Emily Salem has been named valedictorian of the Class of 2020 and Ellery Loheide this year’s salutatorian at Onteora High School. “The faculty, staff and administration are very proud of these exemplary students,” said principal Lance Edelman. “It is without a doubt that these students will accomplish all of their post-secondary goals and continue to impress our Onteora community.”
Salem, daughter of Kate Hyman and Kevin Salem of Woodstock, earned a weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 100.66 at Onteora, where her academic schedule included eight Advanced Placement (AP) classes as well as a college-level French class. She will be attending Harvard College.
A talented athlete, Salem played soccer throughout middle and high school, co-captaining the varsity team during her senior year. She also played on travel and regional soccer teams. She was on the Sci-ence Olympiad team and participating in Harvard Model Congress, and she served as president of her senior class. She was also named a National Merit Commended Student.
Salem credits Onteora’s teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and staff with helping her along her educational journey. “So many teachers I had, and even some that I didn’t have, surprised me by going above and beyond their formal responsibilities to make education something that is personal and inspiring,” she said. “It took me a long time to find my academic interests, partly because I had teachers in every subject that I was captivated by and who encouraged me to explore my curiosity.”
The extended school closure dramatically changed her senior year, Salem said, “I would have loved to have been there in person for my last few months at Onteora. But losing that time has reminded me how much I love our community, and I know that I will continue to contribute to it after my time as a student here is up.”
Loheide, the daughter of Laura and Eric Loheide of Shokan, achieved her salutatorian status by earning a weighted GPA of 98.736. She will be attending the University of Southern California, where she in-tends to major in sociology. Loheide took eleven AP or college-level classes. She played on the varsity girls’ tennis team for four years, serving as team captain in Grades 11 and 12. She was also president of the yearbook club, secretary of the National Honor Society, and participated in Harvard Model Con-gress. She was a volunteer on trips to Rwanda and Nepal, where she worked with local children.
“I would especially like to thank my family for always being so supportive and constantly encouraging me, and my best friend Corey Chun for keeping me sane,” she said. “We might have missed the end of our senior year, but the truth is we will always be connected, even without a graduation or prom.”
Join the family! 
