Valedictorian
Soorya Thiagarajan
99.10
School 14
Soorya is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2025. This achievement only continues to exemplify Soorya’s hard work, perseverance, and passion for knowledge. She has earned an astounding 34 college credits through Hudson Valley Community College. Soorya has taken advantage of the opportunities at Troy High, taking a course load including 9 Honors classes and 6 AP courses. She recently completed an internship at UAlbany for cybersecurity through the Career Discovery Experience class. Soorya is a dedicated member of the Troy High community by participating in Band, Jazz Band, Choir, Select Choir, Drama Club, MasterMinds, Key Club, French Club, Boosted Up Club, Student Council, and Junior/Senior Board. She is part of many of the programs Troy High has to offer such as the RPI STEP Program, Smart Scholars, and Regeneron STEM Academy. Soorya has also attended Albany Tamil Padasalai classes to learn the language of Tamil. Soorya is an esteemed leader in Troy High’s community including the Music Club President, United Allies Vice President, Math Honors Society Vice President, and National Honor Society Recording Secretary. She also volunteers at the 15-Love Tennis Organization and the Rensselaer County Schools Music Association. Soorya’s musical prowess is demonstrated through being a participant at the Rensselaer County Schools Music Association Fall and Winter All County Festivals. She was also a part of New York State School Music Association for multiple years, earning a Level 4 score for clarinet and Level 5 and Level 6 score for vocal performance. Soorya’s honor as Valedictorian was paved by many accomplishments along the way. She was the runner up for the HOBY Award and was an ambassador and attendee of the HOBY Seminar. As a junior, she received the Smith College Book Award, AP Scholar Award, and the University of Rochester Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award given to a student that has the highest scholastic standing in science subjects. As a senior, she received the National School Choral Award, THS Booster Club Scholarship, the Louis Henry Gross Foundation Scholarship, the Annual Capital Region Business and Education Partnership Scholars Recognition Program Award, the Troy High National Honor Society Award, the United Allies Award, The O’Haire English Literature and General History Award, the THS Math Honors Society Achievement Award, the NYS Board of Regents Merit Scholarship for Academic Excellence, and the Elizabeth Buckley Memorial Award. Soorya will be attending Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Computer Science.
Salutatorian
Hadeel Hamed
99.06
School 14
Hadeel is the Salutatorian of the Class of 2025, boasting an impressive overall grade point average of 99.06. Her dedication to academic excellence is evident in her rigorous course load, consisting of 9 Honors and 7 AP level classes. She will graduate with an astounding 49 college credits through Hudson Valley Community College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a testament to her commitment to learning and her ability to thrive in challenging environments. Hadeel was accepted into the New Visions Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Program (STEM) at RPI. She was also accepted into the very selective and prestigious MITES (MITs Introduction to Technology, Engineering and Science), where she excelled and received The William H. Ramsey 51 Award as well as the Top Student Award in Physics 2. Beyond her academic pursuits, Hadeel has also made significant contributions to our school community through her involvement in various extracurricular activities. She has participated in Varsity sports, including Cross Country and Indoor and Outdoor Track. Notably, as a ninth grader, she was named Best Newcomer for Cross Country, and as a tenth grader, she and her 4x800m relay team secured third place at the Section 2 Championships. Hadeel’s leadership qualities are highlighted by her roles in numerous clubs, including serving as President of both National Honor Society and Math Honors Society, as well as her active participation in Student Council, Junior/Senior Board, Drama Club, Spanish Club, Booster Club, MasterMinds, Regeneron STEM Academy, RPI Step Program, Smart Scholars, National Society of Black Engineers, and 518 ElevatED. Moreover, Hadeel has demonstrated profound commitment to service, volunteering with the Muslim Soup Kitchen Project, Helping Hands for Relief and Development, and Al-Hidaya Ramadan. Hadeel has been recognized by The National African American Recognition Program for Outstanding Achievement, The National First-Generation Recognition Program for Outstanding Academic Achievement and the Regeneron STEM Academy Certificate of Achievement. In addition, she has received the Clarkson University High School Achievement Award, the Society of Women Engineers Award, the New York State Comptroller Achievement Award and the New York State Board of Regents Merit Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Hadeel received a full four-year scholarship through the QuestBridge National College Match Application to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she plans to major in Chemical Biology in the fall.