LEVITTOWN, NY — MacArthur High School seniors Meaghan Campbell and Sara Duda were named valedictorian and salutatorian for the class of 2026, the district announced Thursday.
The honor comes after stellar academic careers for both students, as Campbell graduated with a 105.2 grade point average and Duda graduated with a 104.8.
Campbell has been a member of the science research program at MacArthur, studying human behavior and social conformity and presenting her findings at multiple STEM competitions, district officials said. Duda, on the other hand, studied social sciences and plant life in the same research program, seeking to find if coffee grounds or coconut husks could help plants grow.
Outside science research, Campbell is a member of the National, Math and World Language honor societies while Duda was an early enrollee in AP Physics and AP Calculus.
For Campbell, district officials said success in the classroom was matched by success in sports: She’s a varsity basketball player who scored her 1,000th point this year, a conference champion volleyball player and an all-conference flag football player, all while taking part as a buddy in Massapequa’s Challengers basketball team.
Both seniors also have extensive volunteer resumes, as Campbell teaches basketball and volunteers at St. Bernard’s Church while Duda volunteered at Camp Anchor in the Town of Hempstead and at the Polish Supplementary School of Long Island.
District officials said Campbell is headed to Vassar College next year, where she will study neuroscience and behavior while playing basketball. Duda is headed to SUNY Farmingdale next year with plans to study nursing and an eventual goal of earning her doctorate and becoming a CRNA.
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