Senior Charisse Cueto felt a rush of uneasiness upon being called down to the main office in the midst of her period 6 AP Government & Politics class. However, her anxiety quickly turned into immense happiness when Principal Matthew Sarosy revealed that she had been selected as a semifinalist in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSQT).

The NMSQT is an annual academic competition that recognizes students who have performed exceptionally well on the PSAT/NMSQT. Of the 50,000 students recognized, Cueto is among the 16,000 high scorers who are eligible for this title. Scholars in this competition cycle took the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of their junior year in 2023. When asked about her preparation, Cueto explained she took numerous practice tests and calculated her desired score. “I tried to minimize the number of questions I got wrong,” she added. By analyzing her performance, Cueto realized where her weaknesses were: “I knew math was my stronger suit, so I focused on English.”

Cueto has consistently challenged herself by taking rigorous AP courses, such as AP Psychology and AP Computer Science A. She is also involved in extracurricular activities, including Robotics club and Mathletes. In Mathletes, she was a two-time schoolwide Mathlete champion and has competed in the Nassau County All-Star team, New York State Mathematics League, and American Regions Mathematics League. “Charisse is one of the captains of the Mathletes team. She is a leader in the club and is fantastic at solving problems and also explaining them to others,” explained Michael Franklin, a math teacher and Mathletes club advisor/coach. When asked for his reaction upon hearing of her recognition, he recalled being “extremely happy for her, but not surprised.” Franklin was also Cueto’s ninth grade Geometry Honors teacher. “It was an honor and a pleasure to be Charisse’s [teacher and] mathletes coach these past four years, and she will be greatly missed when she graduates,” he added.

English teacher Roseanne Mitchell, who taught Cueto as a sophomore, also had high praise for her: “Charisse epitomizes academic excellence—she is one of the finest students I have ever had the honor of teaching.” She recalled Cueto being her class’s “very own walking thesaurus.” “I think we all learned at least five new words each time she presented. Her peers were always amazed by her exemplary writing,” Mitchell said. “[And] even though Charisse is one of the finest students in Lynbrook, she has remained kind and humble.” Mitchell emphasized that she is a huge fan of Cueto and noted the “indelible mark” she has left on her heart. Cueto credits her ninth and tenth grade math and English teachers for exposing her to the material she needed to succeed on the challenging test that qualified her for the NMSQT.

Outside of school, Cueto tries to find time to brush up on her piano playing skills. Moreover, she has particularly enjoyed being an SAT tutor. “I’ve finally found a purpose besides just maintaining my GPA and doing well on tests; I get to use my knowledge to help others,” she remarked. Cueto desires to pursue a career in math and computer science, seeing herself in a field that is “very logical and STEM-related.” 

Regarding the announcement of Cueto’s semifinalist recognition, Principal Sarosy shared that he received a written letter; however, due to the corporation’s guidelines and policy, he had to contain the excitement of announcing the accomplishment until the final list of all semifinalists was revealed. He synonymizes this achievement with announcing valedictorian and salutatorian: “[They are] huge accomplishments, and from my part to be able to share that amazing news with a student is a very special thing…[Charisse] is hyper focused on academics and also finds opportunities to be well-rounded. But for those highly driven to also have a social component to it [such as being involved in Mathletes], I think is also very important [in helping] people become well-rounded. She has the brains and personality that sets the ceiling very, very high for her potential.” Sarosy also emphasized how remarkable it is to not only have a semifinalist, but one two years in a row, as Nora Kane, a member of the Class of 2024, was a 2023 Semifinalist.

Along with the announcement of the semifinalist, the school also received a list of commended students. The following seniors were recognized for this achievement and received honorary “Letters of Commendation”: Simon Yu, Gillian Greenberg, Kate Santoli, Cassandra Levinson, Gianna Longo, and Eric Reilly.