West Islip High School Announces 2018 Valedictorian, Salutatorian

WEST ISLIP, NY - West Islip High School’s Class of 2018 valedictorian and salutatorian are Molly McLaughlin and Melodi Doganay, respectively.

McLaughlin, an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate, serves as vice president of the school’s National Honor Society, board member of the English Honor Society, member of the Foreign Language Honor Society and Brainstormers Academic club, and managing editor of the “Paw Prints” high school newspaper.

The captain of the school’s Science Olympiad team, she earned a Meritorious Award at the 2017 Long Island Science Congress Competition, completed a 2017 summer internship in stem cell research at Columbia University Medical Center’s Boland Lab, received a 2016 grant to participate in the oyster gardening program at Great Atlantic Shellfish Farms in East Islip, and participated in the 2016 and 2017 New York State Science and Engineering Fair and the 2016 Brookhaven National Laboratory Partners in Science program.

As a musician, she is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and the school’s wind ensemble, pit orchestra, pep band, Marching Lions band and Jazz Q Ensemble.

Her numerous volunteering work included stints with the West Islip Beautification Society and Battle of the Books team, and as a peer tutor and public library Book Buddy.

She earned a weighted GPA of 107.8387. McLaughlin will attend Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut this fall, majoring in neuroscience.

Doganay is a member of West Islip’s National Honor Society, English Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society.

She was named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program and earned an honorable mention in the 2018 New York State Science and Engineering Fair.

She serves as captain of the varsity kickline, is a member of the school’s award-winning Thirst Project and participated in a summer service trip to Guatemala with Common Hope. She earned a weighted GPA of 107.10.

Doganay will attend Rice University in Houston, Texas this fall, where she plans to major in biochemistry.

Congratulations to both students!

Pictured: L - McLaughlin, R - Doganay

Photos courtesy of the West Islip School District