Freeport High School seniors Mia Martini and Ava Smith, both 17, have been named valedictorian and salutatorian of their graduating class, after the school calculated final averages this winter. The honors are the culmination of four years of commitment to their studies ahead of their graduation in June.
Martini attributes her achievement to a combination of the strong structure her family established early in her life to support her learning, and the encouragement of her friends at school.
“It’s like a mixture of a whole bunch of people, I think, especially my family, because they’re always very supportive,” she said. “I have older brothers who always guide me towards the right path, even though they can be annoying at times. And then also my friends — they’ve been with me all [through] the years, and they’ve heard my complaining and the stress, and they’ve always been there to make sure I stay on task.”
Martini added that Smith, one of her best friends, has offered support and motivation during their academic journeys.
Smith echoed those sentiments, crediting her parents and sisters for her success. She said that having well-rounded children was a priority for her parents, which led to her strong academic record and produced a close-knit family.
Smith and Martini agreed that some of the most difficult classes at Freeport High were also among those they most enjoyed. One in particular, Advanced Placement biology, stood out to both girls.
“I had that teacher, Mr. [Lawrence] Bamberger, several times, [including] my freshman year, and everyone in the class did too,” Smith said. “So we were all, from the beginning of the year, very comfortable. And even though it was a lot to cover and the tests were hard, everyone in the class knew each other, and we were able to, like, joke around and took all the stress off.”
Martini and Smith both plan to attend college. Martini, who hopes to become a nurse practitioner, is waiting to hear back from the schools she’s applied to, and she said that Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Conn., is one of her top choices.
Smith is planning to become an elementary school teacher, and one of her first college choices is the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Both girls said they would be leaving Freeport High with not only diplomas, but also solid friendships. “I’ve definitely enjoyed not just meeting everyone, but also finding friends and people I would have never really approached,” Martini said. “I’ve met so many people around the hallways, and even just during lunchtime — you talk to almost everyone. So it’s so fun, and there are so many different personalities that it kind of uplifts you, but also distracts you from the weight of all the tests that you’re about to do.”
Despite having such positive experiences in high school, both seniors said they were looking forward to seeing what college and life beyond have in store for them. “I don’t like taking tests,” Martini said when asked why she thought she’d had enough high school — despite her test-intensive career choice.
And both reflected on what they could have done differently. Smith said she could have been more “open” and less rigid about the classes she took and the schedule she created for herself.
“I probably would have rather just been, like, more go-with-the- flow,” she said. “So if I randomly was like, ‘Oh, this class is cool,’ I’d just take it instead of being so closed off to other options.”
“If I were to do something differently,” Martini said, “I guess it would be maybe to join more clubs early on. I joined most of my clubs, besides one or two, in my sophomore year. So, freshman year, I was very timid. … Once I got involved sophomore year, it was just so great. I had the best time. I made so many friends.”
