- Great Neck Public Schools
- Homepage
Class of 2021—Valedictorians & Salutatorians
An overview of the Great Neck Public Schools Class of 2021 reveals 626 graduates from the district’s three high schools: 287 from John L. Miller-Great Neck North High School, 322 from William A. Shine-Great Neck South High School, and 17 from The Village School. A look at the valedictorians and salutatorians for North and South High Schools follows.
Valedictorians
The North High School Valedictorian is Mina Nabavian. The South High School Valedictorian is Ethan Jiang.
North High Valedictorian Mina Navabian is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a Commended Student through the National Merit Scholarship program. She was the vice president of her class, senior managing editor of the school newspaper, president of the Time’s Up Club, and an officer for Model Congress. Mina served as president of the North High DECA chapter and earned awards at the regional, state, and international levels of DECA competition. She also volunteered at school as a member of the Peer Leadership program, the Key Club, and the North High Shared Decision Making Team. Mina will attend Cornell University.
South High Valedictorian Ethan Jiang is an AP Scholar with Distinction, a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, and a National Latin Exam gold medalist. He was the inaugural president of the South High chapter of the Tri-M Music Society, a member of the Asian Culture Club, and he participated in chamber music and pit orchestras throughout high school. Ethan was selected for the prestigious NYSSMA piano showcase and he performed an original composition at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Long Island Young Musicians Concert. Ethan will attend Brown University.
Salutatorians
The North High School Co-Salutatorians are Liel Ezroni and Lauren Yu. The South High School Salutatorian is Mika Langel.
North High Co-Salutatorian Liel Ezroni is an AP Scholar and a National French Exam bronze medalist. She is a founding member of North High’s Active Minds Club, treasurer of the French Club, a tutor through the Peer Mentor program, and she played flute in the symphonic band throughout high school. Liel served as an engineer and documentation lead for the Goatbusters Robotics Team, and she was a member of North High’s winning robotics team at the FIRST Tech Challenge Tournament in 2020. She participated in hackathon events and leveraged her passion for coding to create programs and learning opportunities in the community. Liel will attend Duke University.
North High Co-Salutatorian Lauren Yu is a National AP Scholar, a National Merit Scholarship recipient, a U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate, and a National Spanish Exam gold and silver medalist. She was president of the Pre-Med Club, president of the Neuroscience Club, vice president of the Science Olympiad Team, treasurer of the Math Team, and editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Lauren volunteered with several school and community organizations, including helping younger students as a member of the Peer Tutoring program. She was a four-year starter on the North High varsity tennis team, which advanced to the Nassau County Championship finals in 2019. Lauren will attend Rice University.
South High Salutatorian Mika Langel is a National AP Scholar with Distinction, a Commended Student through the National Merit Scholarship program, a Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key and Silver Key award winner, a National Latin Exam gold medalist, and a U.S. President’s Volunteer Service bronze medalist. She was co-president of the South High Asian Culture Club, an organizer of the Cultural Heritage Celebration, and a member of the Global Angels Club. As a member of the South High DECA chapter, Mika earned awards at the regional, state, and international levels of DECA competition. She shared her passion for dance by founding the school’s J-Dance Club and choreographing several performances for the annual South High Cultural Heritage Celebration. Mika will attend Tufts University.