Graduation 2017

'Just walk it,' says JFK valedictorian

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Alixandra Wilens said it was her love of learning and desire to always do her best that led to her being named 2017 valedictorian at John. F. Kennedy High School.

“At the start of high school, I made the decision to do my best in all of my subjects,” Wilens said. “I couldn’t help but be aware of the possibil-ity of becoming valedictorian, but I just kept doing the best that I could do, and it worked out.”

In the fall, Wilens will attend the Hofstra University Honors College, where she will double major in history and psychology. She said it was her passion for writing and storytelling that inspired her to focus on those areas of study.

“History is like one big story,” she said, “and psychology is the study of how that story happened.”

Part of Wilens’s outlook on the intersection of history and psychology may have come from her teachers, including writing mentor and English teacher Vivian DiGennaro and social studies teacher Erin Coman. “[Coman] made history sound like a best-selling novel,” she said.

Wilens was recently recognized for her writing when she received the Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Medal. She was one of just eight stu-dents to be awarded the medal out of 330,000 applicants nationwide.

“I submitted an eight-piece portfolio, including newspaper articles, short stories and poetry, called ‘The Power of a Story,’” she said. “I’m really big on showcasing different voices, so my pieces focused on feminism and women around the world who are working to enhance female rights.

“This is the culmination of everything I’ve worked toward as a writer,” she added, “and it’s only the beginning.”

Earlier this month, Wilens and the other medalists were honored at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

“Don’t ever force a story out,” she advised high school writers. “While the writing process may seem long and annoying, if it’s a story that’s meant to be told, just let it come out naturally.”

She pursued her love of storytelling at Kennedy by writing for the school newspaper, the Cougar Crier. As a senior, she was editor in chief. “We had a great paper this year, and I’m really proud of it,” she said. “Writing for the paper has been a great experience, and I love to take on stories related to world news and politics.”

Wilens’s other academic accomplishments include being a National Merit Commended Student and an A.P. Scholar with Honor. She is a member of Mu Alpha Theta as well as the English, foreign language and science honor societies, and is a board member of the National Honor Society.

She advises students to not rush through their time in high school, and instead to try to enjoy whatever stage of life they are in. “I always say, just walk it,” she said. “You can’t go too fast, but at the same time, you can’t move too slow. Just walk it, and everything will work out natu-rally.”