SAG HARBOR, NY — Pierson High School has officially announced the Class of 2023 valedictorian and valedictorian.
“Emily Squire, valedictorian, and Griffin Green, salutatorian, are strong community members at Pearson High School who found inspiration in their academic success by watching their parents,” the district said.
Students talked about what fueled their academic success.
“The motivation behind my grades came from having a hard-working family. My parents inspired me,” Emily said. Working hard meant opening doors to the opportunities he wanted to try one day, he said.
She plans to major in digital communications with a minor in marketing. With plans to focus on social media marketing and video editing, Emily said she feels confident that she will take what she has learned to Pierson in the future.
“I will 100 percent miss the art experiences at Pierson,” Emily said. “The teachers created an amazing environment. We have 3D printers, large scale photo printers, fashion workshops and more.”
Still, Emily said, a piece of her heart will always belong to Pearson. “I will miss my second family. . . my classmates. After going through COVID together and then getting back together in the last couple of years, it's been super bonding.”
Emily offered advice to younger students gleaned from her high school career as well as boxing at Hill Street Boxing in Southampton: “Do as much as you can. Whatever you are interested in and want to pursue, do it. Even if you try one thing, you can learn from it. Things take time and you can't succeed unless you fail a few times. Success is so much sweeter when you know you really worked for it.”
As a salutatorian, Griffin said he found his motivation for academic success by watching his hard-working mother. He also explained that finding the right balance between school and life was key.
Griffin said building good character in life is critical. Through the movies he watched as a child, he learned themes that will guide his journey, such as helping others and never giving up, even if you may be underestimated, he said. His appreciation for film has only grown as he plans to major in film with a minor in English literature studies, Griffin said.
Griffin said he is eager to begin his college experience.
“He aims to find new communities and learn what has not yet been exposed. In particular, the analysis of screenplays, literature and film are topics of excitement,” the site said.
During his four years at Pierson, Griffin has run cross-country and served as captain. He has contributed to the newspaper club by writing film reviews and has even expanded beyond Pierson to film and art communities, including Sag Harbor Cinema and The Church in Sag Harbor.
“Sometimes we fall into the trap that grades and school are everything,” Griffin said. “But you are allowed to have balance. It's important to balance your community and your school.”
Griffin also said he will miss his classmates and how close they have grown, most of them. “Since COVID, we have developed a strong support system. We help each other prepare for tests and projects and have become very close since going through COVID together. People feel at home.”
