Herricks High School has announced Rhea Rasquinha and Kyle Pinzon as the Class of 2021 valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively.
Both students are award-winning Science Research students, AP Scholars with Distinction, National Honor Society members and National Merit Finalists, and together they served as Co-Presidents of the Freshmen Focus and Yearbook organizations. They each have their own extensive list of additional accomplishments, talents and interests as well.
Earlier this school year, Rhea was recognized as a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar for her Science Research project, “Identifying the Prognostic, Tumor-Suppressive and Immunologic Roles of IRF5 in Breast Cancer.”
She studied under the mentorship of Dr. Betsy Barnes of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research for two summers and explored IRF5 and breast cancer and practiced different data analysis procedures.
She has also earned a Rensselaer Medal and the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Affiliate Award and was part of a finalist team in the 2019 Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge International Summit.
Rhea is active in her school community — she served as Student Government Vice President for her first three years of high school and is currently Executive Board Vice President.
She is also a leader in the STEM Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society and Euro/Fed Challenge, for which she is a Co-President, and the Herricks Explore, Create, Share organization as Public Relations/Podcast Editor. At the onset of the pandemic, Rhea helped organize Herricks Strong, a community-wide group and fundraiser for those directly impacted by COVID-19.
Prior to that, she volunteered at the Sunharbor Manor nursing home and at the middle school’s Friday Night Rec program.
In addition to her scholastic aptitude and charitable endeavors, Rhea is an athlete and musician. She serves as captain of the Varsity Cross Country team and has earned All-County honors and qualified for the 2018 Class A State Championship. She is also on the Varsity Winter and Spring Track teams and has earned All-Conference, All-County and All-Division distinctions.
She plays the clarinet in the Wind Ensemble and has participated in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra’s Nassau Principal Orchestra, All-County ensembles and All-State Symphonic Band. She also performs in the Blue Jazz Band as a clarinetist/tenor saxophonist.
Kyle was recognized as a second-place winner in the biochemistry category of both, the 2021 New York State Science and Engineering Fair and Long Island Science and Engineering Fair.
He received the ASM Materials Most Outstanding Exhibit Award at NYSSEF and the LISEF Regeneron Biomedical Award. He is also a recipient of a NYSSEF Environmental Engineering award, and was named a JSHS Semifinalist last year. His most recent research was conducted under Dr. Iwao Ojima at Stony Brook University and focused on finding and creating novel drugs with the potential to combat SARS-CoV-2 and aid in patient recovery.
During his junior year, Kyle studied under Dr. Robert Farrauto at Columbia University and concentrated on enhancing the capabilities of a novel catalyst capable of converting CO2 into usable energy, a fuel-efficient approach to tackling rising CO2 emissions.
A leader at school, Kyle has been involved in student government since his freshman year and currently serves as School Executive President. He is Community Club Vice President and is a varsity member of Herricks Quiz Bowl. Additionally, he is a skilled athlete and has excelled as a captain and member of the varsity swim and badminton teams.
A talented cellist, Kyle has many musical accomplishments to his name – he was selected to All-State the past two years and has participated in the Lincoln Center Young Musicians Program, Music for All Indianapolis National Chamber Festival and LISFA Chamber Music Festival.
He won first place in the Long Island Choral Society Young Artists Concerto Competition, and has been a featured soloist in Herricks High School’s Chamber Orchestra and Freshman Orchestra, as well as a member of the Herricks Cello Quartet. Since the eighth grade, he has studied at Manhattan School of Music Precollege on Saturdays and participated in various MSM ensembles.
Through his MSM involvement, he won the Marion Feldman Endowed Cello Precollege Scholarship, received the Parents Association Award, made Dean’s List and earned placement in the Honors Recital. Kyle teaches and has mentored younger peers in their cello endeavors, and has a following of more than 10,000 on an Instagram account that features his musical practice.
When asked what pieces of advice they have for younger peers striving for success in high school, both seniors cited the importance of creating time for oneself and pursuing passions and interests. They acknowledged the positive impact that friends and teachers have had on their approaches to work and learning.
“Find a support system, don’t be afraid to ask for help, try to make time for things that you’re actually interested in, and take time for yourself,” Rhea said.
“Don’t forget to remind yourself what a great job you’ve done,” Kyle said. “It’s so easy to get trapped in this mindset of, ‘I need to work harder, I can do better, etc.’ Funnily enough, it’s very hard to take a breather and congratulate yourself for the good work you’ve done already. We’re growing up in such a fast-paced world, but this only makes having compassion for yourself even more important.”
With college just around the corner, Rhea plans to embark on the medical path and will attend Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education. Kyle will attend Vanderbilt University as a double major in Cello Performance and Chemistry, with the likelihood of pursuing postgraduate degrees.
