Freeman said she is looking forward to college and meeting new people. “I’m ready to branch out,” she said.

While being valedictorian was a goal for her for six years, Freeman said she didn’t work for it at the expense of other goals. She explained that she wants others to reach their full potential, and would never turn aside a friend in need of help with schoolwork.

Freeman noted that her class has set numerous academic records at North, with seven seniors set to attend Ivy League schools. “To be at the top of a class like that,” she said, “is more of an honor than being valedictorian.”

Sanky, who went to elementary school at Wheeler Avenue, said he believes the education he received in Valley Stream has prepared him for the future. The diversity at North High School, coupled with caring and concerned teachers, has given him confidence that he is poised for success in the next four years and beyond.

The two are already thinking about their graduation speeches. Freeman wants hers to be impactful and memorable, while offering some guidance to her classmates they can carry through college. Sanky said he is trying to figure out how to capture six years of high school in just a few minutes. “I’m going to try my hardest,” he said, “to express how I felt about it.”

Jeanette Freeman

Valedictorian
GPA: 109.25
College: University of Pennsylvania
Expected major: Biology on the pre-med track
Inspirational teachers: William Kerr, band; Christy Mansfield, English; Santo DiSclafani, biology; Lauren Buchbauer, physics

Michael Sanky

Salutatorian
GPA: 108.95
College: Harvard University
Expected major: Mathematics and biomedical engineering
Inspirational teachers: Kevin Gilchrist, government; Elina Fomina, calculus; Ross Lipsky, It’s Academic advisor