Thursday, October 1, 2026
Hewlett High School has announced the top two academic honorees in the class of 2026, naming Shane Zamidar its valedictorian and Darren Chen the salutatorian, recognizing their years of hard work and classroom excellence.
“It was pretty impressive that I achieved the valedictorian honor,” Zamidar said. “I put in a lot of work with academics and extracurricular activities in high school. Seeing it pay off with something as distinctive as this is a really good feeling.”
He didn’t think too much about earning the title, Zamidar said, because he was focused on just doing well in school. “I was a little surprised to hear that I was named valedictorian,” he said.
Zamidar is the head engineer of the Robotics Club’s RoboBoogie team, president of the senior math team, and plays clarinet, bass clarinet and E Flat clarinet in the pit orchestra for school musicals and tenor saxophone in the jazz orchestra. Outside school, he is a Boy Scout in Troop 20 and a member of Scouting’s Brotherhood of the Order of the Arrow.
“Learning all the leadership and technical skills in robotics has helped me a lot,” Zamidar said. “In Boy Scouts I’ve been to national youth leadership trainings that have helped me lead events in robotics and other clubs.”
Brian Bonanno, a Hewlett High guidance counselor, has known Zamidar since he was in middle school, and has watched him grow over the past seven years.
“Shane is incredibly bright, humble, and driven, and he approaches both his academics and his relationships with a level of maturity well beyond his years,” Bonanno wrote in an email. “Since middle school, Shane has consistently earned the utmost respect of both our staff and his peers through his character, work ethic, and quiet leadership.”
Bonanno added that the honor of valedictorian reflects the hard work and character Zamidar has displayed throughout high school. “I am truly very proud of Shane and incredibly happy for him and his family as they celebrate this well-deserved achievement,” he wrote.
He plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering in college.
Chen also balanced a demanding schedule of advanced classes and extracurricular commitments.
“I was really excited because I didn’t think I would be salutatorian this year,” he said. “It was a mix of shock and being really proud of myself and how far I’ve come along.”
Chen said he has always taken school seriously, and being named salutatorian helped him acknowledge his accomplishments and realize he earned the title all by himself.
He is also a member of the Robotics Club, as co-captain of team Innovo, and is co-president of Key Club, a member of DECA and a reporter on the school’s newspaper, Spectrum.
“Robotics really helped me gain the necessary knowledge that made me decide to study engineering at Stanford University,” Chen added.
“The rigor of our school has challenged me and shaped me into a person who doesn’t get defeated that much when things don’t go well,” he said. “It trained my ability to problem-solve and achieve goals on my own.”
Zamidar’s and Chen’s honors highlight the strong academic culture in the Hewlett-Woodmere school district.
Both look forward to speaking at graduation in June. “I hope to leave a positive impact that everyone can take to wherever they go in the future,” Zamidar said. “It’s a great honor to represent all my peers.”
“Anything is possible as long as you dream and work towards a common goal,” Chen said. “Starting freshman year, I never would have thought I’d accomplish this, but through discipline and believing in my self anything is possible.”
