Spotlight on: Maggie Bray
June 2026 Senior Student of the Month
The Student Council decides monthly student and teacher awards with a specific category each month. The category for June 2026 was “academic excellence” for students and “academic role model” for teachers.
The Senior Student of the Month awards go to two seniors per month who are nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-11.
The High School Teacher of the Month award goes to one teacher per month who is nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-12. All Teachers of the Month become eligible to become Teacher of the Year in June.
The June 2026 Senior Students of the Month are Johnny Xiao and Maggie Bray, and the June 2026 High School Teacher of the Month is Hollie Wolanski.
Below is a Q&A with Maggie Bray, who is also the Herkimer Central School District Class of 2026 salutatorian:
–
Q. Which class or subject has challenged or inspired you the most during high school? Why?
A. In my opinion, the most challenging class during high school was Algebra 2 because it had a heavy work load and it had difficult material.
–
Q. What is one academic habit, routine or mindset that has helped you stay successful?
A. An academic mindset that has helped me stay successful is to stay on top of my work because it piles up very quickly.
–
Q. Who has had the biggest influence on your academic journey, and what impact have they had on you?
A. The person that has had the biggest influence on my academic journey was my third grade teacher, Mrs. Cruskie. She believed in me and helped me one-on-one to improve.
–
Q. What keeps you motivated when school becomes stressful or overwhelming?
A. Something that keeps me motivated when school becomes overwhelming is the fact that my brother could graduate, and so could I.
–
Q. How do you manage your time between school, activities, work, sports or family responsibilities?
A. I manage my time by not goofing off during class and utilizing my study halls. This way, I have time after school to prepare for my future.
–
Q. What accomplishment during high school are you most proud of academically?
A. I am most proud of earning salutatorian and Academic H for three out of three years.
–
Q. What advice would you give to underclassmen who want to become strong students and leaders?
A. To underclassmen, don’t let the outside world affect your school life and work.
–
Q. What are your goals or plans after graduation?
A. After graduating, I plan to attend Georgia Southern University in the biomedical sciences program with a long-time goal of becoming a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
–