TURIN — Chad Luther, principal of the South Lewis Senior High School, has announced the school’s top scholars for the Class of 2023.

With a 99.43 grade point average, Emma Reid, daughter of Andrew and Kristine Reid of Boonville, has earned the distinction of class valedictorian. Reid, Luther said, has been an outstanding student, a leader among her peers, and a conscientious member of the community.

Recently, she was identified as a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program which acknowledges students with exceptional academic performance and high SAT scores. Reid is also the recipient of several collegiate scholarship nominations and awards including the Clarkson University Leadership Award; the Rensselaer Medal; the RIT Computing Medal and Scholarship; the New York State Senate Youth Leadership Recognition Award; and the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology. Reid was a spring 2022 inductee into the Morgan Lewis Chapter of National Honor Society and was recently designated a Class of 2023 South Lewis Lions Club Scholar.

Reid has been independently taking college-level classes since she was a sophomore. Because of her performance as a college student, Reid was awarded the CollegeBoard.org Rural and Small Town Recognition Award and was named to the president’s list at Mohawk Valley Community College.

In the fall, Reid spends time in the pool with her teammates on the Falcon swim team; in the winter, she enjoys downhill skiing and shares her knowledge as an instructor with novice skiers. Reid has also been a part of FFA, GAA, Youth Advisory Council, Conspiracy Club, and Library Club. She serves as a peer tutor, as a competitive member of the Whiz Quiz Team, and as an integral part of the Falcon Robotics Team. Outside of school, Reid devotes time to her church, fills any extra moments by volunteering for 4-H activities, and commits herself to assist the Lewis County Youth Bureau and Jr. Fair Board.

Reid plans to attend a four-year college and pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

With an overall average of 97.65, Mason Youngs, son of James and Cheryl Youngs of Boonville, has been named both the salutatorian and technical honor student for the Class of 2023. Youngs has distinguished himself as a high-achieving student and an active member of his class, Luther said.

Youngs has remained on the high honor roll during high school and has gained recognition as an extraordinary high school student, the announcement said, adding Youngs was nominated this year for the New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Youngs was also named a Class of 2023 South Lewis Lions Club Scholar.

Youngs’s commitment to academic excellence earned him the nomination for the University of Rochester’s Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award. This award recognizes exceptional promise in the sciences as well as high PSAT scores.

Youngs has remained involved with team sports and with social clubs and groups. As a South Lewis Falcon, Youngs has been a member of the rifle team since his freshman year. This year, Youngs enjoyed the distinction of rifle team captain.

Youngs has also participated in Students Against a Vanishing Environment, a school-wide recycling initiative. Youngs has become an engaged participant in the South Lewis Conspiracy Club. This is a social club that provides a forum in which high school students can research selected topics, provide informed presentations, and engage in thoughtful discussion with their peers.

For the past two years, Youngs has excelled as a student at the Howard G. Sackett Technical Center in Glenfield where he is enrolled in the carpentry program. After graduation, Youngs will pursue a career in carpentry and has plans to one day own his own business in the construction industry.

The South Lewis administration and Board of Education will honor these students and their parents April 25 at their board meeting. Reid and Youngs will receive special recognition as the Class of 2023 leaders at their commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 24.