Clarke valedictorian, salutatorian reflect on past four years

When 17-year-old Alby Joseph practiced for his advanced placement exam in his Spanish class at W.T. Clarke High School, Principal Timonthy Voels abruptly cut his study session short.

“’The Class of 2017 valedictorian is Alby Joseph,’” Joseph mimicked. His classmates erupted in cheers and claps. “As soon as he said it, I was in shock,” Joseph said.

Joseph, who earned a 110.39 GPA, said the achievement was not easy, but worth it. His passion for math and science led him to become the president of the Science Honor Society and the National Honor Society. He was previously featured in an October edition of the Herald when he was named a Siemens Competition semifinalist for his research project—finding a way to treat pain sensors in the body by attacking one specific protein—at Stony Brook University.

He also was a member of the Science Olympiads and Mathletes, as well as the Math Honor Society. He placed third in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium and was later named a Regeneron Scholar. “My work is actually published in the Columbia University Junior Science Journal,” he added with a smile. “It’s awesome because others can see my work and hopefully, it will help someone somewhere. That’s my goal.”

Joseph plans on attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall — where he will major in chemical engineering — but he also intends to continue his second passion: music.

“I’ve been playing the cello since fourth grade,” Joseph said. “I know. I do a lot of things!”

Joseph was the president of the school’s Tri-M Music Honor Society. He performed in the Long Island String Festival Association concert, as well as in the All-County and All-State in the New York State School Music Association Conference. “I was also selected for the All-Eastern conference too, but I couldn’t attend it,” he said.

Joseph was also a member of the Foreign Language and English honor societies, and won a New York State championship with his teammates in the school’s Mock Trial team.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be here without the support of my parents,” he said. When his mother discovered he was valedictorian, she fell to the ground. “She’s a little dramatic,” Joseph laughed. “My parents both supported me the entire time. And my sister helped me out a lot, too. She’s 14 years older than me. She inspires me and keeps me grounded.”

Joseph said that his aspiration is to discover something new in his research. “Life is about making discoveries,” he added. “As long as I can find something significant that will help someone else, my goal will be fulfilled.”

At the same time Joseph heard the valedictorian news, a few hallways down, Priya Aggarwal sat in her American Sign Language class in shock. “I texted my mom and dad right away as soon as the principal announced that I’m the salutatorian,” Aggarwal, 17, said. “I was so surprised; I still am surprised!”
Aggarwal’s 108.42 GPA earned her the spot. Her secret? “I never sleep,” she said. “That, and loads of Taco Bell.”

Her resume is as full as Joseph’s: She was named a National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student this year for her SAT scores and academic accomplishments. She was a member of the Science Olympiads and Mathletes, and served as the DECA president for two years. She worked alongside Joseph in the school’s newspaper, Vanguard, as its layout editor, while Joseph was the features editor.

“After my best friend moved away, I felt like I didn’t really have many friends to turn to for support,” she confessed. “I decided to join the Multicultural Club and being in that club has become one of the best experiences for me in high school.”

She excelled in science and math, so she went to Molloy College the summer after her sophomore year through a science program. “I became interested in evolution during middle school,” she added. “I wanted to see if I could apply that theory with cancer to find treatments. It was a rewarding experience for me and it really opened doors.”

That summer, Aggarwal realized what she wanted to study, and this fall she enters the Women in Science and Engineering Program at Stony Brook University. “I’ll be dorming with women in that program only,” she said with a smile. “I’m excited to learn from other women and empower each other.”

When Aggerwal declared her human evolutionary biology major at Stony Brook, she reflected on her time at St. Francis Hospital in Port Washington as a volunteer for the past two years. Although she mainly worked in the front desk, she said that her experience further ignited her interest in medicine. “I delivered a beautiful vase with flowers to a patient one time and her face lit up right away,” she recalled. “If my work and research can ever do that for someone, that will be the best reward for me.”

Aggerwal said that thanks to her younger sister, parents and teachers at Clarke, she was able to find and explore her interests. “I want my graduating class to reflect on their four years of high school and always remember the great times,” she said. “When we go to college, I want them to make a realization that there are other people around. Introduce yourself to someone new, because you never know what connections and opportunities lie ahead.”