Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nassau County’s top academic achievers from the Class of 2026 were recognized June 5 during the annual Nassau County Council of School Superintendents celebration at the Crest Hollow Country Club, with a Bellmore-area educator helping lead the event.
The ceremony, hosted by the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents, honored public school valedictorians and salutatorians from across the county. Students, families and school leaders gathered to celebrate the graduates’ academic accomplishments and future plans.
The event also paid tribute to the legacy of Dr. James Tolle, the late former executive director of the council, whose contributions to public education throughout New York left a lasting impact.
North Bellmore Superintendent Marie Testa, who serves as president of the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents, welcomed attendees and encouraged students to view excellence as the result of consistent effort rather than a single accomplishment.
“Excellence then is not an act, but a habit,” Testa said, quoting Aristotle. “Excellence is not defined by a single test, assignment or accomplishment. It is the result of consistent effort, intellectual curiosity and the courage to embrace the challenges and to leap over those hurdles.”
The morning began with performances by the Hicksville High School String Chamber Group and the Syosset High School Adelettes. Members of the Westbury Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps presented the colors, and Plainview-Old Bethpage Superintendent Mary O’Meara delivered welcoming remarks.
A highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of each district’s valedictorian and salutatorian. Superintendents announced the students’ college destinations and intended majors before presenting them with plaques commemorating their academic achievements.
The keynote address was delivered by Brett Roer, founder and chief executive officer of Amplify and Elevate Innovation and a former New York City public school teacher, adviser and principal. Roer urged students and parents to pause and appreciate the significance of the milestone.
“Your children have worked their entire lives to get here, and I hope you enjoy every single second of it and remember that this is what life is,” Roer said. “Right here, right now, this is life.”
Roer encouraged graduates to focus on the relationships and experiences that shaped their success rather than solely on academic accolades.
“You’re going to look at those pictures 25 years from now and you’re going to remember that moment and these people,” he said. “Look at opportunities and moments that present themselves that remind you of your why and your purpose.”
The ceremony concluded with remarks from Bethpage Superintendent David Schneider, the council’s president-elect, who reminded students that their academic honors represent the beginning of a new chapter.
“As we close this chapter, remember that the titles of valedictorian and salutatorian are not just rewards for where you have been, they are the launch pads for where you are going,” Schneider said. “As you move on to the next chapter in your lives, the true measure of your success will not be the GPAs you maintain, but the problems you solve and the people you lift up.”
The council extended its congratulations to the Class of 2026 scholars, recognizing not only their academic accomplishments but also the leadership, curiosity and character they have demonstrated throughout their school careers.
The annual celebration recognizes the highest-achieving graduates from Nassau County’s public high schools and highlights the role educators, families and communities play in supporting student success.
