Photos courtesy of the Seaford School District
From a young age, getting into a good college was a goal for Seaford High School seniors Paige Burch and Myles Schnaier. That drive to succeed earned them the top rankings in the Class of 2023, Principal Nicole Schnabel announced.
Paige, with a weighted grade point average of 106.64, is the valedictorian. Myles earned salutatorian honors with a GPA of 105.80. Although college decisions are a few months away for them, they know they have a lot of options. Paige plans to select a school where she can major in biochemistry, with a goal of working in the scientific research field, and Myles is looking to study biology on a pre-medicine track.
At Seaford High School, both students took advantage of the academic, athletic and extracurricular offerings. By the time she graduates, Paige will have taken 15 Advanced Placement courses. She is also on track to earn an AP Capstone Diploma and is pursuing the Seal of Biliteracy. Her favorite courses have included Statistics, AP Research and Science Research. This year’s science research topic is the impact of parabens on aquatic life, while last year she studied valley fever and how the fungal disease is affected by the environment and climate change.
Science research has been one of Paige’s favorite classes during her junior and senior years.
Myles completed seven AP courses by the end of his junior year, with another seven in his senior schedule. Classes he enjoyed included AP Biology, AP European History and pre-calculus. He plays trumpet in the high school band, is a member of Books and Bagels, the National Honor Society and varsity soccer team, and played junior varsity baseball and soccer. Community service is important to Myles and he volunteers with the Book Fairies, an organization that distributes new and gently used books to under-resourced communities on Long Island.
Myles wants to be known for his Seaford pride and school spirit.
Paige plays field hockey, is general chair for Model Congress, president of Books and Bagels and historian for the National Art Honor Society. She also is a member of Key Club and the National Honor Society, and is active in the Girl Scouts.
This year’s top two students represent both of Seaford’s elementary schools, as Paige attended Manor and Myles got his start at Harbor.
“It’s just a great honor for me,” Myles said of being named salutatorian. “I’m definitely humbled by it and it’s something I’ll be proud of for the rest of my life. I’ve always taken my education seriously. I know that what I do now is going to pay off in the future.”
Myles said that while he has always studied hard and attended many extra help sessions, he credits this achievement to his teachers, who are extremely helpful and invested in the success of their students.
In addition to her teachers, Paige credits her parents for always inspiring her to do her best and to the valedictorians in the classes before her, who she always looked up to as academic role models. It’s a great feeling, she said, to reach the same milestone.
“I was very surprised,” she said of the announcement of this honor, “but it was a great moment because it really shows that hard work pays off.”
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