The Classic spoke with this year’s salutatorian, Shamonti Shamim. At last week’s senior awards night, Shamonti was announced as the 2025 salutatorian. The Classic customarily interviews both the valedictorian and salutatorian afterwards. Tomorrow, the interview with this year’s valedictorian will be published.
Q: What does being valedictorian/salutatorian mean to you?
Shamonti: To me, being salutatorian isn’t solely about having a high GPA, but rather, it reflects the dedication I’ve put into my studies. When it comes to my academics, these past four years have proven to me that with new challenges, I can always find a way to make the best out of my situation (even if it means staying up until 4 A.M. to finish my Humanities paper). Yet despite this, I fully believe that the title doesn’t define my success to be greater than anyone else’s; everyone at Townsend Harris has worked tirelessly to get to where they are today, and I am beyond grateful to be standing besides the Class of 2025 as we move forward with our education. The amount of drive and passion I’ve seen from you all is admirable, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever meet a group who is more diligent than those at Townsend Harris. I am deeply honored to be able to represent all of you and the contributions you’ve all made to our school and the community.
Q: What has been the most valuable lesson you have learned at Townsend?
Shamonti: Never be afraid to try something new. Before coming to Townsend, I was introverted and didn’t think I would be involved in many extracurriculars – not because I didn’t want to do them, but because I was too afraid to try. Yet, I realized that in order to understand more about yourself, you do need to take that leap of faith. If you don’t, it might take you ten years to find out something about yourself that you could’ve discovered in ten days. The fear of the unknown should never hold you back, but rather, it should motivate you to explore and understand more about yourself than ever before. If I didn’t try something new, I would never have realized that I love competing in Science Olympiad or how being a director in S!NG is so worthwhile.
Q: What are your best pieces of advice for the current underclassman and the incoming class?
Shamonti: Prioritize yourself. As much as it might not sound like the best advice, it’s always best to give yourself the time you need to recharge. Never be afraid to ask for help from peers or teachers, because I can assure you that they will be more than willing to listen in and support your efforts. Also, never be afraid to ask for an extension; it’s something I learned the hard way unfortunately. As a freshman, I would never take an extension for any of my assignments because I knew it would just delay my progress and potentially jeopardize the quality of my work. However, it took my senior year to realize that sometimes, having more time is better than trying to rush out all your work simultaneously. Give yourself a break every now and then, or more than likely you’ll be burnt out by the time you start senior year and begin to write college applications.
Q: What is the best advice you have received that you’ve found helpful?
Shamonti: “You’re too hard on yourself; you should be more lenient. You did amazing out there.” I’ve heard the exact phrase “you’re too hard on yourself” many times throughout my four years at Townsend Harris. From friends to teachers, I’ve constantly heard these words yet have never taken them to face value until recently. I have realized that dwelling on the past, and trying to make sense of a bad test score or your poor performance in class is pointless. The best you can do is to move forward, and use those past experiences to fuel your desire to do better next time. Never be harsh on yourself, because you know as much as I do that you studied hard for that test and tried to be more engaged in class. Trying is just as good as doing, and we need to be able to give ourselves some room for trial and error. Without that space to fail, you’ll never be able to truly learn from the past or improve yourself for the future.
Q: What is your best late-night-procrastination memory?
Shamonti: I was never the best at presenting, yet I still went through the AP Capstone course. In AP Seminar, I realized that in order for me to memorize my 4-page script, I needed two weeks to read it over and remember the flow of words. For my senior AP Research presentation, I had approximately 3 days to memorize a 7-page script, and the responses to additional oral defense questions. Although the odds were definitely not in my favor, I worked tirelessly. Working from sunrise to sundown, I would use any frees or time between meals to memorize even a sentence of my script. The night before I was up until 4 A.M. until I decided it was time to call it a night. I still don’t know how I pulled it off, but I went up, presented in front of the whole class for 20 minutes straight, and earned myself a perfect score.
Q: What is the least expected thing to have happened to you during your time at THHS?
Shamonti: Dancing on stage was something my freshman year self would never have imagined me doing. Coming into high school, I was an introverted person who kept to myself and only had a few friends. One day, a classmate of mine recommended me to join FON, and although I was hesitant at first, I thought: Why not give it a try? If I don’t like it, I can always back out. Turns out, I would never not like it, and I continued to be a part of FON up until my senior year. At one point, even my sister had come to watch the show and she filmed all these videos of me and cheered so loudly in the crowd. It’s surreal to think that I was even involved in FON, especially considering that I don’t dance and never had much experience in it in the first place.
Q: What has been your favorite memory out of your four years at THHS?
Shamonti: My favorite memory at THHS was during the Senior Trip. My friends and I stayed up until 3 A.M. trying to finish the new XO Kitty season that had just been released on Netflix. Although the old TV only ran certain channels, we were able to connect it to a laptop and watch the entire season on the larger screen. I remember huddling on the couch, and when a specific scene came up, we all screamed so loud and covered ourselves with pillows. At one point, Ms. Brand knocked on our door to ask if we were okay (she thought that there was a bug in our room with the way we screamed). It was a fun night, and during my time there, I was able to try out new things that I’ve never done before, such as snow tubing.
Q: What college will you be attending? What are you most looking forward to for college?
Shamonti: I will be attending Cornell University in the fall. I’m looking forward to the dorming experience, since I’ve never been so far from home to be able to dorm before. It’s a bit intimidating, but I think I’m up for the challenge and the greater independence I’ll have at college. At Cornell, I will also be completing a work-study, which I’m excited for because it’s a new experience and can help me earn some extra money for myself. I also look forward to the many dining halls that are available and the variety of options Cornell provides (like the fresh ice cream that’s served from the cows in the Agriculture Department!). But aside from food, I hope to develop myself further into an individual, find new passions through clubs, and meet new people during my time there.
Q: What if any are your current career goals and/or plans for the future? What do you plan on studying in college?
Shamonti: Currently, I’m still exploring my options; however, I do know that I want to be in STEM. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to go into the neuroscience field. Over the summer, I was able to intern at Mount Sinai’s Epilepsy Department, and realized my deep interest in the brain and its intricate nature. During my time there, I met many engineers who are currently developing new technology to improve the treatment of epilepsy, and experiencing this first-hand has inspired me to be a part of the engineering world. I plan to pursue a career in engineering as a result; however, I would also like to specialize in neuroscience (so maybe neural engineering!). Thus, at Cornell, I’m planning on majoring in Cognitive Science, but will be using my freshman year of college as an exploration period where I can navigate through college life, but also understand if my interests have shifted in any way.
Q: Describe your high school experience compared to how it’s shown on TV.
Shamonti: No one’s singing through the halls at every moment like in High School Musical, and you definitely do not have to wear pink on Wednesdays like in Mean Girls (thankfully!). High school is mellow and, in a way, awkward; you start to find out new parts about yourself and your interests, but there’s no main villain in the story. In a way, you are your worst enemy, and if that part of yourself becomes so large that it practically engulfs you, you might as well say you lost the battle. I learned that in high school, you need to look out for yourself, whether that be knowing your limits or acknowledging your strengths. You get to decide what you want to do, and as I’ve mentioned before, I would tell you to do whatever it is you’re debating on. Don’t stress it, and never be afraid to try something new because no one will stop you from doing so except yourself. There may be villains or bullies in TV shows, but in reality, it will always be yourself if you allow it to be.
