After 13 years of dedication and perseverance to academics, extracurricular activities and community outreach, seniors Ibuki Iwasaki and Eli Doyle have been designated valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the Class of 2018.

“I’m extremely honored,” Ibuki said, “especially because some of the valedictorians and salutations in the past were people whom I really looked up to both in and outside of school. I’ve always aimed for good grades…becoming valedictorian was definitely a goal of mine.”

Ibuki has earned a 101.40 GPA. She is president of the high school National Honor Society, a member of the Mathletes team, Science Olympiad and Latin Club. She has been on the varsity tennis team since eighth-grade and was undefeated individually in the league this year.

Her list of awards is comprehensive and include being a National Merit Scholarship recipient, AP Scholar with Distinction, a gold medalist for three years and a silver medalist for one year on the National Latin Exam, and a first-place and third-place winner in Science Olympiad individual events.

Her musical talents include having a perfect score for three years at the Level VI New York State School Music Association Festival and being selected for All-County, Long Island String Festival and Suffolk County Music Educators Associations festivals. Ibuki’s community involvement revolve around playing violin; she has been a concert mistress in a youth orchestra and the school orchestra; has performed chamber music at the pre-college program at Stony Brook University and has volunteered to perform at the village library and local daycare and nursing home. She is also tutors Japanese-speaking people the English language.

Last summer, Ibuki interned at Brookhaven National Laboratory in her first official research experience. Before that, she spent time at a laboratory at Stony Brook University where her mother is a research scientist.

As the salutatorian, Eli will graduate with a 100.85 GPA. Like Ibuki, he challenged himself by enrolling in many Advanced Placement, college-level and honors courses. Beyond the classroom, he excelled on the field, playing tennis since ninth-grade and participating as part of the stage crew for school plays, musical and concerts.

“One of the perks of being in a small school is that there is a very cooperative attitude, even among the most competitive of the students,” Eli said. “This is something we all take for granted, but I wouldn’t have achieved this honor without help and support of my awesome classmates and dedicated teachers.”

Eli has been a member of Science Olympiad since sixth-grade, on the Mathletes team, the Academic Team, and a member and officer of the Student Organization for all four years of his high school career. He also had the unique opportunity to take part in the prestigious Simons Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University where he studied ferroelectric materialism the physics lab.

Eli has received honors from the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League, a Coach’s Award for Team Sportsmanship and the American Math Competition Level 10 in 2015. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in 2015 and The Robert A. Belfer Family Fellowship Award for Travel and Study in Israel in 2016.

“Ibuki and Eli are two exceptional students,” Principal Christine Austen said. “In addition to being at the top of their class, they are both well-rounded, very involved in extracurricular activities and each of them has received numerous accolades to date. They are on to great things in the future and I wish them continued success.”

Although she is awaiting word from several colleges and looks to major in physics, Ibuki has been accepted to MIT, where she is considering attending. Her post college plans include working in a STEM-related career. Eli plans to major in Applied Physics at Brown University and is already considering graduate school.