Lakeland High School 2021 Valedictorian, Tom Thumb Graduate of 2008

“At Tom Thumb, we are all proud of Sayani Aggarwal for her achievements and the person she has become. It’s with warm affection I look back at the past. It seems almost like yesterday when Sayani was a little kid with a big smile in her cap and gown at her Tom Thumb Graduation in 2008. Now, she is a young woman with a wonderful future ahead.  Sayani is part of the Next Great Generation of Americans that will change this world.”, Nancy Brophy

GRADUATION SECTION — Special Supplement to Yorktown News – July 8, 2021

GRADUATION SECTION — Special Supplement to Yorktown News – July 8, 2021

Lakeland High School

Valedictorian – Sayani Aggarwal

By Nick Trujillo Staff Writer

Under the scorching sun at Dutchess Stadium, Lakeland’s Sayani Aggarwal addressed her classmates, faculty, and parents, reflecting on the past four years and how the unique end to her high school career allowed her class to appreciate aspects of her school in ways they would not have.

“We had no choice but to cherish the moments we had in high school as we sat in our homes for days on end,” said the valedictorian. ‘As we figured out how to express emotions behind a mask, we cherished the times when we could clearly see a classmate’s smile across a room.”

When COVID-19 regulations started to lift, and Lakeland students could begin – to meet in person again, Aggarwal said that this added to the impact those moments would make on their high school memories.

“When we were given opportunities to gain back some sense of normalcy, we cherished these moments even more because we knew that these were the final chances we had to make lasting memories, even if they were not the memories that we planned to make as freshmen,” said the National Honor Society member.

Aggarwal thanked many people who have supported her throughout her life and through an unprecedented time in her life. She thanked her friends for bringing out the best in her on her darkest days. She thanked her teachers for their influence and guidance. She thanked the parents of the volunteer group, “Class of 2021 Let’s Get it Done!” for their work in celebrating Lakeland’s seniors. She thanked and expressed her gratitude to her parents for their unconditional love and support.

“We are walking away with a shared experience, an experience that will continue to connect us as we journey through the various chapters of our lives,” said Aggarwal. Our shared experience, our memories, will be the source behind each word written in the history of these times, and through those memories, we will be immortalized.”

Aggarwal had a weighted GPA of 101.73 and never earned less than an “A” in any subject, including in her lauded science research work. She is interested in pursuing the area of chemistry