Olivia Stamatatos is Huntington’s Class of 2016 Salutatorian

Olivia Stamatatos’ academic record speaks for itself. The Huntington High School senior is salutatorian of the Class of 2016. Following four years of excellence, she will speak at the school’s 155^th commencement exercises in June.

A graceful and humble young woman, Ms. Stamatatos extended congratulations to classmate Rachel Carpenter for being named Huntington’s valedictorian before taking a bow herself.  “Rachel is one of the hardest working people that I have ever met and her future is extremely bright,” the teenager said.

In a class of very talented students, no one knew for sure who was destined to be this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian. “When Rachel and I were called down to the main office and Mr. [Brenden] Cusack delivered the news, I was simultaneously astonished and ecstatic,” said Ms. Stamatatos about her trek to see the principal. “I was already excited that my sister Francesca was returning from Greenkill and receiving such news rendered me even happier. Being named salutatorian and seeing my sister for the first time in several days was a perfect ending to the week before vacation.”

Ms. Stamatatos is well known throughout the high school by students and faculty members. They uniformly respect and admire her. She has been an integral member of the school community and left a positive mark in many areas.

“I would never find myself in this position without the love and support of my family, especially my parents and siblings,” Ms. Stamatatos said. “They have always encouraged me to reach my fullest potential and be the best person I can be. Whenever I am exorbitantly stressed, my parents are always there to offer sagacious advice and my siblings’ jokes, particularly Sebastian’s and Natalia’s, inevitably bring a smile to my face. Without the presence of these extraordinary individuals in my life, I would not be the person I am today.”

Ms. Stamatatos has benefitted from working with teachers and other adults both in and out of school. “The teachers of Huntington High School have not only provided me with a high quality education, but have also built strong relationships with me and have always made me feel welcome,” she said. “They have truly gone above and beyond in their efforts to spread their knowledge. Their hard work and dedication inspires me every day to put all my effort into my endeavors so I may live my life without regrets. My thirst for knowledge and love of learning would be non-existent without these remarkable teachers.”

The teenager has a formidable academic presence in all of her classes, but she works just as hard outside of the classroom in whatever she decides to take on in her life.

“Ms. Karen Lynch of the Lynch School of Ballet has always motivated me to reach my full potential as a ballet dancer,” Ms. Stamatatos said. “Regardless of the quality of my day, I always look forward to attending ballet class. It not only offers a means of relaxation, but also provides a sense of fulfillment when I succeed in lifting my leg even higher, balancing a little bit longer and jumping a bit higher. Ms. Lynch has instilled my desire to bring my own vision of perfection to fruition by working harder and exceeding the expectations I have established for myself. I feel truly blessed and honored to be part of her school and I will forever remember the life lessons she has taught me.”

The senior has finalized her college plans, she will be attending Cornell in the fall. Ms. Stamatatos said. “However, I have decided to pursue a major in biochemistry in order to gain a deeper understanding of underlying factors that contribute to the curative properties in natural substances.”

As she races toward the June commencement in less than four months, Ms. Stamatatos is enjoying every day of high school. “My senior year has been fantastic,” she said. “Contrary to what I initially expected, this year has been one of the least stressful years in my high school career. I still cannot believe how quickly time has passed. With the dwindling time I have left at Huntington, I intend to revel in future experiences and enjoy these last months with my peers.”