Skylar Mondelli, Gabriel Avitabile at top of Wantagh's class of 2025

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Skylar Mondelli and Gabriel Avitabile have worked hard to excel as Wantagh High School students, which has paid off big time in their senior year.

With a weighted grade point average of 108.526, Mondelli will be the class of 2025 valedictorian, while Avitabile will be its salutatorian with a 108.293 GPA.

Achieving the title of valedictorian has been a goal for Mondelli since she was a Wantagh Middle School student. Around that time, her mother always told her to “keep her eye on the prize,” which she has applied throughout her high school studies.

“I was just glad that all the hard work I put into it ended up paying off,” Mondelli said.

By the end of the school year, Mondelli said she will have taken 12 Advanced Placement classes, including AP Biology and AP Chemistry, two courses that have had an impact on her future career. With a focus on science, Mondelli hopes to become a nurse anesthetist, and credited the district’s teachers for making the classes engaging for her.

“(The teachers) really focused on the specific topics,” Mondelli said. “I felt very prepared for my AP exam. I just like the intricate details of the course.”

Avitabile also credited his teachers for his success at Wantagh, adding that they have always been helpful and supportive.

“They always make sure you understand the lesson, so you take something away from it,” Avitabile said.

Paul Guzzone, the high school’s principal, said Mondelli and Avitabile are model students, which extends beyond their GPA. Their commitment to extracurricular activities, while remaining humble about their accomplishments, is what makes them exemplary students, Guzzone added.

“They're just so humble and so driven, and they're just perfect models of what we hope for all our students to kind of strive to be,” Guzzone said. “I couldn't be more thrilled to be at the podium with them on graduation.”

For Avitabile, becoming salutatorian was a culmination of everything he’d done throughout his high school years. Since freshman year, he’s taken 12 AP courses, which includes an AP Physics course he took last school year. The difficult material, he said, made the course enjoyable.

“I like problem solving,” Avitabile said. “It's like a real challenge for you to figure out the problem.”

Becoming salutatorian, he said, showed that all the late nights studying were worth it. After graduating, Avitabile said he hopes to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.

As for sports, Mondelli said she’s been a three-sport varsity athlete since freshman year of high school. She’s a four-year athlete for varsity volleyball and spring track, and played varsity basketball from freshman to junior year, and this year she started varsity winter track.

Avitabile said he participated in varsity spring track and swimming for two years and is currently involved in varsity volleyball.

Aside from coursework, Mondelli and Avitabile have been busy with several clubs. Mondelli is the co-vice president of Health Occupations Students of America, as well as president of the Wantagh Foundation for Furthering the Sciences. She’s also a member of Key Club, a trustee for the National Honor Society, vice president of the World Language Honor Society and a member of Science National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

Avitabile is treasurer of Fashion Club and Portfolio Development, and is in national, math, English and world language honor societies. He’s also president of the World Food Club and Art Club, which was a fun experience, he said.

“I have a passion for art,” Avitabile said. “The communities that we have in that club are really strong. We all just do the projects together, and it's just great.”

Outside of school, the two students have worked to uplift their community. Since freshman year, Mondelli has participated with the Shooting Stars Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth through educational support and community programs.

Avitabile is a member of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where he helps raise money for blood cancer research. He’s also a member of the St. Francis de Chantal Youth Group in Wantagh, where he participates in fundraisers and soup kitchens for the church.

For Avitabile, it’s important not to underestimate the small tasks one can accomplish each day.

“Focus on what you're passionate about and what your specific skill set is, and don't worry if other people might be better than you in certain areas you know,” Avitabile said. “Just focus on what you like and what you want to do.”

Both Mondelli and Avitabile will receive their AP capstone, and are working on their Seal of Biliteracy, a national recognition awarded to high school students who demonstrate proficiency in two or more languages. Both students said their time at Wantagh High School has been positive and are looking forward to walking at graduation as the valedictorian and salutatorian.

“I wouldn't want to be at any other school,” Mondelli said. “I'm being honest. I feel like the perfect community was built in the school.”