Elmont’s top students motivate each other

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Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna and Lerone Clark are Elmont High School’s 2016 valedictorian and salutatorian. They have been classmates since elementary school, and now they are the top students in their class. The relationships that they have created with their classmates have helped each of them succeed academically.

“A lot of the top 10 students went to the same elementary school, so it’s really great to see how we all kind of made it, in a sense, and that we all came out on top,” Uwamanzu-Nna said. “We’re all amazing individuals and we’re all intelligent individuals, so it’s really good to come together, start together and end together.”

Clark said that they have all worked together during their study sessions, which explains the success they have all had. “The same people that are in the top 10 and top 20 are all people that have studied together, worked hard together and fed off of each other’s knowledge,” he said. “It’s the culmination of everyone’s knowledge and everyone’s ideas that helped us to be in the success that they have.”

Both Uwamanzu-Nna and Clark felt confident that they would be among the top ranks, but they were still surprised to hear the news last October. “My guidance counselor told me during ninth period, and I was really shocked,” Uwamanzu-Nna said. “I called my mom at her office, and her reaction was very memorable, because she just yelled on the phone. It was kind of unexpected when they told us, because I was at the doctor, then I went to school, but it was a happy day.”

Clark admitted that he was “amongst the buzz” of students that had followed the grade projections leading up to the day of the announcement on Elmont High’s website.

“It was a mixture of emotions,” he said. “I wasn’t really expecting this to be the outcome, and at the same time, I was proud of myself to see that I earned this. It was really overwhelming and enjoyable to see the different things that I’ve put together. I enjoyed that moment.”

Uwamanzu-Nna, whose 101.64 grade point average edged Clark’s 100.56, explained that their camaraderie with their classmates who finished among the top 10 also helped when it came to creating good studying habits.

“You don’t just start out with a perfect work ethic,” Clark said. “Some individuals naturally have a good work ethic, but for others, you have to develop it over time with experience. Although you see success in the present, it wasn’t always success. You had to fail things and you had to face adversity first to get to the point that we’re at today.”

He was a member of the math and science honor societies as well as the National Honor Society. Clark also was a member of the school marching band. His greatest honor, however, came when he was the starting point guard on the varsity basketball team when the Spartans took home a state championship in March, the first for the program. He views each of those activities as contributors to his growth as a person both in and outside of the classroom.

“All of those things meshed together really develop your character as an individual and as a student who is looking forward to success,” Clark said. “There’s so much intertwined, so you have to learn how to deal with it and how to make it benefit you.”

Uwamanzu-Nna worked alongside Clark in many of the honor societies. She was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and Science Research, a club that kept her in school after 7 on many nights.

Uwamanzu-Nna was also an Intel Science Talent Search finalist this year, with a project in which she analyzed oil well samples — specifically from wells BP used — and devised ways to strengthen the cement used to contain them.

“Knowing how to plan your schedule in terms of the peaks of different activities that you’re participating in is really important,” she said. “I’m a very religious person, so I just knew that if I kept working hard, God would bless me. Having that positive outlook really helped me throughout high school.”

Uwamanzu-Nna will attend Harvard University in the fall. She’s hasn’t committed to a major, but she is interested in applied mathematics or bioengineering.
Clark plans to study chemical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The field of study is vast, he said, so he’s willing to explore its various facets to see where he ends up.

“There’s so many different things that you can do, from dealing with efficient fueling to biotechnology,” he said.