Meet River Dell’s 2023 Salutatorian: Shara VanPraagh

by Noa Kiznerman

The Class of 2023 was only in their sophomore year when the world went into lockdown. Though COVID-19 forced sophomores to adjust to social distancing and virtual learning in the middle of their high school careers, many students not only triumphed over this challenge but also came out stronger on the other side of it. Out of the many diligent and enthusiastic students in the class of 2023, one who stands out with her academic accomplishments is Shara VanPraagh, the salutatorian for the Class of 2023. Here, she reflects on how her time at River Dell has helped shape who she is today.

Shara emphasizes the importance of staying up to date with every lesson in the classroom. She shares that her “mentality has always been to stay proactive and never take the easy way out of an assignment because it will always catch up to you in the end. For example, an assignment that is optional or graded on completion may seem pointless to put effort into, as it will not change your grade, but what you learn or improve your understanding of through doing that assignment can make studying for a related test much easier.

This mindset has helped me avoid cramming for tests because I always stayed on top of my work as we learned the lessons, as opposed to waiting until the night before the test to figure out what I know and what I don’t.”

Beyond academics, Shara pursues many activities, illustrating her well-rounded, diligent character. She is part of River Dell’s lacrosse and soccer teams, Girl Scouts, a Jewish religious youth group (ETC), and serves as a tutor for younger students. Shara is also a member of clubs like Best Buddies and Future Teachers Club and coaches for a River Dell youth lacrosse team. She is the president of Mu Alpha Theta and runs a custom art shop on Insta- gram (@sneakersbyshara), where she mostly paints sneakers. “I like being social and getting involved in different things,” she says, “I like to be creative but also love sports and helping others. I think it’s important to be well-rounded and not only

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