Malverne High School recognizes honor roll students

On the evening of Nov. 26, Malverne High School held an honor roll celebration and dedication of its Valedictorian Wall of Honor at the auditorium of Howard T. Herber Middle School. More than 200 students were recognized for their academic achievements thus far in the school year.

In his opening statements, Malverne High School Principal Dr. Vincent Romano recognized the large population of students being honored at the evening’s ceremony.

“I am pleased to be the principal of the school in which 50 percent of its student body is on the honor roll,” he said.

Romano also discussed the unveiling of the Valedictorian Wall of Honor, which will not only recognize students who have received the highest honor of valedictorian, but also help encourage current and future students.

“The plaques will serve to inspire all of our students for generations to come to achieve their full potential,” he said.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Hunderfund was also on hand to offer his congratulations.

“A few years ago, we only had 25 percent, maybe 30 percent of students on the honor rolls,” Hunderfund said. “That has steadily increased as students have taken on the challenge of working harder, doing better and excelling in school.”

That steady increase in student achievement has led to Newsweek and the Washington Post recognizing Malverne High School as being among the top 10 percent of schools in the nation for college readiness.

The evening also included a vocal performance by Ashley Akaeze, a select choir singer and high honor roll student, who sang Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.”

Class of 2010 valedictorian Maxwell Henry served as keynote speaker for the evening, offering words of encouragement to the students being recognized.

Currently a student at Hofstra University, Maxwell discussed his own experiences in college, where he took classes he normally would avoid and ended up discovering his major in math.

“Certainly do the things you’re good at, but also experiment with the things you think you’re bad at,” he said. “You should get out of your comfort zone from time to time, because it’s when we’re uncomfortable that we can grow the most as students and people.”