As a result of 13 years of hard work, determination and scholastic commitment, Rocky Point High School seniors Bryant Liu and Josh Vogel have been named the Class of 2019 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.
Bryant is an exceptional student whose character, leadership and service experiences set him apart from his peers. He has taken 11 Advanced Placement courses and was recognized as an AP Scholar with Distinction as well as named a Commended Student in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program for exceptional academic promise.
Bryant is an accomplished, talented musician and has received many honors. He plays bass clarinet and trombone, is a section leader in the marching band and is a talented NYSSMA Level 6 pianist and the first student from Rocky Point to be named an All-State Pianist, one of only 12 in the state during his sophomore year. He received the National Piano Guild Supreme Pupil Award, placed second at the American Fine Arts Festival at Carnegie Hall and received honorable mention at the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music. In his free time, he also served as the accompanist for the seventh grade chorus, participated in the Steinway Performers Showcase and represented Steinway & Sons at the Smith Haven Mall. In addition, he participated in the pit orchestra for the high school musical.
Bryant finds time to balance his studies with many additional extracurricular activities. He is a member of the Math Honor Society, Math Team, National Honor Society and Robotics Team. He also participated on the varsity tennis and winter track teams.
Outside of school, Bryant worked as an intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory and participated in the Summer Research Program at Stony Brook University. He also works at the Center for Chinese Learning at Stony Brook, where he teaches language and culture to younger students.
Bryant will graduate with a weighted average of 104.69 and is bound for the University of Southern California, where he will pursue a career in economics and mathematics.
Josh is a dedicated scholar, athlete, actor and a very talented musician. He was named a Commended Student in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship program and an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors, and will be graduating with a grade point average of 104.51.
A gifted singer, Josh has been acknowledged with many honors and awards throughout his four years of high school, including being invited to perform at the SCMEA All-County Music Festival in the Mixed Chorus, the NYSCAME All-County Music Festival, Mixed Chorus and the NYSSMA All-State Conference, Mixed Chorus. This year Josh was selected to participate in NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles Mixed Choir that took place in Orlando, Florida, making Rocky Point history as the first district student to participate at this level. Josh was the co-section leader of the French horns and bass clarinets in the marching band and participated in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Suffolk Symphonic Choir.
He has also held a number of leadership roles in the school community, including serving as the president of his class for three years and as a member in our Athletes Helping Athletes, Compassion Without Borders and Human Rights clubs, as well as the National Honor Society and Thespian Honor Society.
Josh will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall, where he will be studying government.