Best wishes to the Class of 2022!!

The Class of 2022’s Valedictorian is Riley Soehnlein. She is the daughter of Eric and Laurie Soehnlein of Elmira, NY. Riley has worked hard to achieve this well-deserved title, excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities throughout her six years at Notre Dame High School.

Riley has repeatedly challenged herself academically through numerous AP and Honors courses, including AP Statistics, AP Calculus, AP Physics 1 & 2, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature and Composition, and AP English Language and Composition. She has excelled in these courses and many more, continuously distinguishing herself as an exceptional student. She has always been a model of consistency and hard work in the classroom.

Outside of the classroom, Riley has been involved in numerous activities both in and out of school. She is the Secretary of the Class Council and Vice President of the National Honor Society. She was an integral part of the Varsity Cross Country team from 7th to 12th grade and, recently, joined the Varsity Tennis team in 12th grade. 

Outside of Notre Dame, Riley participated in Youth Court and has been volunteering at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center since 9th grade. She also took part in the Corning Summer Science Research Experience during the summer of 2021. 

Next year, Riley will be attending Tufts University to major in Community Health, Biopsychology, or Cognitive and Brain Sciences, following a pre-med track. The Class of 2022 and the Notre Dame community are proud of Riley’s many achievements and wish her the best of luck. Congratulations Riley!!

• - Rachel Tsang

The Class of 2022’s Salutatorian is Emmalie Barkely. She is the daughter of Michelle and Shawn Barkley of Big Flats, NY. Emmalie has worked tirelessly to achieve this honor, excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities throughout her years at Notre Dame High School.

Emmalie is a student of the highest academic integrity. She has repeatedly challenged herself academically through AP and Honors courses, including AP Physics 1 & 2, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, and ACE Bio. Emmalie has excelled in these challenging classes by nothing short of pure determination and a strong work ethic. She has truly set the standard for what it means to be a distinguished scholar both in and out of the classroom. 

Outside of school, Emmalie has been involved in numerous extracurricular activities. She has participated in several varsity sports teams throughout her high school career including tennis, bowling, soccer, and Track & Field. Emmalie has participated on the FRC robotics team all four years of high school. She is senior editor of Credo and a photographer for the Maryleaf. Emmalie has participated in several Notre Dame clubs including Climate Crusaders, QSA, Maryleaf, and Credo, for which she serves as the senior editor. Emmalie is also a member of National Honor Society and Chinese National Honor society.  

Next year, Emmalie will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to major in electrical engineering. The Class of 2022 and Notre Dame are incredibly proud of Emmalie’s many accomplishments. She is truly a class act and the Notre Dame community will miss her dearly. Good luck and  Congratulations Emmalie!

• - Alexandra Meier

Justin did not make an immediate impression on me but the more time I spent with him the greater he impressed me. His name, Justin Gordon, despite not dominating the seemingly endless lists of recognition for scholarship, sports, leadership, and other things at Notre Dame, will one day, I have no doubt, be widely known and lit up bright on Broadway for all to admire.

Academically, Justin is solid and is more than prepared for college where he will receive one of the largest scholarships I know of to attend the only school he applied to - Pace University.

At Pace, Justin hopes to join the Musical Theater program but will begin his career there in the Arts and Entertainment Management trajectory. Post-college, he hopes to bless Broadway with his talents for a decade or so, before breaking into movies and television where we will once again have the opportunity to witness his genius wherever we happen to be.

Locally, you might catch him playing in an MTG tournament (if you know what MTG is, you understand this means he is intelligent, strategic, resilient, and a whole lot of fun) and one of my regrets is never finding the time to join him in a game. He also loves to sing and play piano, earning him the following compliments from Mr. Cuomo: “Justin is one I can always count on. He is ready willing and able. His musicianship is excellent and when asked to do something out of the norm he responds quickly!  It was a pleasure working with him this year!”

When I asked Justin what he wished everyone could know, he responded, “Don’t be afraid to try new things,” recalling how he jumped into a choreography role for a local production some months ago with no prior experience, reminding us that wherever we are is not the limits of what can be.

If you’d like to see him perform, he will be in upcoming performances of Broadway Under the Stars and Animal Crackers (with Hamilton-Gibson Theatre), or just wait…before long, I am sure we will all be refamiliarized with the work of Justin Gordon, this year's Outstanding Senior.

• - Mr. Trevor Creighton