Two Sachem High School students were named semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to Adrian Dayao from High School East and Jacob Flores Zeranski from High School North.

Adrian and Jacob are among the approximately 16,000 academically talented high school seniors to score exceptionally high on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and be named semifinalists. This pool of students represents less than 1% of high school seniors across the nation and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

More than 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level, where they will compete for scholarship money totaling nearly $28 million. The district congratulates both students and wishes them the best as they advance in the National Merit Scholarship Program!

Date Added: 9/21/2023

Several senior science research students from Sachem High School North were busy this summer participating in prestigious research programs. Dreshta Boghra and Marco Villatoro worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the High School Summer Research Program and Avi Talsania was accepted into the Garcia Center for Polymers at Engineered Interfaces at Stony Brook University.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Febin Kurian and Piyush Joshi, Dreshta investigated the use of electrical strain sensors and Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. She studied the relationship between linear strain and applied force, and the strain induced when cooled to cryogenic temperatures. The research seeks to increase the performance of superconducting magnets and related technologies.

Marco worked with his mentor, David Chan, in the collider accelerator department, formulating an engineering design for an upgrade to the Brookhaven LINAC Isotope Producer (BLIP), a high-energy particle accelerator. The upgrade involved creating new piping, as well as cooling and heat rejection systems, to increase beam intensity, which increases the production of isotopes used for medical imaging scans.

At Stony Brook University, Avi Talsania conducted research under the guidance of mentors Adam Hansen and Dr. Miriam Rafailovich on skin clotting, which focused on examining the proliferation of fibroblasts and human dermal cells, with a particular emphasis on how aging and collagen availability affected them. Avi collaborated with Dr. Steven Fliesler at SUNY Buffalo to investigate the impact of AY9944, a DHCR7 (cholesterol) inhibitor on these cells. Additionally, Avi assessed the effectiveness and toxicity of the peptide P12 as an anti-thrombotic agent in fibrinogen fibers. Avi will continue his endeavors in computational neurology research at the Haskins Laboratories of Yale University.

Date Added: 9/19/2023

Sachem High School North hosted its annual Patriot Day ceremony on Sept. 11. School and district leaders, elected officials, local firefighters, students and Sachem community members gathered inside the little theater to honor the lives lost and all those impacted by the tragic events of 9/11.

Following Principal Andrew Larson’s opening remarks, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and High School North student Jeremy Smith sang an outstanding rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” A group of students led the ceremony and recapped the events of Sept. 11, 2001, while reading the names of the Sachem community members who lost their lives that day. Several seniors read heartfelt poems and essays they wrote in their English class, recognizing the many heroes that came out of 9/11 and the sense of unity that existed among tragedy. The ceremony concluded with words from New York State Assemblyman Doug Smith.

Due to the weather, the ceremony was held indoors. However, attendees were invited to walk through the outdoor High School North 9/11 memorial afterward.

Click here to view the photo slideshow.

Date Added: 9/11/2023