East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School is proud to announce seniors Laura Millar as valedictorian and Scott Buzzolani as salutatorian for the Class of 2019.
Millar weighted GPA is 104.8, with an intended major English/Journalism. Along with her academic feats, she has also proven herself to be an extraordinary musician as a NYSSMA All-State finalist, a talented athlete and a dependable, motivating leader as president of her class.
Millar participates in a variety of extracurricular activities, including being president of the Student Council, the National Honor Society and NHS quiz bowl. She was also vice president for NJHS and contributor to The Gull Student Newspaper. In addition, she plays clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone, is vice president of jazz band, clarinet section leader for the marching band and is also a member of the Nassau Suffolk Honor Band. Her athletic abilities include being on the school’s varsity badminton, soccer and lacrosse teams, where she was named All-Conference in badminton, and All-Conference and All-Scholastic in soccer. She’s also a member of the CYO swimming and volleyball teams, and Lynbrook East Rockaway travel soccer team.
With this, Millar has accomplished many other academic awards and achievements, such as earning AP Scholar with Honors, the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, Student of the Year for 2014 and 2017, Supermaster of Regents, All-County Band, and a candidate for a Special Scholarship through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Millar’s community service efforts include participating in the Lupus Walk Fundraiser, Canstruction, Island Harvest Empty Bowls and American Cancer Society walk. Her work experience includes New York Times Summer Writer's Workshop.
Buzzolani has a weighted GPA of 102.4 and intends to major in chemistry education. He has been an integral part of the school’s Science Research program and spent last summer researching at the “Living by the Bay” Summer Science Research at a local college.
Buzzolani has a tremendous influence on the music department, participating in jazz band, the musical, Nassau County Musical Festival, and Tri-M Music Honor Society. Other extracurricular activities Buzzolani participates in include being a member of the National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society, the chess club and regional quiz bowl participant.
For his academic efforts, Buzzolani earned several awards, including the Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award, the St. Michaels College book award for Academic Achievement and Social Conscience, and was also the winner of the East Rockaway’s first Research Symposium Science Research Program at Hofstra University.
He also dedicates his free time to community service work by tutoring younger students in music and chemistry and participating in several charity walks.
The district congratulates Millar and Buzzolani for this achievement and wishes them the very best in their future endeavors.