Graduation 2025: Hats off to Southold High School graduates
Portraits of Achievement
Ashley Bifulco – Valedictorian
GPA: 101.41 (weighted)
College: Villanova University
Major: Mathematics
Ashley has garnered a wide range of achievements in her academic years thus far. She is a member of the National Honor Society, a journalist for Southold Junior-Senior High School’s “The Sentinel,” an Academic Peer and an ESL tutor.
Likewise, Ashley has played as the first chair for french horn in band since the ninth grade, was a Level Six New York All State French Horn Solo, was on Southold’s varsity tennis team and was the team captain for spring track’s varsity team. Outside of this impressive list of accomplishments, she also has time to foster other passions, such as those she holds for baking, golfing and traveling. Her love of learning — especially in math — is something she hopes to continue to foster at Villanova University.
The youngest of six, Ashley said, “[I’ve] always been a big family person. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today, but most importantly, without my parents specifically, and their unconditional love, I wouldn’t have completed such a great achievement.”
Jacob Steinfeld – Salutatorian
GPA: 100.58 (weighted)
College: Cornell University
Major: Applied economics and management
In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, Jacob also boasts an extensive list of extracurricular activities that he’s enjoyed during his four years of high school. They include: playing in the school’s jazz band ensemble; participating in Southold’s soccer, basketball and baseball teams; volunteering at the North Fork’s Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation; and working at the New Suffolk oyster farm, Peeko Oysters.
Jacob credits his interest in his major as stemming from a virtual enterprise class, in which he served as a CFO for his group’s virtual company, ELIGO. He said that although “the process of learning how to oversee a company’s finances was strenuous,” he “thoroughly enjoyed it,” thus prompting him to narrow down what further education he’d like to pursue.
Scenes from commencement
Photos by Angela Colangelo and Brooke Buczek
Southold Awards and Honors
Jason Alvarez – Roman J. Wilinski Memorial Scholarship, East End Lions Club Foundation Award.
Judith Anderson – Helen S. Wurth Memorial Scholarship Fund – Excellence in Foreign Language, Rotary Club of Southold Interact Scholarship, National School Development Council (NSDC), Office of the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli Student Achievement Award, Southold Music Boosters, Southold Faculty Association Scholarship, Southold Peconic Civic Association Scholarship.
Estephani Barraza Ruiz – Suffolk Association of School Business Officials Award (SASBO), Office of the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James – Triple “C” Awards, Southold High School Family & Consumer Science Department Award.
Jake Baxendale – North Fork Breast Health Coalition.
Ashley Bifulco – Valedictorian Award, Helen S. Wurth Memorial Scholarship Fund – Excellence in Mathematics, Helen S. Wurth Memorial Scholarship Fund – Excellence in English, Suffolk County Music Educators Association Scholarship, Order Sons of Italy in America – New York State Grand Lodge Foundation Inc., Southold Music Boosters, New York State Academic Excellence Awards.
Colton Born – Suffolk County Chapter of the New York State School Facilities Association Inc.
Julia Cardi – Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship, Southold Music Boosters.
Kai Cichanowicz – Southold PTA Student Award.
Ashleigh Doering – William J. McGonegal Memorial Humanitarian Award, United States NAVY ROTC Scholarship, Southold PTA Student Award, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Southold Schools Athletic Association, Custer Institute Observatory Scholarship, Southold Music Boosters.
Joseph Earley – Dominick Giovanniello Sr. Memorial Scholarship, Office of the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James – Civic Ambassador Award.
Julia Elliston – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award.
William Garcia Avalos – Andreas Emmanuel Markakis Memorial Scholarship, New York State Senate’s Youth Leadership Recognition Award Program.
Maria Gavalas – Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Rotary Club of Southold Paulette Ofrias Memorial Community Service Award, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship.
Kimberly Gregorio – Victoria Markakis Memorial Scholarship, Southold Town Democratic Club Scholarship, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship.
Sarah Harvey – Rotary Club of Southold in Memory of Jere Jacobs – Performing Arts Scholarship, St. Peters Lutheran Church Scholarship, Suffolk County School Superintendents Association Scholarship, Southold Free Library Scholarship.
William Helinski – American Legion Griswold Terry Glover Post No. 803 Scholarship, Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship, New York State Senate’s Youth Leadership Recognition Award Program, Southold Music Boosters, American Legion Griswold Terry Glover Post No. 803 Scholarship.
Sebashton Jimenez – Southold High School Family & Consumer Science Department Award.
Sally Jordan – George Markakis Memorial Scholarship.
Bryce Keels – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award in Memory of FJ Kiernan, Mattituck Lions Club Kaitlyn Doorhy Strawberry Queen Memorial Scholarship, Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship, Southold Fire Department.
Alexander Kennedy – Southold PTA Student Award, Southold Town Republican Club Award.
Suleyman Kilic – Rotary Club of Southold English Language Learner Scholarship.
Jordyn Kollen – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award, Southold S.C.O.P.E. Education Services Scholarship, Southold Soccer Club Scholarship, Cutchogue Fire Department – Grant for Higher Education in Memory of Stanley L. Victoria & Wayne Glover, North Fork United Soccer Scholarship in Memory of Morgan West, Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship, Southold PTA Student Award, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Southold Schools Athletic Association.
Emily Kopala – Katherine S. Leavay Memorial Scholarship, Southold PTA Student Award.
Ryan Luhrs – News Channel 12 Scholar Athlete, William J. McGonegal Memorial Award, Ann & Don Scott Memorial Award, Southold PTA Student Award, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Southold Schools Athletic Association.
Chloe Manwaring – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award, Richard M. Osmer Memorial Sports Fund Award, Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship, Southold Soccer Club Scholarship, Southold High School Principal’s Award, Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship, Southold Music Boosters, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Oysterponds Rod & Gun Club Scholarship, Southold Schools Athletic Association, North Fork Chamber of Commerce. Award
Arin McGilvray – Suffolk Times Journalism Award, Office of the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James – Triple “C” Awards.
Kenneth McGunnigle – Cross Sound Ferry Services Scholarship, Suffolk County Chapter of the New York State School Facilities Association Inc., National School Development Council (NSDC), North Fork Environmental Council Howard Meinke Memorial Scholarship, Suffolk County Executive, Edward P. Romaine – Public Service Award, Custer Institute Observatory Scholarship, New York State Academic Excellence Awards.
Lauren Mullen – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award, Richard & Marion Pierson Memorial Scholarship, Stevan Fickeissen Memorial Award, Southold Schools Athletic Association.
Hailey Sorell – St. Peters Lutheran Church Scholarship.
Jacob Steinfeld – Salutatorian Award, Richard M. Osmer Memorial Sports Fund Award, Helen S. Wurth Memorial Scholarship Fund – Excellence in Science, New York State Council of Administrators of Music Educators Scholarship, New Suffolk S.C.O.P.E. Education Services Scholarship, New York State Academic Excellence Award, Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award, Southold Music Boosters, Southold PTA Student Award, Southold Schools Athletic Association.
Lynette Taylor – Rotary Club of Southold – Barbara Bogel Ackermann “Most Improved Student” Scholarship.
Joseph Trapani – Cynthia Goldsmith Agosta Memorial Award, Rotary Club of Southold Vocational Excellence Award.
Reagan Treharne – North Fork Women – Anne MacKay Memorial Scholarship, Helen S. Wurth Memorial Scholarship Fund – Excellence in Social Studies, William J. McGonegal Memorial Award, Southold Music Boosters, Southold Free Library Scholarship, Southold PTA Student Award, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Southold Faculty Association Scholarship.
Carley Wilinski – Stevan Fickeissen Memorial Award, Southold Town Police Benevolent Association Scholarship, Dylan Newman Forever 5 Foundation Scholarship, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Southold Schools Athletic Association.
Brady Woods – High Liner Food Scholarship.
Joseph Zuhoski IV – Zaveski Lucey Memorial Foundation Award, Southold Fire Department Packard Hose Company Keith Purcell Memorial Scholarship, Cutchogue Fire Department – Grant for Higher Education in Memory of Stanley L. Victoria & Wayne Glover, Mattituck Lions Club Scholarship, Gerard J. Buckenmeyer Memorial Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) Volunteer Scholarship.
Future Plans for Southold Graduates
Jason Josue Alvarez – Suffolk County Community College; Judith Anderson – Providence College; Jolie Antonison – SUNY/Brockport; Anderson Cuellar – Employment; Estephani Ivet Barraza Ruiz –York College of Pennsylvania; Jake Baxendale – Air National Guard, University of New Hampshire; Lindsey G. Bednoski – University of New Hampshire at Charlotte; Ashley Nicole Bifulco – Villanova University; Colton Allan Born – University of New Hampsire at Charlotte.
Giavanna Califano – SCCC; Julia Daisy Cardi – Air National Guard; Edgar J. Choquin – St. John’s University; Kai Jacob Cichanowicz – Arizona State University; Michael J. DeNicola – Nassau Community College; Ashleigh Grace Doering – Penn State University; Joseph James Earley – Connecticut College; Julia Elliston – College of Charleston; Sofia Bella Federico – Nova Southwestern University.
Brandon J. Fleischman – University at Buffalo; Sophia Fray – Sacred Heart University; William Angelo Garcia Avalos – SCCC; Bryan Garcia Palencia – United States Army; Maria Gavalas – Quinnipiac University; Kimberly Gregorio – SUNY/Buffalo; William Grzegorczyk – Employment; Jordan Guaman Alvarez – Iona University; Sarah Elizabeth Harvey – St. Joseph’s University.
William Lukasz Helinski – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Braeden Ibañez – United States Marine Corps; Belinda Ichaj – SCCC; Hector Javiel Cruz – Employment; Sebashton M. Jimenez – SUNY/Cortland; Sally Elaine Jordan – SUNY/Geneseo; Bryce L. Keels – University of New Haven; Alexander Kennedy – UMass Amherst; Suleyman Kilic – SCCC.
Logan Michael Koke – University of South Carolina; Jordyn Elizabeth Kollen – Florida Southern College; Emily Suzanne Kopala – Palm Beach Atlantic University; Ryan Peter Luhrs – Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Jonathan Michael Mann – United States Army; Chloe Belle Manwaring – Coastal Carolina University; Reik A. Martocchia – SUNY/Alfred State College of Technology; Arin Thomas McGilvray – Bryant University.
Jessilyn (Adler) McGough – SCCC; Kenneth William McGunnigle – University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Gabriel Humberto Mendez Orellana – SCCC; Odaliz Mayte Monzon Miguel – SCCC; Mijael Vladimir Morales Rodas – BOCES Adult Education; Lauren Mullen – University of Miami; Emely Marisela Oliva Palencia – SCCC; Trista M. Panetta – Employment; Luis Perez Melendez – SCCC; Esmeralda E. Quintanilla Campos – Employment.
Steven Alexis Rodriguez – SCCC; Sabrina L. Rodriguez Fuentes – SCCC; Lainey Starr Rutkowski – Employment; Roy Edward Sebastian Schorr – Job Corps; Luca D. Sirico – United States Coast Guard; Hailey Clare Sorell – Sacred Heart University; Ryan Soto – Employment; Jacob Max Steinfeld – Cornell University; Nikoloz Talabadze – California College of ASU; Lynette Taylor – SCCC.
Joseph Trapani III – Dean College; Reagan Kathleen Treharne – Marist University; Yerlin Gustavo Velasquez Perez – Employment; Bradley José Villamil – SCCC; Isabela Marie VonEiff – Palm Beach Atlantic University; Carley Anne Wilinski – University of New Hampshire; Brady Daniel Woods – University of Rhode Island; Joseph Stanley Zuhoski IV – University of Rhode Island.
