CSI in the News - CSI Today

"If you ever met a person who gets knocked down but keeps getting up ... if you ever met a person who was
told they can’t achieve but persevered ... if you have ever seen the sparkle in the eyes of a proud person ...
if you ever met a person with a world of potential ... then you know our graduates," McKeon said.
The principal encouraged the students to "find something that you are really passionate about" to develop a
strong sense of purpose and, ultimately, happiness. The graduates should welcome challenges and surround
themselves with smart people and "allies, rather than adorers."
The valedictorian, Simone Washington, received the Welling Award for Student Government Leadership, the
Staten Island Continuum of Education Outstanding Graduate Award, New York State Comptroller’s award,
Chancellor’s Honor Roll Citation, a Certificate of Excellence in Attendance and The Hackett Award for
Valedictorian.
Ms. Washington was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from The Children’s Defense Fund and plans to pursue a
career in genetic engineering with a minor in sociology at the College of Staten Island.
Melissa Katkin, who said she didn’t know what a salutatorian was until she earned the honor, was a recipient
of the Borough President James P. Molinaro Certificate of Recognition award and the Chancellor’s Honor Roll
Citation award. Accepted to Hunter College, Manhattan, she is planning to major in psychology.
Here are the high school graduates:
Michelle Abdul, Tyshawn Bank, Amanda Barile, Gleneis Bolden, Thomaso Buckley, Shavaun Burke, Christina
Carfora, Joseph Chernok, Thomas Cretella, Ivana DiBenedetto, Daniel Fanning, Edythe Florio, Cheryl Giglio,
Alice R. Gregory, Yajaida Hernandez, Johathan Holbert, Darius Howard, Melissa Katkin, Conor Kline, Mark
Lacari, Patrick Lewis, Ryan Longobardi, Steven Lyons, Gregory Marcus, Richard Nitt, Oscar Pagan, Dwayne
Parham, Jamie Placanica, Danielle Santapaola, David Santos, Chloe Tercovich, Lixander Torres, Leon
Vanderhoef, Simone Washington, Jessica Williams.
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