Twin brothers earn honors of valedictorian and salutatorian

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Identical twins Nicholas and Matthew Rizzo have been two peas in a pod during their years at Locust Valley High School. They were members of the robotics club, ran cross-country and track and field together, and have always excelled in academics. Now they have been deemed the top graduates — Nicholas as the valedictorian and Matthew as the salutatorian.

“We hoped for it and we wished for it but we never actually thought it would happen,” Matthew said. “When our principal told us the news, we realized it’s not just a dream. This is our reality.”

The 17-year-old twins said they finished with GPAs of around 108.5. While they both agreed that they have always been “neck and neck” in their academics, they have been supportive of each other every step of the way.

“No matter what I’m going through, I know that there’s always someone who’s going through the exact same thing as me,” Nicholas said. “I’ve always had someone to lean on.”

The honorees also agreed that it wasn’t as easy to dedicate themselves to academics as it was to focus on extracurricular activities. Matthew explained that they developed a routine that had worked for them since their freshman year. “As the coursework increased,” he said, “we became more focused on our daily process.”

Nicholas said that time management was the biggest challenge they had to face in high school. For them, it came down to having a willingness to set their priorities. “You have to be able to plan time for relaxing and time to focus on your schoolwork,” he said.

They agreed that their success wouldn’t be possible without their parents. “They’ve always been there to push and inspire us to do our best in whatever we pursue,” Matthew said.

The twins said that although their years in high school had their ups and downs, they would miss the moments they shared with their peers. “We made a lot of memories,” Nicholas said. “Now that classes are over, we’ll definitely reflect on the bonds we’ve created over the years in the classroom and through sports. That’s the best part.”

Nicholas said he hoped to share these thoughts and feelings with his classmates in his graduation speech. As for Matthew, he said he would likely focus on how his senior class is filled with well-rounded students. “I want to show that while we’re hardworking and intelligent, we’re also a group of people that has good character, charisma and humor,” he said.

As the twins embark on a new chapter in their lives, they won’t do it alone. Both will attend Northeastern University this fall, where they will study chemical engineering. Some of their friends and classmates from Locust Valley will join them there.

“We’re looking forward to meeting new people,” Matthew said, “but it’s nice to know that we’ll always have that core group to fall back on.”