For Uniondale High School’s Class of 2026, the valedictorian and salutatorian finished with a narrow margin, reflecting years of consistent academic achievement at the top of their class.
Sarah Guadalupe Ramirez Calderon, the valedictorian, a first-generation student whose parents immigrated from El Salvador, will attend Brown University in the fall. She plans to major in political science while exploring additional academic interests through the university’s open curriculum.
“It’s really the only university in the country that has that kind of curriculum,” she said. “You kind of get to explore whatever you want.”
Throughout high school, she built a strong foundation in both academics and music. A violinist since fifth grade at California Avenue Elementary School where she transitioned to Turtle Hook Middle School.
She currently is the violinist at St. Marthas Roman Catholic Church in Uniondale and serves as concertmaster of the high school’s select strings orchestra, which is an advanced orchestra where students audition.
Guadalupe Ramirez Calderon, also performs at events such as weddings and plans to continue music in college through orchestras or community groups.
Her academic success, she said, is rooted in the support system around her, including her family, teachers and peers.
“It’s not my achievement to boast,” Guadalupe Ramirez Calderon, said. “When I found out, the first thing I did was tell everyone else because they have to celebrate with me too.
There is no way I could have done it by myself,” she added. “Neither of my parents went to college here, so it’s just such a huge leap coming from a family like this.”
The valedictorian said the opportunity to represent her class is meaningful not only for herself, but for her extended family, many of whom remain in El Salvador.
She recalled sharing the news with relatives and recognizing the broader impact of the achievement as a first-generation student.
Following her undergraduate studies, she plans to attend law school and potentially pursue a master’s degree in public policy, with the goal of working in government and contributing to her community.
The salutatorian, Lisbeth Sarai Martinez Guerra will attend Duke University, where she plans to pursue a degree in sociology with a concentration in crime, law and justice, before entering a planned career in law enforcement.
She attended elementary school in Hempstead before transferring to Uniondale, where she completed her education at Smith Street Elementary School and Turtle Hook Middle School.
During high school, she balanced academics with a wide range of extracurricular activities. She is a varsity swimmer and served as co-captain of the girls varsity swim team, works as a certified lifeguard and is involved in multiple honor societies, including serving as president of the National Art Honor Society and treasurer of Key Club.
Sarai Martinez Guerra is also an active participant in the Nassau County Police Explorer Program, where she trains several times a week and takes part in drills and scenario-based competitions focused on law enforcement skills.
Her interest in law enforcement developed in high school when joining the high schools JROTC where she was introduced to the Nassau County Police Explorer Program which provides hands-on experience and exposure to the field.
“My first priority is to get my degree and complete college,” she said. “Then I can worry about the rest of the steps.”
The daughter of immigrants from El Salvador and the oldest of several siblings, she said her motivation comes from her family and the opportunities they worked to provide.
“That was the main driving forces that pushed me, because I wanted them to know that they didn’t come here for nothing,” she said. “Coming here was a good thing.”
She added that she hopes to serve as a role model for her younger siblings, who look up to her academic success.
Both students said they are still developing their graduation speeches as they prepare to mark the end of their high school careers.
