South Huntington Valedictorian And Salutatorian Named

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — The South Huntington School District announced its top two students for the Walt Whitman High School Class of 2024.

The valedictorian is Angelina Liclican and the salutatorian is Porter Chetty.

Liclican is currently deciding between Stevens Institute of Technology and Lafayette College. She wants to study mechanical engineering.

"I have always loved science and math, so I knew I wanted to do something in STEM," Liclican said in a news release. "However, I knew I wanted to do engineering specifically because I love to build and create. Overall, there are endless possibilities in the field of mechanical engineering."

Liclican is proud to be the class of 2024 valedictorian. Her goal has always been to get into a good college so following the advice of her mother, who also happens to be a guidance counselor, her objective was always to get good grades.

"My mom taught me since I was younger that you work hard now when you're in high school and work hard again when you're in college," Liclican said.

All that hard work has paid off. Liclican was one of only 357 students in the world to score a rare perfect 5 on an AP exam (AP Research) in May 2023. She is a College Board national merit commended scholar, College Board AP acholar with distinction, AP Capstone Diploma recipient, and Rensselaer medalist. She has been awarded several full tuition scholarships and fellowships from her top college picks which will help her make her final choice.

In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, Liclican was inducted into the National Social Studies, Math, English, and World Language Honor Societies. She is Student Government secretary, and a member of SADD and the Asian Heritage Club.

And because Walt Whitman High School didn’t already have a club to help animals, Liclican created one. She is the founder and president of Rescue Paws which works with local animal shelters.

She is also a volunteer youth teacher at Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle Sunday School. Liclican said her family and faith help ground her. Add in her love of music - she plays in the Whitman Wind Ensemble — and plays piano, guitar and ukulele at home just for fun — and this self-admitted perfectionist said she has the tools she needs to relieve the stress of her academic pursuits, according to the school district.

Chetty is still deciding what campus he’ll be on for his first day of college. His top choices include Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Stevens Institute of Technology, but Binghamton University and Stony Brook University are also in the running. He plans to major in engineering.

"I just think I am really good at figuring stuff out, building things," Chetty said. "I pick up things really quickly. And I feel like engineering is something that aligns with my love for fixing things and, also, I'm really interested in the sciences."

He’s also really interested in the performing arts, so Chetty said he wants to find a college or university with strong support for that side of his personality. While at Whitman, his talents have been on display in school plays: "The Crucible," "Love of a Pig," and "Don’t Drink the Water."

He’s a member of the Collective Recording Studio Club and International Thespian Society. He’s been honored as a top music student in New York State by being chosen for NYSSMA All-State Choir and SCMEA All-County Chorus in Suffolk.

"The 40 minutes in the choir room is where I'm only thinking about the music and not anything else. And I think it helps me detach a little bit from all the work and classes," Chetty said.

Sports and clubs also help balance the work. Chetty is the captain of the varsity badminton team and ran cross country for two years. He’s a member of the Pickleball Club, Spikeball Club, Star Wars Club, Digital Arts Club and the Xanadu Literary Magazine, among others.

He has been inducted into the National Honor Society as well as the World Language, English, Social Studies, and Tri-M Music Honor Societies.

"I commend our 2024 Valedictorian Angelina Liclican and Salutatorian Porter Chetty for their exemplary dedication to academic excellence," Walt Whitman High School Principal John Murphy said. "Angelina’s work within our research program has truly defined her, not only as a stellar academic leader, but also as someone who focuses on real world issues and tries to find solutions. Porter Chetty is a dynamic and vibrant individual whose focus on the fine arts within high school has been something of note within our music programs as well as musicals, showcasing not only his own talents, but the talents of so many of his peers. They truly exemplify the ideals that we wish all students at Walt Whitman High School to possess, and I wish them nothing but happiness and luck in all their future endeavors."