Freshman dream turns real for friends in Seaford High School

Meet Seaford’s valedictorian and salutatorian

Posted

EDIT: A previous version of this article listed the salutatorian's name as "Ana" rather than "Anna." We regret this typo.

It was just another day of classes at Seaford High School three years ago when two freshmen, Jordan Ament and Anna LaGrassa, joked about finishing at the head of their class. “Wouldn’t it be cool if you were one and I was two?” LaGrassa recalled saying to Ament before the two laughed it off and got back to work.

Three years later, Ament and LaGrassa will graduate as the class of 2018’s valedictorian and salutatorian.

The two friends grew close while playing in Seaford’s band, volunteering at a Hempstead soup kitchen, mentoring this year’s freshman class of 2022 and teaming up for class projects, including those in Tanya Cintorino’s Advanced Placement Language and Composition class. The Seaford School District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year recalled Ament and LaGrassa not only being inseparable in class, but also being humble and open to self-improvement through criticism.

“They both represent the best of Seaford,” Cintorino said. “They both left an indelible mark on my heart.”

Cintorino said that Amentwas soft-spoken at the start of his junior year. She remembers him working hard to develop his writing voice by the end of her class, for which he wrote his main research paper on police brutality. “The insight he provided during class discussions was noteworthy,” Cintorino said, “but his voice in his writing stood out more than anything.”

He made his voice heard in another way on March 14, when he and his schoolmates walked out to honor the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. A family friend of Ament’s survived the shooting, and he passionately advocated students’ taking on a larger role in government affairs and policy, especially as it pertained to their own safety.

“Jordan cares about people,” LaGrassa said. “When he sees something wrong, he has to say something about it. He knows what’s right, and won’t shy away from having a voice or doing the right thing.”

While he will enter Northeastern University undecided on a major, Ament said that taking part in the March walkout pushed him to consider majoring in political science. When he moves to Boston, he will say goodbye to LaGrassa, who he said would bring her unstoppable drive to Fordham University this fall.

“She’s really motivated,” Ament said. “When she sets her mind to something, she’s gonna accomplish it. I’ve seen her do it so many times, and she — she’s the best.”

LaGrassa’s guidance counselor, Suzanne Cosenza, echoed that praise, emphasizing her resiliency. Cosenza recalled walking into her office once to see her door decorated by LaGrassa and another National Honor Society student, both of whom wanted to thank her for helping them get through high school.

“Anna does the right thing when nobody is watching,” Cosenza said. “That’s her character through and through. She’s a good, solid young woman.”

Consenza added that in 20 years as a guidance counselor, she could not recall another student who exhibited LaGrassa’s humility. Last year, Consenza said, Anna’s mother questioned whether she would be among the top 25 students, let alone second in the class.

“I think I knew I had a shot at number two, and I wanted it really badly,” LaGrassa said. “But I also knew there were other students that were close to getting it, so I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

Seaford High Principal Scott Bersin didn’t overhear Ament’s and LaGrassa’s prescient conversation as freshmen, but said he knew the two thought about becoming high-ranked students. He noted their rigorous course loads, complete with college-level courses, describing them as a testament to how much they cared about their futures.

“They were very much beyond their years in their academic maturity,” Bersin said, “and when you combine that with their really strong talent, it’s not a surprise at all that they ended up where they are. I could’ve probably predicted this years ago.”