Kenneth Chan is East Meadow High School’s salutatorian

If there was one thing that got East Meadow salutatorian Kenneth Chan through high school, it was the time spent with his friends in and out of the classroom.

“The memories I have the most of are mostly doing things with my friends,” Chan, 17, said. “Whether it was struggling together in some sort of project, or something difficult, or making jokes, having fun just hanging out.”

Chan, much like his classmate Addison Baroukh — the classes valedictorian —attended Barnum Woods Elementary School in the East Meadow School District and then went on to Woodland Middle School. He’s finishing up high school as second in his class with a weighted grade point average of 109.44.

He will be heading to The Cooper Union, a private college in Manhattan’s East Village, where he will be studying electrical engineering. He said he chose that major because he really enjoys doing math, and he hopes to advance his computer science skills in that field.

Throughout his high school career, Chan was very involved. He was a member of the National, Spanish, Social Studies, English, Science and Math honor societies. He was captain of the Math team, and the Hackathon Coding team. He’s captain of his track team, which he runs in winter and spring, and also spends his fall running in cross-country. He spent time with the chess club, and took part in the Academy of Finance that the district has to offer.

One of his proudest achievements, he said, was volunteering with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society chapter within the school that raises funds to help battle blood cancers. Last year his group raised $7,000, and this year they made it to $15,000.

Lisa Chan, Kenneth’s mother, said that her son has always made strong friendships. She recalled a time when Kenneth was in elementary school and his friend got hurt while they were playing on the playground. From a phone call from his teacher, Lisa found out that Kenneth sprang into action when he saw his friend hurt.

“He actually went up to the teacher, told them what happened and then walked his friend to the nurse,” Lisa said. “His friendships are very important to him, and he really values spending time with them.”

Kenneth said that staying active helped him clear his mind and relieve stress throughout his schooling.

“It’s nice to run and relax and take a break from all the studying,” Kenneth said. “Exercising helps with the brain mentally, physically and socially as well.”

Since the pandemic played a large roll in his high school career, Kenneth felt like it really shaped the way he continued his studies and social life. He was only a freshman when the pandemic started, and for his sophomore year school was virtual.

“I definitely missed out on things, especially for running,” Kenneth said. “I’m not as fast as I would’ve been if Covid didn’t exist.”

He said that he wishes he spent more time exercising during the unprecedented time.

“I felt so demotivated from not being able to run with the team,” he said. “I felt so disconnected. I was kind of lazy, only just studying and sitting there and doing work.”

Lisa said that she’s glad that her son found running as an outlet to reduce school anxiety.

“He’s very active in track and he loves it and exercising,” Lisa said. “He found his outlet and I think that’s how he gets rid of the stresses of the day and it also clears his mind for tests or for anything that bothers him.”

For Kenneth, going to the city for college means exploring new areas and learning about different ways of life.

“Since I’ll be in the city, hopefully I’ll see new cultures and learn a lot more about life besides just around here,” he said. “It’ll be fun to learn a lot more about the ins and outs of a much more busy atmosphere.”

For the future graduating classes of East Meadow High School, Kenneth says to slow down and enjoy what high school has to offer, and stay active.

“I kind of pushed myself a little too far and for some days, I didn’t really enjoy high school, so appreciate your friends and teachers, they do a lot more than you think they do,” he said. “I would also advocate for everyone, and for most younger generations, to do a little more sports and find something besides coursework that makes you happy.”