North Salem High School Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian for Class of 2024

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - The North Salem Central School District has proudly announced that Valedictorian Cassandra “Cassie” Pelosi and Salutatorian Daniella Freedman have achieved the top academic honors for the Class of 2024.

As they prepare to embark on their next adventures, Cassie and Daniella shared heartfelt advice for their younger selves, revealed their cherished memories from their years as Tigers, and the dreams that lie ahead after turning their tassels.

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What are your plans for next year?

Cassie: I am heading off to Emory University in Atlanta, where I plan to major in Biology on the pre-med track. My dream is to become an orthopedic surgeon and/or a physician for a professional sports team. I will also be playing soccer at Emory where we compete in the highly competitive University Athletic Association against such teams as University of Chicago, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and Wash U.

Daniella: Next year I’ll be attending Duke University as an English major.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

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Cassie: I am most proud of how I turned a sports injury into a life changing internship. After fracturing my tibia playing soccer my sophomore year, I started thinking a lot about bone health, which led me to explore the topic in my science research class. After reading dozens of endocrinologists’ biographies, and with encouragement from my teacher Mr. Moste, I reached out to Dr. Se-min Kim, a Mt. Sinai scientist conducting research in bone metabolism; he gave me a spot on his research team the next summer. For two months, I commuted 90-minutes into Manhattan. At the lab, I worked with 15 researchers who spoke everything from Hebrew to Hindi and learned how to administer injections, differentiate bone-building cells, sort fatty tissues and chemicals, and clean mouse cages. I ended up writing a comprehensive journal paper on PKG-2’s (an enzyme) impact on bone growth. The results were inconclusive but the experience of researching it and writing the paper were invaluable. My project and time at Mt. Sinai solidified my interest in a career in STEM– work that is hands-on, helps others, and won’t leave me sitting behind a computer all day.

Who are the most influential people in your life? Why?

Cassie: Since day one, my father has instilled in me how important grit and perseverance are to success. His famous words “never say die” have helped me stay resilient in the classroom and on the soccer field. He has taught me to always go the extra mile, hold myself accountable, and to never cut any corners.

Daniella: The most influential people in my life are my family. My parents taught me to aim for success while not putting too much pressure on myself. Watching my two older sisters grow up and go through certain parts of life prepared me to do the same.

What is your favorite North Salem school memory?

Cassie: My favorite memory by far was winning the soccer sectional title after a 14 year-long drought. The conditions for the game could not have been worse. It was freezing rain from start to finish with slick, slippery conditions. My cleats split open mid-game and I was forced to wear a pair of indoor turf shoes, which caused me to even slip at one point. Despite it all, it was a glorious day. After 80 minutes, we ended with a 7-1 victory. The thrill of winning was amazing. The post-game celebration continued at Dunkin’ Donuts and was marked by us guzzling cups of hot cocoa, belting out Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb,” and a police escort that made the return to high school so very special. Later that night at the team pasta dinner, we dyed our hair blue in honor of the win, which was a blast which I then followed up with a brief scouting report on the team we’d be playing at our upcoming game. It was a day I’ll never forget.

What advice would you give to your freshman self?

Cassie:  Be yourself. Be kind. Be inclusive.

Daniella: I’d tell her to not stress over every little test grade, and instead to enjoy her time because it goes by fast.

What is something from your time at North Salem schools that you’ll carry with you into the future?

Cassie: Being able to work closely with so many great teachers at North Salem helped me realize that it’s always okay to ask questions and that teachers want to help you get the most out of everything you are studying. Therefore, I will carry with me something that sounds cliche, but I think will serve me well in college, namely that the only stupid questions are those that are not asked.

What are you looking forward to after high school?

Cassie: I am really looking forward to meeting people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Making friends and valuable connections are among my highest priorities upon graduation and I can’t wait to have this opportunity at college. I also am really looking forward to traveling and studying abroad and getting the chance to explore new cultures and see a much bigger world.

Daniella: What I’m looking forward to most after high school is pushing myself to try new things in college - clubs, going to sports games, meeting new people every day, and exploring a career path.
Information courtesy of North Salem Central School District.

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