Q&A: East Islip High School Salutatorian Kevin Varga

EAST ISLIP, NY - Kevin Varga was named the salutatorian of the East Islip High School Class of 2018.

Varga will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study civil engineering.

Check out Patch's full interview with the salutatorian below:

Patch: What are your plans for after graduation?

Varga: After graduation I will study civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.

P: What will you miss most about high school?

V: What I will miss most about high school are the relationships and bonds that I made with my peers and teachers throughout the four years.

P: What are you most looking forward to in moving on to college?

V: On the other hand, I am excited to have the opportunity to meet new people and forge new relationships as I transition into college.

P: What was your favorite memory of high school?

V: Between kayaking, fishing, and going to a concert, AP Environmental provided me with some of my favorite experiences in an academic setting I’ve ever had.

P: What advice would you give to underclassmen?

V: Some advice that I would like to give underclassmen is don’t wait until junior or senior year to build your resume. I recommend that you participate in one academic program each summer of high school. I enrolled in technological programs at Stony Brook University multiple summers, and this past summer I was accepted into the National Grid Engineering Pipeline Program, which I will continue for the next few years. These programs look great on your resume and are very attractive to colleges that you will be applying to before you know it.

P: Any teachers/staff that stood out throughout your journey?

V: Ms. Mahoney - English was never my favorite subject, but I truly enjoyed walking into her class every day and getting to talk to her. Mr. Coulton - at the start of the year, I thought that having a double period of AP Physics every day would get boring, but he is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and always found a way to liven up the class.

P: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

V: In ten years I will have not only earned my undergraduate and graduate degrees, but I will have obtained my NYS Professional Engineering License. Having achieved this level of education will afford me the opportunity to be designing and constructing the energy network of the future.

P: Name a fun fact about yourself.

V: Fun Fact: I learned to ski when I was two years old.