Working and playing hard paid off for East Rockaway’s valedictorian and salutatorian

East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School’s cass of 2017 valedictorian Natalia Cuttitta and salutatorian Katherine Calabrese were involved in an array of extracurricular activities together during their four years at the high school. The activities included being on the badminton team, the cross country team, participating in the jazz band and in the district’s musicals. Despite being involved in a plethora of activities, both girls managed to find time to succeed academically.

For Cuttitta, extracurricular activities have left an impact on her. When she was asked what she would miss the most about the school, Cuttitta listed all of the clubs she is involved in and the memories she has from when those groups met. She has been a member of the Chess Club, a captain of the school’s Quiz Bowl team, a writer for the school newspaper and the president of the jazz band. She also tutored her fellow students as a volunteer for the National Honor Society and for the school’s Key Club.

The activities and experiences each offered Cuttitta new opportunities to grow as a student. In jazz band, she had the opportunity to perform with her fellow students who are as passionate about music as she is. The Quiz Bowl offered her a chance to learn something new each Wednesday, she said. She even learned from attending the Cross Country Six Flags Invitational and going on a roller coaster. “I was really scared to go on Kingda Ka but I conquered that fear,” Cuttitta said of the ride, “and if I could do that, I could do anything.”

Cuttitta said her favorite part of the high school, however, was the music department. Cuttitta plays the piano, guitar and saxophone and also sings. She said she likes the music department because the teachers are “always encouraging me to take my abilities to the next level” and “have helped me grow both as a musician and a person.”

But music is not the only academic subject that Cuttitta excels at. Cuttitta strives to be better at everything that she does. “To say she is conscientious does not even come close to describing her character when it comes to her schoolwork,” Jennifer Melecio, a guidance counselor at the school, said in a statement. “Her diligent work ethic coupled with her natural giftedness has enabled her to maintain a stellar GPA while enrolled in East Rockaway’s most rigorous courses.”

Cuttitta graduated the high school on June 23 with a 102.98 grade point average, and was previously named by the College Board as an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction. The title is granted to a student who has received at least a 3.5 out of a possible score of 5 on all Advanced Placement exams taken and scores a 3 or higher on five or more of these tests.

Extracurricular activities also had an impact on Katharine Calabrese. “My favorite part about attending East Rockaway High School has definitely been being involved in the various musical and creative programs, such as the district musical, Rock Rivalry, and Broadway by the Bay,” Calabrese said.

The activities offered Calabrese an opportunity to show off her acting and musical talent. She was the lead actor in several of the district’s plays, and led the senior class to victory in the inter-class competition as the chairperson, choreographer and lead actor. “She commands the attention of the audience as she belts out a tune and has the choreography to go with it,” Melecio said in a statement.

Still, Calabrese strives to be better. To enhance her dance skills, she commutes to New York City to learn at the Joffrey Ballet School. She also engages in vocal training and acting classes.

Despite all of these extra-curricular activities, Calabrese still finds time to excel in her academics. “Balancing academics, musical theater, clubs and music has never been an issue for Katharine,” Melecio said. “Perhaps it is because she finds so much joy in everything that she does.”

The College Board named Calabrese an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, and she was also a 2017 American Association of Teachers of Italian, Long Island Chapter scholarship recipient. Calabrese graduated with a 100.29 grade point average.

Cuttitta plans to attend Chapman University in California in the fall, studying television writing and production with a minor in film music. Calabrese plans to study theatre arts at Molloy College in Rockville Centre.