26 The Great Neck News, Friday, July 1, 2016
GN
Great Neck North High School Hanna Abitbul Albert Aboaf Robert Ades Daniel Adler David Aharoni Danielle Ajodan Leael Alishahian Shawn Alishahian Rebecca Amir Lana Anderson Alessandra Antuzzi Danelle Arasheben Brian Attarian Brendan Aziz Daniel Aziz Leah Aziz Russell Aziz Yasmine Aziz Shira Balakhaneh Aryia Balazadeh Ashley Bassal Danielle Beck Ariana Benhuri Gabrielle Berger Abigail Berkower Shirley Bessalely Joseph Bichoupan Shira Bilfeld Erin Bishop Liat Blumner Talya Blumner Danielle Bluth Janae Boatwright Mitchel Bokhour Sahand Bootehsaz Jason Botesazan Dylan Campbell Sarina Carbone
Gabriela Carrasco Cindy Castillo Nicole Chanchalashvili Ko-Wei Chang Min-Ah Chang Kyra Chartan August Chen Jason Chen Serena Chen Yun Wo Cheung John Cho Orli Cole Brixhilda Dacaj Brandon Dayan Matthew Depetris Olivia Descorbeth Nathanael Diaz Armin Doroudi Rachel Ebrahimi Ailin Elyasi Natalie Eshaghian Brandon Eshaghoff Ariana Farajollah Jeremy Feith Meira Ferster Marissa Fishkin Laura Flores Frances Fuks Joyce Gallo Arezu Gandjian Danielle Ganjian Nicholas Garzon Valentina Ghalandar Nirel Gidon Nathan Gilardian Jessica Giraldo Jack Goldsmith Kayla Gonzalez
Leo Gorgone Colette Greenbaum Giselle Greenbaum Youming Guan Jacob Guggenheimer Julian Hajibay Saba Hakimi Andrew Hakimian Claudia Hakimian Jared Hakimian Jonathan Hakimian Marc Hakimian Tyler Hakimian Zachary Han Rose Harooni Mitchell Harounian Brandon Hassid Ariel Hazan Wenqing He Griffen Healy Rachel Ho Lee Hofman Man Yung Hon Yung Yi Hsiao Hao Ran Hu Maryam Ibrahim Yeshaya Jedian Won Jung Bradley Kahen Julia Kaluta Dylan Kamali Michelle Karmely Tarini Karwal Maital Kashani Melanie Katz Lauren Kerendian Matthew Khanyan Eric Khayyam
Natasha Khorshad Alexa Kimiabakhsh Jacqueline Kislin Rachel Klein Michael Kohan Netanel Kohn Edwin Kokhabi Joshua Kokhavim Aron Lakatos Jason Lam Michael Latai Jee Min Lee Justin Lee Angela Lentini Jinjing Li Lydia Li Meichuang Li Meishuai Li Ryan Li XiYue Liao Yael Lissack Yehonathan Litman Morgan Lohmann Paula Magid Chayim Mahgerefteh Daniel Malekan Joshua Malekan Graelin Mandel Jillian Marden Laura Mardkha Julia Margalit Yasmine Mayeri Daniel McAward Cynthia Mei Sharon Melamed Michelle Metros Jessica Monahemi
Jonathan Monahemi Yosef Moradi Sean Morady Nicole Mordekai Daniel Moshenayov Oliver Movtady Stephanie Nakash Daniella Namdar Samuel Namdar Joshua Namigohar Natan Nassir Arya Nazif Malka Nebro Zachary Neman Rafael Nematnejad Jordan Nesenoff Curwen Ng Naomi Nikfarjam Michelle Nissan Daniel Nitzani Danielle O’Hara Stefani Offsey Thomas Okin Joseph Ostad Melvin Pais Ruby Paisner Melinda Pan Timothy Pan Adam Patterson Joshua Patterson Grecia Perez Polina Pittell Casey Poon Edwin Rahimi Ori Ran Danielle Andrea Reyes Julia Rietbroek
Gabriela Rodriguez Jennifer Rodriguez Jose Romero Jeffrey Rothbaum Yosef Roubeni Korin Sakezi Aaron Sakhai Sabrina Sanandaji Omer Sanilevich Gregory Schwartz Eric Sedaghat Isabelle Sehati Julia Shahery Eliyahoo Shayestehpour Gabriella Sheena David Shen Arriel Shirazi Alexa Shokrian Benjamin Shokrian Lana Shuris Spencer Silverstein Laurell Sinai Eliana Smooha Benjamin Soleimani Eli Soleimani Shani Soleimanian Ben Soleimany Adrianna Solis Dean Spector Perry Spector Jessica Storozum Westley Strausman Anna Svichar Eddie Syn Jessica Talasazan Austin Tam Danielle Tarras
Judith Teboul Brenda Tehrani Jonathan Terrani Andrew Torkian Evita Toubiyan Noah Trachtenberg Emely Trinidad Yves Trokel Katie Tsai Jessica Tsinberg Ariel Uzan Adir Vegon Kejia Wang Siquan Wang Benjamin Watson Jamie Weber Carly Weisen Jessica Weiss Jasmine Wong Yuan Xiu ChuYun Xu Ellen X Xu Nava Yacobian Ashley Yadidi Desiree Yadidi Setayesh Yaghoubian Cecilia Yang Jonathan Yazdanpanah Yulia Yeung Kayla Youssian Zhengtao Yu Jeesu Yune Calvin Yung Michelle Zak Ruyu Zheng Zhikai Zhou Carlos Zurita
North High students celebrate graduation b y Ch r is A d a m s Principal Bernard Kaplan opened his address to the Great Neck North High School Class of 2016 saying, “I have a little secret to tell you.” After asking the students to keep silent about his secret, Kaplan said he could predict the future. For the doubters in the Tilles Center audience, he demonstrated by telling the future of the Class of 2016. “The muses of fortune will present you with rich and meaningful opportunities to grow, to learn and to achieve, if only you work hard, really do your very best, and always remember that kindness is mankind’s most important and precious value,” Kaplan said. In his speech Kaplan called the 263 graduates a “talented and very lucky class,” advising them that on the way to success, they should also be prepared for failures and embrace them. This was a theme shared by many speeches during last Thursday’s commencement. Valedictorian Isabelle Sehati, one of two to share the honor this year, said to her fellow students, “Remember that it’s OK to fall. We should expect that hurdles will present themselves, and we should be prepared to stumble. We should allow our failures to inspire us, to fuel our ambitions and to reawaken our spirits.” Sehati likened the difficulties that life can present to her experience in track and field. Like a race with hurdles, at times a runner misses the jump simply because he misjudged the height. Other
times a runner might hesitate and just not jump high enough, Sehati said. But she told her peers to not let a stumble discourage them from pursuing opportunity, and instead learn from it. “So we fall flat on our faces, big deal. We just might be surprised about what the journey can teach us,” Sehati said. Superintendent Teresa Prendergast reminded the students of the support system that surrounds them as they approach life’s challenges. “While today concludes a significant and wonderful chapter in your life, an equally significant and wonderful chapter is about to begin,” Prendergast said. “When you are challenged or discouraged, I hope you will remember your years at Great Neck, and the lessons you learned at home and in school. Find what you love, be passionate about it, and learn all that you can. But never forget that the love of your parents and family is forever constant.” Prendergast noted that this class is part of an everevolving generation spanning three decades, two centuries and two millennia. During that time technology has changed the way people interact with the world, she said, and growing up surrounded by a more racially and ethnically diverse environment has resulted in more accepting, tolerant minds. A senior class advisor, Colin Cubinski, said students and family should congratulate themselves for the hard
work they’ve put in, and told the future college students to pay attention to the interactions they have with people. “You never know what knowledge or experiences your peers can offer you, or the type of impact they will have on your life,” Cubinski said. “As you forge your own futures, be sure to disperse your knowledge and be good-natured to all those you encounter. “A few simple words, help with a math problem, or even a friendly hello can be a catalyst to cheer someone up or get them through some tricky times.” Another senior class advisor, Jennifer Virgilio, said: “It has been an absolute pleasure watching all of you grow and flourish into warm, caring and talented individuals. We are so proud of the young men and women you have become at your four short years at Great Neck High School.” First honors were presented by Patricia Hugo, assistant principal, to valedictorians Isabelle Sehati and Graelin Mandel, who tied as top graduates with matching GPAs. The Great Neck North Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Rutkowski, performed excerpts from the “1812 Overture” by Peter Tchaikovsky and “Somewhere” from “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein. At the end of her speech to her graduating peers, Sehati commended them on their achievement and said, “Class of 2016, congratulations, on your mark, get set, go.”