Valedictorian – Emma French

Emma French, the daughter of Richard and Lauren French of Glasco, earned the distinction of being named valedictorian by achieving a weighted grade point average (GPA) of 102.106, which ranked her first in a class of 195. She completed a rigorous academic program that included Advanced Placement and college-level coursework across English, history, mathematics, and science.

Balancing a demanding course load, French immersed herself in a wide range of extracurricular activities, including Band, National Honor Society, Spanish Club, The Writing Space, Soccer, Tri-M Music Honor Society, and the Student International Committee. She demonstrated strong leadership throughout her high school career, serving as president of the Spanish Club, vice president of the Student International Committee, and vice president of the Sign Language Club.

In addition to her academic and leadership accomplishments, French dedicated time to community service through her volunteer work at St. Mary of the Snow Roman Catholic Church. She will graduate with the Seal of Civic Readiness as well as two Seals of Biliteracy—one in Spanish, and the other in American Sign Language.
Accepted by the Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, and the University at Buffalo, French plans to pursue a degree in Finance with the goal of eventually entering a career in data analysis, business law, or accounting.

Reflecting on her journey, French expressed gratitude to her family. “I would like to thank my parents for all the opportunities they provided me, especially when it came to trying new things. They were always there to support me when I felt like I was struggling,” she said. She also credits her second grade teacher, Frances Murphy, for inspiring her early love of learning.

Salutatorian – Sophie Vos

Sophie Vos, daughter of Helene Lesterlin and Todd Vos of Saugerties, has earned her salutatorian title with a weighted GPA of 101.635.  She completed a challenging academic program that included Advanced Placement and college-level coursework such as AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP U.S. History, and College English.

Vos balanced her academic commitments with involvement in The Writing Space, the Poetry Magazine committee, Track, and the National Honor Society. Outside of school, she devoted significant time to her musical pursuits through the Rock Academy, where she played bass, piano, and guitar, and performed as a vocalist—an experience that shaped much of her high school journey.

She also gave back to her community through volunteer work with the Key Club and Meals on Wheels.
Vos credits Math teacher Shawn Blatter as a key influence. “He challenged me to be the best that I can be, not only in math but in all areas,” she said.

Reflecting on her time at Saugerties, Vos emphasized the importance of balance and mindfulness. “Stop and smell the roses,” she advised. She shared that one of her favorite memories was simply going outside during lunch, enjoying the sun, and taking a break from schoolwork. “It’s important to take in the moment,” she declared.
Vos was accepted by Oberlin College in Ohio and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, where she intends to pursue a pre-med track in Chemistry, with the goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.

Principal’s Award Recipient – Christopher Stokes

Christopher Stokes, the son of Megan Helm and the stepson of Ian Helm of Saugerties, is the recipient of the 2026 Principal’s Award, an honor recognizing a student who exemplifies academic excellence, leadership, and service. He earned a weighted GPA of 101.403, making him third in his class.

Stokes completed a rigorous course load that included numerous Advanced Placement and college-level courses, particularly in science, mathematics, and computer science. His academic interests centered on electrical engineering and machine learning.

In addition to his coursework, Stokes engaged in several advanced research experiences. Beginning at age 15, he collaborated with Los Alamos National Laboratory on a joint contract with Coastal Carolina University, developing machine learning models to predict energy usage in high-performance supercomputing systems. This work led to a presentation at the Conference on Data Analytics (CoDA) in February 2025 and co-authorship of a paper presented at the IEEE International Conference on AI and Data Analytics. He is now continuing this research through a second project, which is focusing on detecting manufacturing defects using computer vision-based machine learning methods.

Stokes credits his Math and Computer Science teacher, Jennifer Sauer, for significantly influencing his academic interests. “She was always enthusiastic about teaching new skills. Her class was about more than just grades—it was about truly understanding concepts,” he said.

Throughout High School, he was actively involved in Tennis, Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Math Team, Eco Club, and Key Club. He held multiple leadership roles, including vice president and president of both Science Olympiad and the Eco Club, as well as treasurer of Student Government.

Among his many accomplishments, Stokes gave a presentation at a Youth Climate Summit, organized community cleanups, and earned three medals at a New York State Science Olympiad competition.

Stokes plans to attend Stanford University this fall as a QuestBridge Scholar on a full-ride scholarship.