M-W Class of 2015: The Brightest

CENTRAL VALLEY — They are smart, of course. But they also are involved in their school and in their communities. And many already have a sense of how they want to contribute to the world. Here’s the Top 25 students in the Monroe-Woodbury High School Class of 2015:

1. Omar Hafez Omar is currently president of Monroe-Woodbury’s Mock Trial team and he is an active member of the school’s music community, playing double bass in the chamber orchestra as well as in the All-State Wind Ensemble and in numerous Area All-State Symphony Orchestras. He is also a member of the National Honor Society, the French National Honor Society, the math team and LEAD. Omar has volunteered at a number of organizations, most recently the local ambulance corps, and he has organized a long-term clothing drive.

For the past three years, Omar has conducted scientific research investigating the shortcomings of the human brain, which he ultimately plans to bypass for the manufacture of a superior form of human. Omar has successfully represented Monroe-Woodbury at a number of science competitions this past year.

Omar would like to thank his parents and sister, his friends, the teachers who have dedicated themselves to their professions and his guidance counselor, Mr. Diaz, all of whom have helped him very much throughout his secondary education.

Omar will be attending Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in the fall, where he plans to study either chemistry or brain sciences with the intent of continuing to medical school.

2. Nancy RutishauserNancy is a National Merit Scholar, a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish National Honor Society, and she plays the violin with the Chamber Orchestra. Nancy is actively involved in LEAD, the Math Team and STARS. Nancy volunteers every summer in her church’s vacation bible school and in both first and third grade religious education classes. She also volunteers at the Woodbury Public Library.

Nancy participated in the Odyssey of the Mind throughout her high school career and winning first place the past three years at the World Finals competition.

In the fall, Nancy will attend Fordham College at Rose Hill as a member of the Honors Program at which time she plans on studying biology and Spanish. Nancy then plans on going to medical school.

3. Nina Zhu Nina has volunteered at Orange Regional Medical Center and at Elant Senior Center. She has conducted research at the NYU Langone Research Laboratory and has co-authored an article in the Journal of Cell Science. Nina plays cello in the high school Chamber Orchestra, and has been a part of All County and Area All State Ochestras for all four years of high school. Nina is also a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Newspaper Club, Math Team and LEAD.

Nina will be attending Cornell University in the fall, with a major in human development.

4. Sarah Dworjan Sarah would like to thank all of her instructors from her years at Monroe-Woodbury for providing an endless wealth of expertise and inspiration. It has been her personal honor and privilege to represent the Class of 2015 and the Monroe-Woodbury Music Department at the NYSSMA All State Festival, the NAFME All Eastern Ensemble and the All National Honors Conference.

Sarah has been especially proud and blessed to study under her mentors, Dr. Crone and Mr. Regan, and will carry their brilliance and support with her always as she follows their footsteps toward a career in music education.

5. Fatime Cela On top of being Mr. Bernsley’s favorite senior, Fatime is the chief editor of the yearbook club, which she has been a part of for four years. She volunteered at the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center and was a member of Interact for two years. Fatime is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish Honor Society. This fall she plans to go to either Mount Saint Mary or New Paltz, and major in education.

6. Morgan MenzzasalmaMorgan is a member of the National Honor Society, the Secretary/Treasurer of the Italian Honor Society and President of the Athletic Club. For the past six years, Morgan has volunteered her time with the local Special Needs Soccer Program as well as Kids Helping Kids Summer Lunch Program with her local church. Morgan is the captain of the Track & Field Team. She is a scholar athlete and she was named Female Freshman Athlete of the Year as well as MVP for the 2014 Indoor Track Team. Morgan is part of four school records in addition to being an All-American in the Sprint Medley Relay.

Morgan would like to thank her outstanding teachers and coaches for their support over these four years in the high school.

7. Lisa Weissburg Lisa is a member of the National Honor Society and LEAD. Lisa is a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award and an active member in her community. For her Gold Award Project, Lisa planned and led a week long medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic in her junior year.

She has been a member of the girls’ varsity tennis team for the last three years, as well as the captain of the team during her junior and now her senior year. Lisa has competed in the New York State Championship Tournament twice, and during her senior year, she joined the winter track and field team.

Lisa has volunteered a total of more than 300 hours between St. Patrick’s Vacation Bible School as well as the North Main Elementary School Drama Club.

Lisa is undecided as to which four year university she will be attending but she will pursue a major in cognitive science.

8. Benjamin WilkenBenjamin has been a member of the Wind Ensemble and Pit Orchestra, which has allowed him to participate in many musical events. Benjamin is currently enrolled in AP classes and in the Science Research Program. Benjamin volunteers his time at his synagogue, the Woodbury Ambulance Corps and the Center for Discovery.

Although Benjamin is undecided about his major, he does know that in the fall, he will be attending Boston College School of Arts and Sciences.

9. Vamshi Adimulam Vamshi is the executive vice-president of the New York State Future Business Leaders of America and he serves on the Eastern Regional Board. During this year’s State Leadership Conference, Vamshi won first place in three events: Digital Video Production, Emerging Business Issues and Future Business Leader. He was also named New York’s Who’s Who, an award for the most dedicated FBLA member in New York State and received the Outstanding Officer Award upon completion of his state officer term.

Vamshi is the Vice-President of the Interact Club, and a member of the Scientific Research Program, in which he has conducted two experiments. Vamshi plays varsity tennis and is a senior scholar athlete.

Vamshi volunteers his time at the Monroe Free Library and in the summer, he participates in the English Language Learners Program at North Main Elementary and at his temple.

In the fall, he will be attending the Georgia Institute of Technology to study industrial engineering.

10. Erin Mellett Erin is a member of the National Honor Society, the secretary/treasurer of the Spanish Honor Society and a LEAD mentor. She has been on the Girls Varsity Soccer team for three years; she was the team captain this season. Erin also plays club soccer and is the captain for World Class FC.

Erin is a member of the Chamber Orchestra and has been involved in All County and the Area All State Orchestra for several years. Erin also volunteers at Sacred Heart Parish and the Monroe Free Library.

In the Fall, Erin will be attending the Stevens Institute of Technology, where she will continue her soccer career and study biomedical engineering in the Master’s Program.

11. Charmaine Grace Valdez Barlao

Charmaine is a member of the National Honor Society, the Athletic Club and LEAD. She has volunteered more than 200 hours at Sacred Heart Church as an assistant catechist and as a choir member. She also is a volunteer at the Monroe-Woodbury Summer Enrichment Swim Program teaching young children, teens, adults and those with special needs how to swim. She also volunteers at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Charmaine is a violinist with Allegro, Southern Hudson Valley Youth Orchestra, Souza Summer Pit Orchestra, Orange County Community Orchestra and our Monroe-Woodbury High School Pit Orchestra. She is the Concert Master this year for the Chamber Orchestra and she has participated in All County Festivals and Area All State for the violin. She has also attended the Conference All State as first violin in the Symphony Orchestra.

Charmaine is a member of the Monroe-Woodbury Marlins and she holds several team records and qualified for Junior Olympics, Zone Qualifiers and Senior Mets championships. She was the captain of the girls varsity swim and dive team this year and the team secured its fifth consecutive league championship title, its fourth consecutive OCIAA championship title and third consecutive Section IX championship title.

She is being recruited to swim for various colleges, but will ultimately be choosing between Stony Brook, Fordham and RPI. Charmaine aspires to be an anesthesiologist. She would like to thank her family, counselor, teachers, coaches and friends for helping shape her as a person; their love and support have been essential in getting her as far as she has gotten.

12. Julia Warnock Julia is a member of the National Honor Society and the vice-president of the Spanish Honor Society. As a member, she has had the opportunity to tutor students in the high school as well as the middle school. For the past four years, Julia has participated in the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Walk, which is a cause that is personally important to her.

Julia was on the varsity tennis team.

Julia is currently the vice-president of Social Actions with her temple youth group, which helps raises awareness and fundraises for various critical issues in the community.

Julia plans on attending Binghamton University in the Fall where she will major in biology.

13. Ankit Juneja Ankit is an active participant in many clubs at the Monroe-Woodbury High School. One of his favorites has been the Students Teaching Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome Reduction Strategies Organization, or STARS for short. He is a proud member of the Charles L. Daly Memorial Chapter of the National Honor Society as well as the Monroe-Woodbury Varsity Drumline through the assistance of Jackary Weber. Ankit assisted in the victory of the Monroe-Woodbury Wind Ensemble at the Worldstrides Heritage Performance in Boston.

He has volunteered at the Monroe Free Library and Good Samaritan Hospital. He would like to thank his mentor, Dr. Praveen Ballabh, as well as Mrs. Flanagan and Mr. Decker for their help in conducting an award-winning scientific research experiment on the effect of epidermal growth factor, a protein that is involved in DNA synthesis and protein production, on myelin (which covers axons and allows them to transmit impulses)-producing oligodendrocyte growth in the prenatal brains of rabbit pups with intraventricular hemorrhage.

In the fall, Ankit plans on attending a seven year medical program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

14. Christine JiChristine is an honor student who is involved in the following activities: LEAD, the Golf Team, the Math Team, Science Research and the Chamber Orchestra. Christine plays the cello and is the section leader in her orchestra. Christine has participated in NYSSMA, All-County and Area All State.

Christine is the vice-president of the National Honor Society and she has interned in a laboratory in California where she was given the privilege of writing her own research paper. Christine volunteers at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital and she also teaches Korean to students at her church.

During the summer, she volunteers in Mexico to teach elementary students at a local school in an impoverished area.

In the fall, Christine will attend Cornell University.

15. Christopher HinerChris has participated in various activities in and out of school. Chris is an active member of the French Honor Society. Chris participates in the Future Business Leaders of America, (FBLA). Chris is a member of the Monroe-Woodbury Boys Varsity Soccer team. Chris also is on a Travel Club Soccer team within the community.

At this point, Chris is still undecided as to where he will attend college, but he plans on studying biomedical engineering.

16. Nicole Coombs Nicole is a member of the National Honor Society. She and her friends have raised money for a local charity, Joan’s Monarch Wishes, whose goal is to raise the spirits of cancer patients.

Nicole is also a coach mentor of the Middle School Science Olympiad Team and a peer tutor for the Middle School. Nicole has been a team captain for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Nicole is a member of the drama club and she has made the costumes for the high school musical productions for four years.

In the fall, she will attend Marywood University to study communication sciences and disorders to become a speech pathologist.

17. Robert Li Rob is an active member of the National Spanish Honor Society and LEAD. He volunteers his time at the Monroe Free Library where he is constantly helping young children develop their reading ability and their love of reading books. Rob has had a chance to be an assistant coach for the sixth grade AAU basketball program. He assists the team by helping them with fundamental drills and plays in order to shape the skill sets of the developing young players. During the games at the House of Sports, he is a designated scorekeeper for all age groups, tracking the stats and details of each game.

This past summer, Rob was granted an internship at a consulting engineer firm, which turned out to be his most memorable experience. Rob had a chance to observe culvert inspections out in the fields along with other engineering projects in the works. He would like to thank his boss and good friend C.V. Shashikumar, for being given the opportunity to experience the real life world and having the chance to work with a great group of intelligent, caring people. He would like to give a shout out to his family, friends, teachers and everyone in the school for contributing to all of his achievements and success. Without the people in his life, he would not have become the congenial, persistent person that he is today.

Rob would also like to give a shout out to Principal David Bernsley, for running the school the way he does. “Mr. Bernsley shapes a vision of academic success for all students at the Monroe-Woodbury High School.”

Rob is undecided about his major and is currently waiting on responses from wait-listed schools for the fall.

18. Kayla KimeKayla is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as vice-president of the Italian Honor Society. Kayla is on the Varsity Lacrosse team and she also plays for a club outside of school. She also volunteers as a coach for players in the kindergarten to second grade levels.

Kayla also is volunteer at a children’s hospital dealing with pediatric cancer. She also volunteers time working with homeless dogs.

In the fall, Kayla will attend the University of Florida where she will study biology on the pre-medical track.

19. Noelle LadueNoelle is an active member of the National Honor Society as well as the French Honor Society. Noelle is a member of the High School Scientific Research Program as well as the Interact Club. She participates in Cross Country and Track and enjoys reading and writing.

Noelle has volunteered her time at the YMCA where she organized and supervised children through various activities.

In the fall, Noelle will be at Cornell University, majoring in sociology.

20. Sameerah ShaikSameerah is the officer of Interact, the business manager of the Crusader Newspaper, a LEAD mentor and a member of Amnesty International. Sameerah is currently a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. Sameerah has been involved in NYSSMA, All-County Orchestra, Relay for Life and the Amnesty International Darfur Talent Show.

Outside of school, Sameerah plays an active role within the community. She has volunteered her time at the Monroe Free Library, Orange Regional Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital. Furthermore, Sameerah has more than ten years of classical Indian dance experience and hopes to broaden her dance and musical experience in college.

In the fall, Sameerah will attend Binghamton University where she will be majoring in neuroscience. In the future, Sameerah hopes to be a philanthropist and become a part of Doctors Without Borders.

21. Kelly DonnellyKelly is an active member in both her school and community. Kelly is a member of the French Honor Society and the secretary of the Athletic Club. Kelly played on the Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball Team her freshman year and now enjoys practicing both yoga and aerial yoga. She is a peer tutor, she volunteers at Winslow’s Therapeutic Horse Riding Center, Edna’s Foundation of Hope and the Sacred Heart Parish Outreach.

Kelly has narrowed her college choices to the University of Delaware, University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland; she plans to major in exercise science.

22. Mackenzie Hintze Mackenzie is an active member of her community, volunteering time through the Interact Club as well as St. Patrick’s Vacation Bible School. Last year, she was also a music mentor in Central Valley Elementary School. She is a section leader in both the Voice Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble. Mackenzie has been a member of the Pep Band and the Drama Club since her freshman year. She is an officer of the Drama Club and has received several large roles in the high school musicals. Mackenzie is also a member of the Jubilate Youth Choir and the Hudson Valley Honors Youth Wind Symphony. Mackenzie is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.

Mackenzie will attend SUNY Geneseo in the fall where she will major in biology with a minor in music. She she hopes to pursue a career in the medical field.

23. Jocelyn AoJocelyn has been a member of the Newspaper Club for four years. She also volunteered at Winslow Therapeutic Center.

Jocelyn was part of Amnesty International and is also a music mentor at North Main, where she drops mad beats, and teaches the kids majestic violin skills. Jocelyn is a member of both the Spanish Honor Society and the National Honor Society, and is also a member of STARS.

In the fall, Jocelyn will attend Binghamton University.

24. Mohammad RahmanMohammad enjoys participating in the History Club, Model UN and Amnesty International. During his high school career, he has volunteered his time at the Monroe Free Library and the Regional Kidney Center.

In the fall, Mohammad will attend New Paltz’s seven-year medical program and hopefully become a human rights doctor one day.

25. Carly WilliamsCarly is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society and the National French Honor Society. Carly is a member of the Varsity Ski Team. Carly has volunteered 300 hours of her time at the Monroe Free Library; she also have volunteer at Museum Village.

Even though Carly is undecided as to which college she will attend in the fall, she plans to study film.

The Top 25 profiles and photographs were provided by Carole Spendley, communications specialists for the Monroe-Woodbury School District.