Lawrence unveils its academic stars for 2022

It’s that time of year again, and Lawrence High School has announced its valedictorian, salutatorian and honor speaker for the class of 2022.

Gabrielle Domanas, Lawrence’s valedictorian, has proven to be a very active member of the school community. She is the student body president, captain of the varsity girls’ volleyball team, member of the National Honor Society, and takes part in Model Congress.

Domanas has also made great strides in adding to the community, founding the school’s first Asian American club, and serves as president.

Her involvement in the community does not stop there, being the “Cohort Chapter Head of Spring 2021 Believe Leadership Lawrence” and has founded The Bobaflow Journal, a blog dedicated to sharing stories and creating community between Asian women.

Overall, she will be graduating with a grade-point average of 100.78. Looking to the future, she has her sights on majoring in biology on a pre-med track.

Ilia Urgen, Lawrence’s salutatorian, can be described as nothing less than incredibly dedicated, focusing on his musical talent.

He has served as the principle violist of the Long Island Youth Orchestra, which he has been a member of since 2017, and is also the winner of LIYO’s 60th season concerto competition, featuring his solo piece, the “Stamitz Viola Concerto.” 

He is also one of the 17 violists from New York who was chosen to play in the All-State Symphony Orchestra Conference based on a perfect Level 6 New York State School Music Association score.

Urgen has volunteered at Gammy’s Pantry in the Five Towns Community Center in Lawrence since the start of the pandemic, as well as tutoring several high school students in math over Zoom to help them prepare for the SAT. He plans to major in business with a concentration in data analysis or finance. 

Chiara Mangolla is this year’s honor speaker. Mangolla plays varsity softball, was the varsity captain for cheerleading, the Lawrence Media Club’s secretary and recorder, co-editor for Mental Pabulum, the high school newspaper, and is the Lawrence Head of District Live Streaming.

She is also a National Honor Society member and participated in doctor shadowing for four hours a week. Mangolla worked at the Rockaway Hunting Club as an arts and crafts counselor for children, a babysitter and a private tutor. She will be graduating with a GPA of 98.91.