Lynbrook’s top of their class for 2013

Valedictorian SoEun Lee
As she passes from the halls of Lynbrook High School and on to the next chapter of her life, Class of 2013 valedictorian SoEun Lee would like to be remembered not only for doing well in school, but also for her dedication, kindness, friendship and humility.

In the field of academics, Lee has distinguished herself as an AP Scholar with Honor, a Korean Times Scholar and a Questbridge National College Match Finalist. She has been an active participant in Mathletes, Science Olympiad, the National Honor Society and the Leadership/Key Club. As the managing editor of the Lynbrook High School newspaper Horizon, Lee has won awards for her writing at two major high school press competitions. As captain of the varsity badminton team, the three-time All-Conference player led the Lady Owls to the 2013 conference championship. A member of the National Art Honor Society, Lee has contributed her time and talents to the annual Night of the Pumpkins fundraiser.

But anyone who knows Lee will tell you that she is more than simply the sum of her accomplishments. Rather than just accumulate honors to build a resume, Lee used her skills and knowledge to help others at the Hodori Summer School in Flushing, teaching science, English and badminton to low-income students. It was from this experience that she also grew into an activist. She joined the Speak Out Project team, a team that is part of the Korean American Family Service Center that houses the Hodori Summer Program. In an effort to raise $2,000 for the school, she also became a student activist against domestic violence, going door-to-door with the Speak Out Project team to raise awareness about domestic violence. In addition to her work at the Hodori School, she also donated many hours of service to the Big Sister Mentor/Friends program and Youth and Family Focus, a Christian service group that helps at-risk Asian-American youth and families.

“My myriad experiences in community service activities have opened my eyes to the true value of giving without expecting anything in return,” she said. “It made me realize just how much we take things for granted.”