By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Tan, who will be attending Princeton University in the fall and will study engineering, will graduate in June with a 4.0 grade point average. During her last two years at Central, Tan took 11 Advanced Placement classes and is a member of the National, science, math and language honor societies, as well as a violinist in the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Tan said being named valedictorian was not something she strived for in high school, but it was definitely a nice surprise. "I worked really hard in school and I was excited to be named valedictorian," Tan said.
Besides being an academic scholar, Tan received the AP scholar with distinction award and the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award. She also played tennis, volleyball and lacrosse for the Eagles, was a Mathlete and a member of Central's Quiz Bowl team.
Tan said that her education at Central definitely prepared her for the workload she'll have in Princeton, but noted that it's a student's own drive that puts them in the position to succeed. "I think any [high school] you go to, it depends on your initiative," she said. "If you work hard at what you do, it shouldn't matter where you go."
Though she is excited for college, Tan said she will miss the routine of high school, as well as her friends. "It's going to be an unfamiliar environment," Tan said of college. "I'm going to meet all new people. The biggest change is I'll be more independent. I'm definitely nervous, but I can handle it."
Joven, Central's salutatorian for 2009, will attend Duke University in the fall and will graduate in June with a 4.0 GPA. He will major in engineering management, he said. Joven is a member of the math, science, music, language and National honor societies, as well as an alto saxophonist in the school band and a tenor in Central's choir. He also was on the school's tennis and state championship rifle team.
When Joven was not in school, he found time to tutor younger students in math, sang in the church choir at Holy Name of Mary and performed in the Long Island Performing Arts concert band. Unlike Tan, Joven said he has been working toward being in the elite of the class of 2009 since he started high school, but said that school isn't everything. "I've always worked for this," he said. "You get used to it. But you have to have fun as well."
Joven said that the AP classes he took -- 12 in total -- prepared him, maybe even a little too much, for his workload at Duke this fall. "You get what you put in," he said. "I am prepared from all the AP's... maybe even over-prepared."
When he goes off to college, Joven said he will miss his family and friends, and will have to get used to being independent. "I have to get used to living on my own," he said. "I have to learn to wash my own clothes."
Central's salutatorian said he plans to join an acapella choir when he gets to Duke, and hopefully indulge in some intramural tennis or even join a fraternity. He said scheduling his time will be the most difficult, since he'll no longer have to wake up for school at 6:30 a.m. "In college," he said, "I can do my own thing and that will take some time to get used to."
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