School year draws to a close

After a long few weeks of preparing for and taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams, students at Hewlett High School are finally releasing a well-deserved sigh of relief. With the end of the school year drawing closer, students are beginning to see the results of their hard work. The sun and warm weather begins to remind students of the upcoming summer as they finish their projects and receive recognition.

For a select group of students, AP week was especially interesting. Seniors Chenab Khakh, Remi Golden and Arik Slepyan and juniors Matthew Perkins and Alec Fischthal travelled to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) after qualifying from winning at the regional level. In addition to competing, Hewlett students participated in fun events with other international students.

“It was a once in a life time experience,” Khakh said. “I met amazing people from all over the world who are doing extremely innovative and awesome research! The speakers and students inspired me so much to keep delving into STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). I am truly proud to have represented our school.”

The trip proved to be a success, as Slepyan placed second in the category of microbiology and Perkins placed third in the category of cell biology. All students who attended worked meticulously to prepare for the competition with Dr. Terrence Bissoondial, who has helped students win at ISEF in the past.

Hewlett High also hosts numerous honor society induction ceremonies in the upcoming weeks. From music to business and others, students are honored for their academic achievements in a variety of disciplines. In order to be a member of Hewlett’s National Honor Society chapter, students must maintain their grade point average above the cutoff value and also complete 30 hours of community service during their senior year. This service often includes hours tutoring younger students in the area. This is a great way for students to give back to the community.