Fox Lane Announces the Class of 2023 Valedictorian & Salutatorian

Fox Lane High School is proud to announce Valedictorian Jocelyn Wierzchowski and Salutatorian Cole Simon for the Class of 2024!

Learn more about these outstanding members of the Fox Lane community below.

Jocelyn Wierzchowski, Valedictorian

Anticipated major: Applied Mathematics

What accomplishment are you most proud of? While I have been a part of many amazing teams, organizations and events, I am extremely proud of my success in becoming trilingual.

I lived overseas for about 10 years, spending about four years total in Tokyo, Japan and six years in Beijing, China. I was dedicated to immersing myself in the culture and learning the local language. I spent countless hours both in and out of school learning Mandarin and eventually secured my fluency by passing the HSK Chinese Proficiency Exam.

I moved back to the US in eighth grade and Fox Lane has allowed me to continue my knowledge of languages through its extensive offerings in Spanish. Recently, I completed a project in order to receive my Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish to confirm my fluency. These accomplishments have allowed me to communicate with new groups of people while learning about their unique cultures.

Who is the most influential person(s) in your life? I am fortunate to have many incredible people in my life, yet I would have to say my family. Both of my siblings have pushed me to be better and try my best. My older sister is someone I will always look up to, and my younger brother has always been there to cheer me on. All of my success in life has stemmed from the support I have from my parents. They have given me the foundation and support to chase after whatever goal or dream I may have, and for that, I am forever grateful.

What is your favorite Fox Lane memory? When I look back on my high school experience, I can recall so many amazing moments that I was able to share with many wonderful people. However, one of my favorite memories is rather simple. It was sophomore year Chemistry class. We had a three-hour review block before the upcoming Regents exam. Everyone hunkered down and studied while laughing and chatting with peers. My mom dropped off food and baskets full of snacks to fuel our study session. We enjoyed the abundance of treats and each other's company, and the three hours seemed to fly by. Somehow, my class was able to turn something rather laborious into something memorable. Being able to have so much fun doing something that seemed daunting at first has taught me to always make the best of any situation.

What are you looking forward to after high school? As I embark on my journey beyond high school, I look forward to challenging myself both academically and socially. I hope to further develop my passions while discovering new ones. I am excited to meet many new people at college that I can learn from while cherishing the many wonderful relationships I have already built. Most of all, I look forward to exploring my academic interests and creating career plans.

Cole Simon, Salutatorian

Anticipated major: Economics

What accomplishment are you most proud of? Beekeeping is my greatest accomplishment. During my freshman year, I created my own business, Hive & Harvest, selling honey from my own apiary. In my junior year, I expanded my business to include removing swarms and maintaining colonies for clients throughout the Westchester area. I now oversee more than 20 hives and provide my customers with their own raw, local honey. In addition, I donated two hives and brought the Beekeeping Club to Fox Lane High School. I also helped to set up hives at West Patent Elementary School.

Who is the most influential person(s) in your life? My parents are undoubtedly the most influential people in my life. In their own unique ways, they have each inspired me to push myself in both my academics and extracurricular activities. Their unwavering support has been a major contributor to my success. I am extremely appreciative of the hard work and the sacrifices they have made to help me excel.

What is your favorite Fox Lane memory? My favorite memory was my first game as a freshman on the Fox Lane High School Varsity Tennis Team. My doubles partner and I were in a close match and, unbeknownst to us, we were the deciding game. Our teammates were lined up along the doubles alley, and when we won the last point everyone started cheering and rushed onto the court. The celebration that came afterwards highlighted the strength of our team spirit and was a great way to start off the season.

What are you looking forward to after high school? I am very excited to have the opportunity to make lifelong connections with both hard-working peers and amazing alumni in college. I am also hoping to utilize my study of economics and any entrepreneurial-related experiential learning opportunities to create future businesses.