Ward Melville High School is proud to announce Ava Della Pietra as its Class of 2023 valedictorian and Serene Stoller as its salutatorian.
Ava is an exceptional student who is highly involved in music and the arts. She is a singer-songwriter who writes and performs original music, which has appeared on several top charts and streaming platforms. She is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, the Ward Melville Players Theater Club and a current board member of the Chamber Orchestra. Her academic excellence has led to her involvement in the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. Additionally, Ava is a member of the Key Club, where she has participated in a number of service projects. During the course of her high school years, Ava has performed in several NYSSMA competitions. She was named the organization’s student songwriter showcase winner for one of her original songs and most recently, was invited to the All-State Symphony Orchestra as an alternate violinist.
Outside of the classroom, Ava is involved in several community service projects. She is the founder of the Organic Vegetable Gardening Club, donating fresh, healthy vegetables to local food pantries. In addition, she has donated proceeds from her original music to nonprofits including KIND and the Safe Passage Project. This past summer, Ava held an internship at Weill Cornell in New York City and at Stony Brook University Hospital, where she shadowed physicians and received the Leadership Award for Outstanding Service.
Salutatorian Serene Stoller is a well-rounded student who has established herself in many of Ward Melville High School’s STEM programs. She currently serves as the co-president of the Math Team and Computer Science Club. Her achievement in these fields have led to several honors including an honorable mention in the Mathworks Math Modeling Challenge, an honorable mention in the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling and being named a finalist in the American Computer Science League. Serene’s academic accomplishment has earned her membership to several honor societies including the National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, World Language Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. Notably, Serene was named a 2023 National Merit Finalist for her high achievement on the PSAT exam. Her extracurricular involvement extends into the creative arts as she is the branch leader of Piano for Patients in Three Village, the Vice President of the Long Island Youth Development Music Club and a member of the Ward Melville Pit Orchestra.
Serene is an active member of the community as a co-founder of the Three Village branch of the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the U.S. This student-run organization participates in food and clothing drives as well as virtual volunteering through Smithsonian Digital Volunteers. Serene has helped organize several community service projects and encouraged her peers to contribute. Her work with Piano for Patients and the LIYD Music Club gives her the opportunity to coordinate performances at local senior homes.
The district congratulates Ava and Serene for achieving the top academic honors of the Class of 2023 and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.
Date Added: 2/27/2023