Above and beyond: Here are Valley Central's scholar athletes for 2023-24

The Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association recently honored its top senior student-athletes for each high school. Valley Central High School selected Autumn Strobach and Adam Elkashef.

Here are their profiles:

Autumn Strobach

GPA: 101.30

Class Rank: 1

Varsity Sports: Tennis; Softball; Track and Field

Academic Honors/Extracurricular Activities: Valedictorian; National Honor Society; National Math Honor Society; National Science Honor Society; National English Honor Society; National Social Studies Honor Society; National Music Honor Society; Medachieve Program - Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine; Strada Grill employee; Student Achievement Recognition Award; Montgomery Little League umpire; Angels Fastpitch Softball; Blackhawks Softball; Women's Choir member; Colden Manor at Spruce Lodge employee; Eat This Bakery! employee

Athletic Honors: New York State No. 2 highest batting average (2022); varsity tennis captain; Section IX Scholar-Athlete (all three varsity Teams); three varsity letters

Community Service: Church lector, Montgomery Little League Softball assistant coach and concession stand helper; Berea Elementary School volunteer

Future Plans: Mount Saint Mary College, to major in Nursing, playing tennis and softball. continue education and seek Nurse Practitioner degree and certification

Adam Elkashef

GPA: 100.9

Class Rank: 2

Varsity Sports: Swimming

Academic Honors/Extracurricular Activities: Research: Harvard University, team member conducting research, “Characteristics of Enzyme Responsive Active Emulsion Droplet Systems by Laser-Based Magnetic Levitation Devices”/Physician Shadowing: Shadowing Dr. Hesham Gadallah, MD, at his pediatric facility; Workshops: American Chemical Society July 2023 Completed the ACS Climate Change Advocacy Workshop and advocated for House Representatives Bills 132 “Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act” and 178 “Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act” in my local district; Competitions: Science Olympiad – Present: Engineered different contraptions, such as concept car stops in emergencies, Wi-Fi antenna, and competition participation/VCHS DUSO Math League Team Sep 2021 – Present: A member of the team “A” representing Valley Central in competitive algebraic, geometric, and other upper-level math questions; Mentoring: Touro College MedAchieve Scholars Program—participated in professional and academic medical lectures to enrich my interest in pursuing a career in medicine; Internships: Mentoring in Medicine (MIM) Biomedical Research Summer Internship for HS students participating in projects supporting the medical field; Awards: Salutatorian; Honor Level of the 2023-24 National Community Service Award by Innerview; Commended Student in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program; College Board’s National Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program Award; College Board’s AP Scholar with Honor Award; Leadership: Vice President and Treasurer for Valley Central Science Olympiad; Captain for Varsity Swim Team; Founder and President of Valley Central HS Water Polo Sporting Club; Spanish Honor Society Business Manager; National Math Honor Society Secretary; National Honor Society; National Science, Social Studies, and English Societies; Certificates: Completion of Tourniquet course by the American College of Surgeons – Committee of Trauma; Certified Lifeguarding with CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers and First Aid – American Red Cross

Athletic Honors: Team captain

Community Service: Town of Montgomery Ambulance Corps; Garnet Health Medical Center; Africa Relief and Community Development; Tutoring in chemistry and math; School House World Tutoring SAT Math; Hudson Valley Islamic Community Center volunteer

Future Plans: Vassar College, to major in Cognitive Science/Pre-Med

kmcmillan@th-record.com

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