Glen Cove’s salutatorian is Aisling Greene

Aisling Greene, a 17 year old senior, is Glen Cove High School’s salutatorian for 2023. A member of her class student senate, she has helped organize homecoming and pep rallies. She is also co-president of the student senate. 

Greene has committed to the University of Maryland and will choose to major in either computer science or data science. Math has always been her favorite subject. 

“When we started doing long division, I found it almost satisfying to find the answer,” Greene said. “I knew that there was one definitive answer, and I remember I could do my homework or class work and make problems for myself that I could solve and then check.”

She remembers her passion for math spilling into her free time, and knew she enjoyed it more than most students in her class

Greene was always motivated to perform well in school, saying she looks up to her older sister Caitriona, who graduated in the class of 2020, and her brother Ciaran, class of 2022 at the Glen Cove City School District. 

“I always saw them as smart,” Greene said. “I just wanted to follow in their footsteps.”

Greene fondly remembers an assignment to draw a blueprint of a house. Her father, a local contractor, helped her with the project. She said her creative side blossomed with his knowledge of blueprints and his love of music. Greene is also inspired by her mother’s business mindset as an accountant for FedEx. She hopes to one day own a business where she takes the practical lessons her mother taught her about finances and combine it with the imagination her father helped to foster. 

Her passion for math isn’t just limited to crunching numbers, instead, Greene has gravitated to the creative side of her mathematical talents by learning to code. Coders need a vision for their creations and the creativity to bring that vision to life.

As a coder, she focuses on making graphics, and has even created movie themed Wordle puzzles, which she made in her advanced computer science class in 2022. During her creative process, she pays close attention to measurements to make sure images are proportional.  

Greene’s fascination with the creative side of math inspired her to tutor her younger peers. She hoped to open them to a new way of thinking about math and let younger students experience the creative world at a younger age than she had. 

“I’m so passionate about coding and I felt like I didn’t really know about it that much as a middle schooler,” Greene said. “I wanted to give the middle schoolers the opportunity to learn about it and see it, and that’s been really fun.”

Greene has always been highly involved in her school’s community. Aside from her academics, getting to know her teachers and classmates was one of her favorite parts of being a student. When the coronavirus pandemic was widespread, she felt the crushing isolation of not seeing her friends and fellow classmates. 

“It’s hard to sort of feel inspired to do your work when you don’t really have a connection to the class,” Greene said. “I think that was definitely the hardest part about it. You just felt very disconnected from your work because you were so disconnected from everything.”

“Aisling is in a league of her own,” said guidance counselor Christine Farrell. “She is a prolific student, brilliant leader, and a caring sister and friend. Aisling exceeds expectations as one of the most well-rounded students I have worked with.”

The creative mathematician loves her school, but she also loves helping her community. Greene is a member of the Rotary Youth Leadership Association, and she’s worked with a local transitional home in the area, Living Water for Women. Living Water’s mission is to help disenfranchised and formerly incarcerated women, who are struggling with addictions, to overcome their weaknesses and nurture their strengths so that they may become vital members of the community. 

Greene has helped to get residents of Living Water essentials like toilet paper and clothes.