Pierson High School's Val, Sal Chosen

SAG HARBOR, NY — Pierson High School has officially announced the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2023.

"Emily Squire, the class’s valedictorian, and Griffin Greene, the salutatorian, are strong community members at Pierson High School who both found inspiration in their academic successes from watching their parents," the district said.

The students spoke about what fueled their academic success.

“The motivation behind my grades came from having a hardworking family. My parents inspired me,” Emily said. Working hard meant opening the doors to the opportunities she wanted to one day strive for, she 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 in taking what she has learned at Pierson into the future.

“I am 100 percent going to miss the art experiences at Pierson,” Emily said. “The teachers created an amazing environment. We have 3D printers, massive scale photo printers, fashion workshops, and more.”

Still, Emily said, a piece of her heart will always belong to Pierson. “I am going to miss my second family . . . my classmates. After going through COVID together and then coming back together these last two years, it’s been super bonding.”

Emily offered words of advice to younger students that she’s gleaned from her high school career as well as from boxing at Hill Street Boxing in Southampton: “Do as much as you can. Anything that you’re 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 if you don’t fail sometimes. The success feels so much sweeter when you know you really worked for it.”

As the salutatorian, Griffin said he found his motivation for academic success by watching his hardworking mother. He also explained that finding the right balance between school and life was key.

Griffin said establishing 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 might be under-appreciated, 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 embark upon his college experience.

"He plans to find new communities alike and learn what he hasn’t yet been exposed to. Particularly, analyzing scripts, literature and film are topics of excitement," the district said.

During his four years at Pierson, Griffin has run cross-country and served as captain. He’s contributed to the newspaper club by writing film reviews and has even branched out beyond Pierson into film and art communities including the 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 a balance. It’s important to balance your community and school.”

Griffin also said he will miss his classmates, and how close they’ve grown, most. “Since COVID, we’ve developed a strong support system. We help each other prepare for tests and projects, and have really gotten close since going through COVID together. The people feel like home.”