Ceasar Chabla-Sarmiento is this year’s Riverhead High School Valedictorian. He graduated with a weighted grade point average of 108.2 and will be attending Columbia University in New York City on a full ride grant in September. He plans to major in engineering and then go into patent law.
Caesar Chambla-Armiento is a member of the Honor Society, and the president of the Riverhead High School Math Club and the Riverhead High School Leaders club. He is also a member of Mentalathletes, the National Honor Society and the National Foreign Language Honor Society for Latin.
"I was born in America,” Ceasar said. “And then went to live with my grandmother in Ecuador prior to starting school. My grandmother, Lola, is my main inspiration in life along with my parents. She has always encouraged me to work hard in school and to ‘never give up’. I began school in Hampton Bays, and I am still upset about the fact that they made me repeat kindergarten. We then moved to Flanders and I went to school at Phillips Avenue. I credit the Riverhead Schools, especially my ESL teacher Mrs. Garly-Rottkamp, with helping me to succeed in school. I struggled with English and Ms. Garly gave me the help I needed at an important time in my life. I used my earlier experience in school to drive me to excel and came to school every day with a purpose. I was determined to make a life for myself that would make my parents, my sisters and my grandparents proud of me.”
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Lydia Keiffert, 2014 Riverhead High School Salutatorian has a has a weighted grade point average of 107.3. She will be attending the University of Connecticut.Lydia plans to major in Biology with a long-rangeplan of going into medicine.
Lydia’s achievements have brought her an Achievement in Music and Academics.She received the Award of Merit from the Long Island Arts Alliance. Whose Scholar-Artist Awards program recognizes students judged to be "the best of the best" on Long Island in both academics and in the arts. LIAA partners with area universities to offer full scholarships to qualified honorees. The LIAA Scholar-Artist Program is presented by the New York Community Bank Foundation and is produced in cooperation with Newsday. Lydia received this award on the basis of her musical talent and for her dedication to academics. She has played violin in orchestra since 5th grade and is the "concert mistress" for the HS Chamber Orchestra.
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Lydia plays both singles and doubles on the Varsity Tennis Team and was all-league in her junior and senior years of competition.She is the president of Interact and the National Honor Society. She is also the Captain of Mentalathletes and is a member of the National Honor Society Honor Society in Latin.
Lydia plans to major in biology in college with the long-term goal of becoming a physician. "I knew biology was for me because I loved it from the very beginning," she shared. Lydia shared some concluding remarks about the Class of 2014,"I genuinely enjoy our class and everyone in it. Our class and especially the members in this group of the TOP FIFTEEN are really great people," which is exactly what Lydia's guidance counselor said of herGet more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
