At Valley Stream Central High School, two seniors stand at the top of the Class of 2026 through years of hard work, perseverance and commitment to their school community.
Valedictorian Alishba Chaudhry and salutatorian Abdul Haseeb have distinguished themselves not only academically, but also through leadership, extracurricular involvement and a dedication to their future goals.
Assistant Principal Robert Milani said both students exemplify the values the school hopes to instill in its graduates. He noted that their academic schedules were filled with challenging Advanced Placement courses, which are college-level classes, and that their success reflects both their intelligence and determination.
“They have goals in mind,” Milani said. “I don’t want to say that everyone is college-focused, but certainly they are, and they’re very high achievers. I think a lot of our students, no matter where they are, work really hard to get to that point.”
Milani also emphasized that both students are respected by peers and teachers alike and represent what it means to be active members of the school community.
Alishba Chaudhry: Building toward excellence
At 17 years old, Alishba Chaudhry has built an academic record that places her at the top of a graduating class of 385 students, with a GPA of 111.30.
Her educational journey began at Clear Stream Avenue School, then continued at Memorial Junior High School and eventually at Central High School.
Throughout high school, Chaudhry became involved in a wide range of activities. She currently serves as president of the Muslim Student Association, where she has built a close community with fellow students while strengthening connections to her religion and culture. In addition to that leadership role, she is a member of several honor societies, including the National Honor Society as well as honor societies for math, science, history, English, music and world languages.
Her interests extend beyond academics. Chaudhry plays viola and has participated in the district music festival, which included a performance at Carnegie Hall. She also spent two years performing with a community orchestra. Outside the arts, she has played on the varsity badminton team and conducted research in biology with the chair of biology at Molloy University.
Chaudhry attributes her success largely to internal motivation and a mindset of continually pushing her limits. That drive helped her adapt when she first encountered the demands of AP coursework, which initially required her to learn new ways to manage her time and assignments.
“I felt like if I could achieve one thing, I wanted to go straight to the next thing,” Chaudhry said. “I just kept building and building to the point where I became valedictorian.”
Among her academic experiences, she highlighted her current AP chemistry class as particularly meaningful, describing it as a welcoming environment with a strong sense of community among students.
Chaudhry did not initially expect to be named valedictorian, making the recognition a surprise when it came. For her, the announcement represented the culmination of years of steady effort and commitment.
As she prepares for graduation, Chaudhry plans to attend college, majoring in biochemistry, before applying to medical school to become a doctor. While she has not yet committed to a university, she identified Stony Brook University as a top choice.
Reflecting on her high school experience, Chaudhry said she will miss the close-knit community she found there, particularly the opportunity to speak with teachers and build relationships in and out of class.
Abdul Haseeb: Turning challenges into motivation
Salutatorian Abdul Haseeb, also 17, followed a similar educational path through the Valley Stream school district. He attended Shaw Avenue School before moving on to Memorial Junior High School and ultimately Central High School.
Haseeb has a GPA of 111.040, placing him second in the class.
During high school, he became active in both athletics and leadership roles. He helped out with the student council and served as captain of the boys’ badminton team, which he joined when the program first started at the school. He also assists the coach with the girls’ badminton team and plans to try out for the tennis team, where he hopes to earn a spot and possibly serve as captain.
Outside of school, Haseeb volunteers at his local mosque and tutors physics.
His path to academic success was shaped by early challenges. As a younger student, he struggled with English and social studies and even attended special education classes in elementary school. Despite those difficulties, his brother consistently encouraged him and recognized his strength in mathematics, motivating him to pursue ambitious academic goals.
Haseeb said the doubts he encountered from others became another source of determination. Over time, he learned to devote extra hours to studying and to make changes in his routine.
“It’s something that other people didn’t need to do, but I understood that I needed to do that,” Haseeb said. “It was all just like a mental battle. Can I stay focused enough, or can I stay persistent? I think it did come down to just being able to make small sacrifices, like dropping games for an hour.”
One of his most meaningful experiences at Central came through AP physics, a subject he had been interested in since childhood. He described the class as a collaborative environment where students supported one another and shared enthusiasm for the subject.
When he learned he had been named salutatorian, Haseeb initially felt disappointed because he had hoped to become valedictorian. However, conversations with family and friends helped him recognize the significance of the achievement. The accomplishment also represented a major improvement over earlier in high school, when he had been ranked 27th in his class and told that reaching the top rank would be difficult.
After graduation, Haseeb plans to pursue engineering, currently focusing on mechanical engineering, though he remains open to exploring different areas within the field. He has already been accepted to Stony Brook University and is waiting to hear decisions from several other universities, including Columbia University and Cornell University.
Looking back on high school, Haseeb said he will miss the friendships and connections he formed over the years, recognizing that many classmates will soon head in different directions as they begin their futures.
Looking ahead
For both Chaudhry and Haseeb, graduation marks the end of a significant chapter shaped by determination, community and years of academic dedication. As they prepare to deliver their graduation speeches and move on to college, their journeys reflect not only individual success but also the supportive environment that helped them reach the top of their class.
