Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Rose Lindstrom and Michael Olivero, of Oyster Bay, are longtime friends who have known each other since first grade. They have spent years excelling in academics, extracurriculars, athletics and leadership in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District.
Now Lindstrom, the valedictorian of Oyster Bay High School’s class of 2025, and Olivero, its salutatorian, will take the stage at June 18graduation to reflect on their journey.
Lindstrom, 17, who will attend Yale University this fall, and Olivero, 18, who is bound for Boston College, voiced their pride in receiving the top honors.
“I was so excited to hear that we were both valedictorian and salutatorian,” Lindstrom said. “This has been something that was a big aspiration of mine for so long, so hearing that all of my hard work finally paid off was really rewarding, and also to share this title with Michael is amazing, because we’re also great family friends. We go way back.”
Olivero shared a favorite family anecdote about their longtime academic rivalry. “In first grade,” he recounted, “Rose went home one day to her mom, and Rose’s mom asked, ‘Is there anyone smarter than you in class?’ And Rose said, ‘Michael Olivero — he has the highest reading level.’”
According to both students, their mothers even bet $100 on which of the two would end up valedictorian and salutatorian, although as the Herald went to press the money had not changed hands.
Though their academic paths diverged slightly — Olivero leans toward the social sciences, while Lindstrom focuses on math and art history — they share a passion for learning, and balance an impressive list of extracurriculars.
Olivero served as president of the Student Council and the National Honor Society, and co-president of the school’s Model United Nations — alongside Lindstrom. He also captained the varsity football and lacrosse teams and played trumpet in both the wind and jazz ensembles.
Lindstrom is editor in chief of the school newspaper, The Harbor Voice, captain of the varsity tennis team and a volunteer ski instructor for people with disabilities, working with the Adaptive Sports Foundation.
“I love to ski, so I volunteer with this wonderful organization,” she said. “I’ve absolutely loved being a part and helping out in that community.”
In school, Lindstrom earned one of the rarest distinctions in the country, a perfect score on the AP Seminar exam in 2023. “I think I was one out of some wild number, like 27,000 or something,” she said. “So I was really proud of that accomplishment academically.”
Olivero, meanwhile, was named this year’s New York State Coaches Association Class C Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which he described as one of his proudest achievements. Balancing such commitments required discipline and sacrifice, he said.
“I remember days where I would be waking up early in the morning for private lessons, for hockey, going straight to school, and then right after school, going to a lacrosse practice, and then not being done till about 11, 12 o’clock at night,” Olivero said. “But when I’m doing the things that I truly love, the time does seem to fit itself all together.”
Lindstrom credited her organizational skills, and a meticulously maintained calendar, for keeping her on track.
“If you just look at my calendar, it’s a complete map of my life,” she said. “It also helps to remind me about what tasks I have to do, what clubs I have to go to.”
Both students praised their families and teachers for helping them succeed. “I think a lot of who I have to thank are my family, and especially my parents,” Lindstrom said. “They’ve been so supportive in everything that I’ve wanted to do, but I’m also very intrinsically motivated.”
Olivero echoed those sentiments. “As my mom likes to say, it takes a village,” he said. “My mom and my dad, the drive and the grit and the determination for them to go from where they were to how far they’ve come truly inspires me to be the best person that I can truly be.”
While neither wanted to reveal too much of their graduation speeches, Lindstrom acknowledged that hers would focus on balancing determination and hard work without sacrificing fun. Olivero said he would touch on taking pride in everything you do.
Both said they would miss the close-knit Oyster Bay High community. “We only have a graduating class of about 100 people,” Lindstrom said. “So really, after getting to know everybody in-depth, I’m probably going to miss them the most.”
Olivero agreed, emphasizing the school’s unique flexibility. “Oyster Bay is the land of opportunity,” he said. “You can be a student who wants to try a new thing. One week you’re doing United Nations, the next week you’re in a video game club. You have the opportunity at Oyster Bay to try everything and then really learn what you love.”
