incoming high school freshmen, he said kids have to help each other so that everyone can succeed.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” he said.
Mount Sinai salutatorian Jack Pilon. Photo from Mount Sinai School District
Pilon graduated with a 103.52 GPA. The senior has been team captain for spring and winter track, National Honor Society president and a member of the school’s orchestra, but his highlight moments were spent as this year’s class president.
In his junior year, Pilon and his fellow class officers created committees on prom, homecoming, fundraising and class trips that were joined by students interested in having a say in running the school events.
“These were students who wouldn’t have originally had the opportunity or even interest in school government, and we were able to get them involved,” Pilon said.
Being class president is just a part of Pilon’s interest in government and politics. It’s why he plans to major in government while attending the College ofArts and Sciences at Cornell University.
“It kind of drew from what I did as class president — you’re really able to create change, and it’s something I’m really interested in,” Pilon said.
But that isn’t his only interest. He is attending the arts and sciences college to see which of his interests — medicine, government or business — draws more of his attention.
Pilon said anybody who wants to enjoy high school should look to get involved.
“Use the opportunities given to you,” he said. “Explore everything you can, take the hard classes and be up to the challenge.”
Miller Place High School valedictorian Nicole Cirrito and salutatorian Victoria Calandrino have worked hard both in the classroom and on the sports field.
Cirrito graduated with a 100.77 GPA and won several academic awards, including the Rensselaer Medal Award for Excellence in Math and Science, the Advanced Placement Language Expository Writing Award, scholar-athlete awards in track and field hockey and was named an AP scholar with honors. Her SAT score sits at a healthy 1520.
Miller Place valedictorian Nicole Cirrito. Photo from Miller Place School District
Cirrito is an active member of the school’s yearbook club, service club and the Foreign Language Honor Society. As an athlete, she has been recognized as All-League and All-Division on her spring track team. She also ran cross-country.
“I’m going to miss my friends the most, that and running track,” Cirrito said.
Some of her proudest accomplishments were done as vice president of the National Honor Society, where she participated in setting up blood drives, food drives and other charitable events.
“We got to do things for our community and we were able to become very involved in all the planning and executing” Cirrito said.
She will be attending Stony Brook University in the fall where she will study math in the honors program with the hopes of becoming a math teacher.
“I like the ability to figure out what problems are ahead of you just using what you know,” Cirrito said. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher since I was younger, and when I got older and I learned I liked math. I just knew I wanted to be a math teacher.”
Calandrino graduated with a 99.87 GPA and received high marks on advanced placement exams, including a perfect score in AP Psychology. She is the receiver of awards for excellence in AP Psychology, AP World History and AP Language and Composition. In school she has been active as a member in the school orchestra and on the school soccer and track teams.
Miller Place salutatorian Victoria Calandrino. Photo from Miller Place School District
Outside of school she held several leadership positions, including secretary of the National Honor Society, in which she recorded meeting minutes and worked to help set up events.
The most fun she said she’s had in her activities out of school involved an internship for Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai), where she aided the politician in the offices response to the White House attempting to lift the ban on wildlife trophies as well as the legislator’s efforts in dealing with local feral cat problems.
“In Miller Place we have a feral cat problem, and my family adopted a cat that we found outside, so I got to work with different vets around Miller Place and Mount Sinai to coordinate the office’s efforts,” Calandrino said.
She will be attending Boston University where she will be studying political science on a prelaw track. Though at the moment she intends on going into law, she said she is leaving herself open to studying politics or world history, specifically looking at working in international relations.
Calandrino said students entering high school who might think they enjoy a subject should use the available AP classes to see in which subjects they are interested.
“Definitely don’t slack off and not take AP classes, because AP classes transfer to a lot of schools,” she said. “It’s very beneficial and it will help you figure out if you want to become something in that field.”
Scenes from Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Scenes from Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A decorated cap during Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Scenes from Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Parents line up to watch Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduate June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Newfield High School's Class of 2018 valedictorian, Logan Ortiz, addresses his class during the graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior accepts his diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior accepts her diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior gets ready to accept his diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A decorated cap during Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior accepts her diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior shows off her diploma during the class of 2018's graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Newfield High School's Class of 2018 salutatorian, Diogo Martins, addresses his class during the graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior accepts his diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior accepts her diploma during the class of 2018's commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
A Newfield High School senior shows off his diploma during the class of 2018's graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Scenes from Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Newfield High School seniors sing during the graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Scenes from Newfield High School's class of 2018 graduation day ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Newfield High School seniors toss their caps in celebration of their milestone achievement during the class of 2018 commencement ceremony June 24. Photo by Greg Catalano
Newfield High School seniors may have had to make one last change in their schedules, but weren’t going to let a little rain dampen their mood when they took to the football field for their graduation day ceremony June 24.
Although postponed a day, parents came out in droves to cheer on the class of 2018, watching the seniors collect flowers and stop to pose for pictures after receiving their diplomas. Valedictorian Logan Ortiz and salutatorian Diogo Martins addressed the crowd for the final time as classmates.
Students also sang and showed off decorated caps before tossing them in the air in celebration of a milestone achievement.
