NHS Valedictorian And Salutatorian Share Their Secrets To Success

By Eliza Hallabeck

For Amar Agashe, the Newtown High School valedictorian, and salutatorian Zoe DeStories the secret to academic success was motivation and studying, as both shared recently after being named this year’s top two students for the 2010 graduating class.

“I just had a motivation to work hard and get good grades,” said Amar.

Amar and Zoe’s achievement in class rank was announced by NHS Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo during the Board of Education’s meeting on Tuesday, May 18.

“I study,” said Zoe on her accomplishment. “I think that is it more than anything.”

Amar and Zoe will each offer a speech during the 2010 NHS graduation ceremony on Thursday, June 17. 

“In my opinion, the class of 2010 is the smartest, best looking, most fun class in the history of NHS,” said Amar.

The valedictorian has been in the Newtown Public Schools since starting kindergarten in Middle Gate Elementary School. His favorite subject is chemistry, said Amar, who will begin attending Yale University in the fall to study chemical engineering.

“But we’ll see what my liberal arts education gives me,” said Amar.

For Amar, succeeding in school meant not overworking himself, he said.

“We want to work hard,” Amar said, “but at the same time you don’t want to burn out.”

During his high school career, Amar has volunteered at Masonicare of Newtown and Griffin Hospital in Derby.

His friends helped him, he said, by sharing similar interests and discussing topics with him he may never have shared with other people.

“A lot of my friends helped me become a better person,” said Amar.

Teachers, throughout his academic year, also helped Amar.

“There are so many teachers I want to give a shout out to,” he said, specifying NHS English teacher Jacquelyn Kaplan, the coach of the school’s Quiz Bowl team, and science teacher Christian Canfield.

His family — mother Geeta, father Girish, and older brother Akshay — have also been supportive of Amar throughout his school career, without pushing him to get good grades.

“They just taught me to behave well,” said Amar. “And I think behavior is really important, especially later in life.”

Zoe DeStories grew up in Santa Cruz, Calif., until her family moved to the area when she was in third grade.

“I feel more like a New Englander now, but we still visit my relatives every year or so,” said Zoe.

While growing up, Zoe read a lot. Now she likes going on nature walks, and participates in theater productions, like the NHS shows 110 In The Shade and Hello Dolly, and other shows in the area.

Along with theater, Zoe also said her favorite subject in school is English. This year, Zoe said she really enjoyed her English class with Lee Keylock.

“What I really like about that class,” she said, “is we can take something larger — we’ve done Paradise Lost and are doing Hamlet now — and we can break it down and focus on one passage.”

English teacher Jeanetta Miller also helped Zoe.

“I think I have encountered really wonderful teachers at Newtown High School,” the salutatorian said.

Zoe also enjoys all the subjects she takes on in school, and said she tries to care about everything she studies. In science, teacher Karolyn Baumgartner is really passionate, and in math, teacher Nicole Leone was “really sweet.”

Some friends who have helped her or stood out as a special part in her high school career are Abbie Branchflower, Samantha DeFillipe, and Julie DeAngles.

“My family is amazing,” said Zoe. Her mother Rosie, father Jack and younger brother Jay supported her without pressuring her, she said.

“I hear about other people who have awful relationships with their siblings,” said Zoe, “but we get along really well.”

Zoe’s parents own Fairfield Auction on Church Hill Road, and, she said, she has not missed an auction since birth.

Zoe will be attending Harvard University in the fall to “tentatively study English.” Like Amar, Zoe said she is open to learning what else is out there.

“I haven’t been exposed to everything a big university like that is going to offer,” she said.

(See the C-Section of this week’s Newtown Bee for photos of all of the 2010 graduates, and for photos and a listing of seniors and underclassmen who earned awards during the two recent annual awards nights see the Education Section.)