Baldwin's top 2 scholars credit the community

Baldwin class of 2016 valedictorian Keyhan Vakil, left, and salutatorian David Zuckerman credited the atmosphere in the community with helping them succeed.

Nakeem Grant/Herald

Keyhan Vakil and David Zuckerman, the valedictorian and salutatorian of Baldwin High School’s graduating class, say they are proud and honored to add the accomplishment to their résumés.

“I think that, of course, it’s a great honor to be named valedictorian, and that it’s something which people always sort of picture and idolize,” Vakil said. “But it’s really just a number, and it’s not as important as people like to make it out to be.”

Zuckerman said he was astonished to hear the news from Baldwin High Principal Susan Knors. “I was always dreaming of that moment in time,” he said, “because as a freshman, you can hear Ms. Knors go on the loudspeaker, and you get the shivers every time, and you’d think, ‘Man, I really wish I could be there one day.’”

Vakil ended his junior year with a grade point average of 122.07, and Zuckerman finished at 121.04. Both spoke about the sacrifices they made to maintain those GPAs.

“I remember putting in countless hours studying and trying to absorb and memorize information, not only so that I could regurgitate it, but so that I could understand it and explain it to somebody who’s never learned the subject before,” Zuckerman said. “Getting about four hours of sleep a night would pretty much sum up my high school career, because I put in so many hours studying.”

Vakil noted that handling schoolwork outside the classroom is what gave him the edge. “I think a lot of it is not only what you do in school, but also what you do at home as well,” he said. “A lot of people come into school and they work very hard, but they also don’t have the other component, which is going home and putting in the work on your own in addition to what you learn at school.”

The boys’ after-school activities played a huge role in molding them into scholars, they said. Zuckerman said he learned a lot by meeting new people after school and during sports.

“Extracurricular activities mean everything to me,” he said. “It’s the basis for which you can meet other people and learn more about things you don’t know about. I think that doing these extracurricular activities was very enriching . . . This school has so many things to offer, anyway, so while you’re here, you might as well try everything and enjoy them.”

Juggling schoolwork with after-school activities, while also attempting to maintain a social life, is a struggle for most students. Zuckerman attributed a large part of his success to finding a balance among the three.

“As far as how to time-manage everything, it’s just a matter of making a schedule, sticking to it and letting people know what your schedule is in advance,” he said. “You have to communicate what’s going on to other people so they can’t be upset if a conflict arises.”

Vakil said he used the same tactics. “I think that the most important part about managing your time is setting expectations for what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it,” he said. “I really try to take . . . clubs that don’t conflict with each other. That way, you can really dedicate yourself fully to the clubs that you attend.”

Both credited the school district’s welcoming nature and the Baldwin community for aiding in their success. “It has to be acceptance and open-mindedness,” Zuckerman said. “With this school district, everybody is welcome to talk about their culture, where they come from, and share that with other people.”

“When I came to Baldwin, you really see everyone,” Vakil said. “You see all sorts of people. There’s no homogeny here — you have people will all sorts of political opinions and different social opinions, so it’s really great to see that come together in one school.”

Both boys grew up in the Baldwin district, and say that their peers and teachers have molded them into the students they are today.

Vakil will attend the University of California, Berkeley, in the fall, where he plans to major in math and computer science. “I would really love to get some sort of professorship in the future,” he said, “which would mean going to grad school, and keep working and see what I could do.”

Zuckerman will head to Yale University to study molecular, cellular and developmental biology. “I’d like to attend med school and hopefully go into neuroscience,” he said. “Maybe neurosurgery? We’ll see.”

They will address their fellow departing seniors at graduation on Friday at 5 p.m.