For Glen Cove High School valedictorian Saoirse Fiedor, earning the top academic honor in the Class of 2026 was never about chasing a title.
Instead, the 18-year-old said her success grew from a quiet determination to do her best, a love of learning and inspiration drawn from generations of family members who overcame adversity and dedicated their lives to helping others.
Fiedor, who graduated with a 99.96 unweighted average and a 107.08 weighted GPA, completed 14 Advanced Placement courses while earning membership in the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Ro Kappa and the World Language Honor Society. This fall, she will attend Binghamton University as a member of its University Scholars Program, where she plans to major in biological sciences.
She hopes to pursue a career in medicine, though she said she plans to keep an open mind as she explores opportunities in college.
“Right now I’m seriously leaning toward being an M.D.,” Fiedor said. “But I’m going to explore, see what suits my abilities and what suits my goals.”
Her interest in medicine stems in part from her family’s history. Fiedor’s maternal grandmother, Moonja Ham, is a nurse who emigrated from Korea. Her late granduncle left Korea to study medicine in Germany after the family lost nearly everything during World War II. After becoming a physician, he earned enough money to help Moonja Ham and another sibling attend nursing school.
Learning about those sacrifices left a lasting impression.
“I guess it helped me always get this attitude, like, if they could manage this, then I’m sure I can get through whatever I face,” Fiedor said.
More recently, watching her grandmother’s health decline in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened her desire to help others through medicine and scientific research.
“I really want to help people,” Fiedor said. “I want to be able to help people find new cures, especially for things that we don’t know about yet.”
While many high-achieving students describe intense parental pressure, Fiedor said her family took a different approach. Her mother, Gina Ham, works as a computer programmer designing surveys for market research, and she said her family always encouraged her to pursue her own goals.
“My mom was never like those tiger moms,” she said. “They always reminded me that I don’t have to be perfect. I always have a choice.”
That freedom, she said, helped fuel her motivation because her accomplishments felt like her own.
During her four years at Glen Cove High School, Fiedor developed a particular interest in science and chemistry. She said she discovered that a subject many students find intimidating came naturally to her, helping solidify her interest in STEM fields.
Outside the classroom, music has remained an important part of her life. Fiedor began taking piano lessons in second grade and participated in the New York State School Music Association program before the pandemic interrupted her progression through the levels. She also played violin from fourth grade through middle school before teaching herself how to play the viola during her freshman year.
After borrowing a viola over February break, she spent the week learning the instrument through online resources and sheet music. By the spring concert, she had successfully switched from violin to viola.
“I wanted to branch out and see what I could do on my own,” she said.
Principal Allen Hudson, who has worked in the district for 21 years, said Fiedor’s academic record ranks among the most impressive he has seen.
“I have nothing but great things to say about Saoirse,” Hudson said. “She’s brilliant. I love the fact that she’s self-motivated.” Hudson added that her GPA may be the highest he has encountered during his time in the district.
As she prepares to leave Glen Cove for Binghamton, Fiedor said the lessons she learned from her family remain her greatest source of motivation: work hard, stay compassionate and use knowledge to help others.
