Roosevelt HS Valedictorian Agustina Simoni, left, and Salutatorian Luis Solito
By Dan Murphy
Congratulations to the Roosevelt High School Valedictorian Agustina Simoni, and Salutatorian Luis Solito.
Valedictorian Agustina Simoni will graduate with a 100.87 GPA. One of her favorite teachers at Roosevelt was Italian teacher Nancy Adorno. “She is like a second mom to me. She always has been there for me, and I included her in my graduation speech.”
Agustina’s favorite class was Italian, which she took in her sophomore and junior year with Adorno. “I have been to Italy and love it. My uncle lives there, and my brother used to live there. I want to move there one day.”
Simoni’s extra-curricular activities center on “helping others.” “I have two nieces that I babysit for, and I like to do anything that I can to help my teachers. I also enjoyed helping when School 32 and School 9 had emergencies and the students came to Roosevelt. I love working with kids.” She also enjoys Yoga, drawing and painting.
Agustina moved to Yonkers in 2017 from Albania. “My mom, dad and sister moved here 7 years ago. My uncle is the one who brought us here. When I first came here, I didn’t like it and wanted to go back. But after I adjusted, I love it. It has been an amazing experience with some ups and downs.”
Simoni will be attending Fordham University in the fall. “I will be majoring in Biomedical science and in the future, I want to work in medical sonography (Ultrasound tech). My inspiration was my two nieces. And I want to work in real estate part time and follow in my family’s footsteps.”
Who helped you get to this point of achievement? “My family has always supported me, and at Roosevelt, Ms. Zerafa always encouraged me to be my best. I love Roosevelt High School and will be forever grateful.”
When did you realize your ranking? “At the end of 9th Grade, I was #1 and it never changed. I would always ask about it.”
Any advice for younger students? “Embrace the world as your playground and don’t be afraid to fail. Truly enjoy life and make memorable memories. Remember the future is your canvas and you’re the artist.”
Roosevelt High School Salutatorian Luis Solito will graduate with a 99.89 GPA. His favorite teacher at Roosevelt was Italian teacher Nancy Adorno. “Every time we go to her class there is a positive energy. It was amazing to start the morning in her class.”
Solito’s favorite class is Math. “Ever since I was young, I loved numbers, and I’m still fascinated by it.”
Luis has been a member of Roosevelt’s Soccer team since junior year. “Our freshman year we were all home for COVID. So in my sophomore year I decided to focus on my academics, and then in 11th grade I joined the soccer team and fell in love with my teammates and my coach.
Solito has also enjoyed his community service through the honors society and junior achievement. “We went to go teach kids in the 4th grade. “I taught them about finance and money, and I enjoyed seeing them happy.”
Luis will be attending Manhattan College in the fall and will be in the Engineering program. “I got a good financial package, and they have a great engineering program. I hope to have my own construction company someday.”
Did you want to stay close to home for college? “I want to experience the world, but I am a family guy.”
Solito is also interested in real estate. “My plan is to design, build and sell homes. I have some uncles in construction, and I have seen it firsthand.
Who helped you get to this point of achievement? “My sister. When I was younger, I suffered academically, and I almost got kicked out of school. My sister became my mother for education. I realized that I wasn’t alone and had support.
When did you know about your ranking? “My sister told me I was #2 after freshman year. I stayed on top of my academics after that. My parents enjoyed seeing my success, so I worked hard and stayed with it.”
Luis and Agustina have known each other since freshman year. “We took the same classes on zoom, and for the last 3 years we took the same classes and worked together as a team, not as rivals. It is great that I made it to #2.”
Both leave Roosevelt with a large number of college credits. Agustina has 42 and Luis 39, which gives them almost one year of college credits before they begin their freshman year in college.
Any advice for young students? “Don’t worry about what others think. Focus on proving yourself wrong and always strive to improve, because your opinion of yourself matters most.”
