Northport High School’s valedictorian, in his own words

Early this May, Northport High School announced the valedictorian for the class of 2021. With a weighted GPA of 106.5, senior Ian Kaish has been awarded his high school’s greatest academic honor. Involved in such activities as varsity tennis, travel soccer, Science Olympiads, Math Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, and National Honor Society, Ian will be attending Northeastern University, and majoring in computer science.

I sat down with Ian for an interview, covering topics from his plans for the future, to any advice he wishes to impart on the incoming underclassmen.

What was your favorite extracurricular activity at Northport High School, and how has it impacted you?
I’d probably say varsity tennis, because tennis is usually more of a solo sport; playing with the team was really nice. You get to play and practice with a bunch of kids, and actually compete as a team.

You were the varsity tennis captain. How did you acquire that position?
It was my fourth year on the team, and I spent all that time helping kids out. I’ve been playing my whole life.

Who would you regard as the most influential coach, advisor, or teacher you’ve had during your time at Northport High School?
That’s a tough question. There are a few teachers. My English teacher last year, Ms. Tuthill, was very good. She really helped me write a lot of papers that I was actually proud of and enjoyed writing. Mr. Rath taught AP Biology, he just made everything incredibly interesting. I really enjoyed the class, and he’s just a very nice man. Ms. Rozell – I had her two years for math – she was always there for everyone.

You mentioned Ms. Tuthill and her English class. Could you elaborate on that class and what it entailed?
It was a dual-enrollment college class through Syracuse University. It was my first real English class where you truly had to write longer, harder papers – five to ten pages. It took a lot of effort, but it was worth it. Ms. Tuthill really helped through all of it.

And that will prepare you for college, as well.
Exactly.

What are some activities you enjoy outside of school, and how have they shaped you as an individual?
I’ve played travel soccer for about ten years now, and I've been with the same team for eight. They’re some of my closest friends. It’s been an incredible time being able to be with the same kids for all these years. That’s been truly enjoyable for most of my life.

How would you say sports in general, and specifically soccer and tennis, have shaped you?
Definitely that aspect of playing with a team is important; it does really help to learn to work with people. As well, pushing yourself with physical sports – running, getting out of breath, trying to keep yourself going – is all very important.

What college are you going to be attending this fall, and why?
Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. They have a computer science program that I really liked. They have a very good co-op program where they let you work six months during college to prepare you in a professional field. They just have so many different opportunities.

You mentioned computer science. Is this what you intend to major in, and why?
Yes. I’ve taken a few computer science classes at Northport High School, and I’ve really enjoyed them all. It’s a very flexible field where you can truly work in any type of environment. Even if you are coding, you can still work in chemistry, or physics, or biology, or whatever interests you.

Continuing with college, what was the college application process like during the pandemic?
It was definitely a little weird. You couldn’t visit any schools, you had to research purely online. It was also tough to find things to write about for college essays; you couldn’t do much in the past year, so you really had to find more things and look deeper.

Have you, yourself, visited Northeastern University?
Yes, I visited there in April.

Did any of the college faculties or resources stand out to you as you visited?
The library was very nice. All in all, it really looked like everyone there was having a good time, enjoying the campus.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
That’s a tough one. Honestly, I don’t have a set plan. I like to keep meeting new people and making new friends. I want to continue to explore what I can regarding computer science, to see if I can actually find something that I’m interested in, and work on that.

You’ve said the field of computer science is very flexible. With that, what area of computer science would you like to pursue as a profession?
Well, the beauty of college is that you can explore many different things. I’m not completely sure yet, though I have read interesting things regarding biological research and computer science – they coded simulations to run biological tests. You can do research without physically doing it, simply by using code.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen, or, perhaps, your past freshman self?
I would say: take things less seriously, and just try to find something you're interested in. Don’t stress out about every little thing.

What would you say to students going into their junior and senior years, with college on the horizon?
Wherever you end up, you’ll be happy. There is nowhere that’s not going to give you a good learning experience. Just try to find something that is a good fit, and don’t get caught up in finding the perfect school.