Elmont names its top scholars of 2015

Posted

Elmont Memorial High School announced last week senior Ashley Simon as valedictorian and Harold Ekeh as salutatorian of the Class of 2015.

Ashley Simon is a bright, inquisitive student who has adhered to a rigorous college preparatory course schedule that includes honors and advancement placement classes throughout her high school career. Her academic success is substantiated by her 102.14 grade point average.

Ashley is president of Tri-M Music Honor Society, drum major of the Marching Band and the treasurer of the Elmont Jazz Choir. She also serves as vice president of the Youth Department, as well as the assistant Youth Choir Director at The Church of the Pilgrim Holiness.

She was the recipient of the Clarkson University Leadership Award in 2014, named Outstanding Participant in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program and was on the High Honor Roll in grades 9-12. She also received a certificate from the Women in Science Society for Excellence in Science Research from St. John’s University four years in a row and was named an AP Scholar with Distinction. Ashley has applied to several highly competitive and Ivy League universities. She plans to pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering.

Harold Ekeh has earned a grade point average of 100.23 and boasts an impressive list of academic accomplishments, including recognition as an AP Scholar with Honors, the 2014 Long Island Science Congress Award of Achievement in Microbiology and the Al Kalfus Long Island Math Fair Achievement Award.

Harold was recently named a 2015 Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist for his research project entitled: “The Role of PARP-1 in MeHg-induced Dopaminergic Dysfunction and Mitochondrial DNA Depletion.”

Harold has been Editor-in-Chief of the Elmont Phoenix School Newspaper since the start of his junior year and holds executive board positions in Elmont Memorial’s Model United Nations, Science Research and Drama Clubs. He is the co-founder of the Excel College Tutoring Program and founder and director of the Joshua Generation youth choir. Harold has applied to several highly competitive and Ivy League universities. He plans to pursue a career in Biochemistry.