Sunday, November 9, 2025
Close friends as well as classmates, Matthew Kind and Brian Karaman have spent years motivating each other — a unique partnership that has culminated in their being named Seaford High School’s 2026 valedictorian and salutatorian.
Kind has an average of 107.47, and Karaman, 106.25. They have known each other since they were in kindergarten at Seaford Harbor Elementary School, and been close ever since.
“I’m beyond grateful,” Kind said of his accomplishment, “and I’m very, very thankful that all the hard work paid off.” Karaman added that he, too, was honored.
Both students have been involved in numerous clubs and sports at the high school. Kind is president of the senior class and the Athletic Leadership Council, captain of the varsity football team, and plays varsity baseball. He is a member of Mathletes and Key Club, and is the parliamentarian of the National Honor Society and the student representative on the Board of Education.
Karaman is the drum major of the Seaford High marching band, treasurer of the senior class and the Tri-M Music Honor Society and a member of the National Honor Society. He plays saxophone in the high school jazz band, is an All-State clarinetist and is captain of the bowling team.
Kind is a National Merit Semifinalist and has received the Rensselaer Medal from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which honors high school students for exceptional achievement in math and science. Karaman has been an All-County and All-State musician all four years, and earned All-County honors in bowling.
Principal Nicole Schnabel described both teens as natural leaders, noting that from the moment they entered the high school, they consistently did what was right, even when no one was watching. They demonstrate integrity, take pride in their work and set an example for others, Schnabel said.
“You want to be defined as someone who is not selfish, but selfless, so we are so proud,” she said. “We couldn’t have picked a better duo to lead this class.”
As childhood friends, the boys pushed each other to excel academically, Kind said, in what he described as “a friendly competition.”
“We studied together, we prepare for each test and we do homework together,” he said. “It's all trying to build off of one another.”
Kind received the news that he had topped the senior class at a summer football practice, when administrators and his parents surprised him on the field, and Karaman found out on the first day of school, when Schnabel and other members of the staff came into the band room to make the announcement.
“I was very shocked and surprised,” Kind recounted, “because it was very unexpected during the middle of our summer practice.”
Kind has taken 14 Advanced Placement courses, while Karaman has completed 13. Kind said he especially enjoys math, particularly AP Statistics, because of the challenge.
“It’s the problem-solving and thinking outside the box, like the logical thinking,” he said. “And I feel like it’s just a fun way to put yourself in unique situations to get out of.”
Karaman said he likes the sciences, especially chemistry, and finds it fascinating to explore how the world works. “It was very rigid, and it made sense,” he said of his chemistry courses.
Kind plans to attend college out of state, and eventually go to law school and become a lawyer. Karaman also plans to go away to college, major in psychology and then attend optometry school. Neither has decided on a college yet.
Kind described Seaford High as a close-knit community, like one big family, and said that getting involved and building relationships is key to personal growth and future success. Karaman added that Seaford’s small-community feel, where everyone knows one another, helps build strong connections.
“You kind of learn to care for each other in a family type of way,” Karaman said, “so that makes you want to be more involved and just give back as much as you can and do as many things as you can while you’re here.”
Karaman said it’s important for the two of them to be approachable, because other students often seek their guidance and support. He added that hard work pays off, and putting in the effort make the chances they get to relax even more rewarding.
Kind said that students shouldn’t be afraid to take risks and tackle challenging courses, because the sacrifices they make along the way in their journey will be worthwhile.
“In the end, it all pays off,” he said, “so you'll be happy you did it in the long run.”
