Whiz Kid: Shoreham-Wading River Valedictorian Headed to Johns Hopkins

Name: Emily McNally - Age 17

School: Shoreham-Wading River HS - 2012 Grad

Accomplishments: Emily was the valedictorian of the 2012 graduating class at Shoreham-Wading River High School. While there, she took seven honors courses and ten Advanced Placement (AP) courses and was the recipient of the College Board's AP Scholar with Distinction Award. 

She was on the Principal's List for every quarter of her high school career.  Throughout those years, Emily was the recipient of the following awards: Living Environment Honors, French 4 and 5, Geometry Honors and Algebra 2/Trigonometry and Precalculus Honors.  She received the Moody's Mega Math Challenge Award, the National Merit Scholar Commendation, the Congressman Tim Bishop Congressional Certificate of Merit Award, the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Award and the PTSA Outstanding Student Achievement Award.

Emily was on the school's Mathletes Team as a regional and national competitor, as well as a member of the National Honor Society, Brainstormers and Natural Helpers.

Outside of the classroom, McNally was also on the Varsity track team in 9th and 10th grade and participated in the drama production of Beauty and the Beast.  As a band member, she played first chair clarinet and participated in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) competitions each year since the 7th grade. Her excellence on the clarinet resulted in her being selected to perform in the Suffolk County Music Educators' Association (SCMEA) festivals each year of high school.

Emily is a nationally and internationally ranked Irish step dancer with the Inishfree School of Irish Dance. She has volunteered her time at Irish Step Shows, with her church choir and at the Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program at Saddle Rock Ranch.

The recent grad received many scholarships, including the Hodson Trust Scholarship from John Hopkins University, the Women's Club of Riverhead Scholarship for Science, the PTSA Scholarship, the PMTT Scholarship, the Long Island Teachers Benevolent Fund Scholarship and the Inishfree School of Irish Dance Scholarship.

Emily will major in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University with plans to become a tissue/genetic engineer.