Pierson High School in Sag Harbor has announced its senior class valedictorian and salutatorian, Emily Squires and Griffin Greene, respectively, who have credited their families for instilling in them the importance of hard work and have acknowledged the special bond with their peers that arose from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emily has plans to attend college with a major in digital communications and a minor in marketing. Griffin’s post-high school plans also include college, with a major in film studies and a minor in English literature. Emily has taken multiple classes within Pierson’s rigorous International Baccalaureate program; Griffin is a candidate for the full I.B. diploma.
At Pierson, Emily appreciated the art classes in particular. “I am 100 percent going to miss the art experiences at Pierson,” she said. “The teachers created an amazing environment.”
She has also taken classes at Hill Street Boxing in Southampton. “Anything that you’re interested in and want to pursue, do it, even if you try one thing you can learn from it,” she said in a statement. “Things take time and you can’t succeed if you don’t fail sometimes. The success feels so much sweeter when you know you really worked for it.”
Griffin’s accomplishments include running for the cross-country team for the last four years — he served as co-captain this year — and writing for the school newspaper. He has also gotten involved with the Sag Harbor Cinema and the arts center known as The Church.
“Sometimes we fall into the trap that grades and school are everything,” he said, “but you are allowed to have a balance. It’s important to balance your community and school.”