Two are named valedictorian

Two seniors at South Side High School performed so well this year that the district couldn’t choose just one valedictorian. Instead, Cameron Coletti and Samantha Stein were named co-valedictorians of the class of 2023.

“We had two students who achieved so highly that we couldn’t even decipher between the two of them,” Principal Patrick Walsh told the school board on March 23.

Coletti is the type of student who always welcomes a challenge. Throughout her years at South Side, she has made that clear with unbridled enthusiasm and an active interest in learning.

She is an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate whose effort and perseverance have enabled her to excel in I.B. courses including business management, chemistry, and French.

Both Coletti and Stein were among 81 qualifying business students in the high school’s DECA club to compete in the state competition in Rochester last month. Coletti has also made her mark outside the classroom, as a key member of the girls’ varsity track team and captain of the three-time Nassau County champion cross-country team.

As vice president of the Backpacks Foundation Club, Coletti leads her classmates in collecting school supplies for children in need. And as a volunteer for the Bethany Buddies Club, she helps provide child care and assistance with homework for children in the program.

“Cameron is an outstanding person who has left her mark on South Side High School,” Walsh said. “All that she has accomplished, both academically and personally, comes secondary to the fact that she is an exceptional young woman with integrity and a great strength of character.”

Stein has devoted much of her time to helping others and continues to work hard at achieving her goals with tenacity, poise, and focus. During her years at South Side, Walsh said, she mastered the difficult art of humility: Although her accomplishments are impressive, she seldom, if ever, calls attention to herself.

Stein is an I.B. diploma candidate who has challenged herself with some of the most rigorous courses offered by the district. Her thought-provoking questions and insightful answers have helped her stand out as a leader in the classroom, and excel in courses including I.B. management, I.B. Spanish and A.P. calculus.

Stein has received national and state recognition through her induction into the math, science, Spanish, Tri-M, and national honor societies. She also earned an honorable mention at the prestigious Toshiba Explorer Vision science fair for her project on water desalination.

Stein is president of the DECA club, and at the state competition in Rochester, she took first place for her career-development project. She is also a four-year member of the varsity track, cross-country and softball teams.

Outside of the classroom, she serves as vice president of programming for her chapter of the Jewish teen movement BBYO and is a teacher’s assistant in a first-grade class at a local Hebrew school.

“It’s amazing that Sam has any time for herself, but she’s always calm, collected, and confident,” Walsh said. “We’re extremely proud of Sam for all of her amazing accomplishments.”

This year’s graduation will also feature a presentation to National Merit Scholarship semifinalist Matthew Downing.

“I have the pleasure of speaking about three exceptional students at South Side High School,” Walsh said. “Their tremendous academic achievements speak for themselves, but the thing that impresses me the most is that these are three of the best kids you’ll ever come across.”

The National Merit Scholarship program is an academic competition that was created in 1955. Each year, only 15,000 nationwide are recognized, based on their scores on the PSATs as well as other academics and school-related activities.

“The combination of Matthew’s academic strength and his distinctive personality make him an undeniable asset to our student body,” Walsh said. “He has a great appetite for learning, and welcomes new challenges with fervor.”

Downing is an I.B. diploma candidate who has maintained a high-grade point average for the last four years. As well, his participation in clubs and activities shows another side of his personality. He is the secretary of the French Club, an officer of the Board Games Club, and president of the Chess Club.

Downing embraces life with a sense of curiosity, resilience, and fierce independence, which Walsh indicated would continue to serve him well in his collegiate career and beyond.

“I just want to say how proud we are of all of you,” Schools Superintendent Matthew Gaven said. “You are a credit to our school, our district, and our community.”

Gaven adds that it is thanks to their parents, and their support, that each of the students was given the tools to succeed both now and in the future.