Congratulations to senior Benjamin Perez-Flesler who has been selected as a winner of a National Merit $2500 scholarship. Ben is one of 2,500 Merit Scholar designees to be selected from more than 15,000 finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. The competition is one of the most competitive merit-based scholarships.

Ben is among this group of students judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college courses. Scholarship winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors and were judged based on their academic record, including the difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; a recommendation from an official at their school; an essay; scores from qualifying tests and contributions and leadership in school and community activities.

Great job Ben! The Port Jefferson School District is proud of you!

Date Added: 5/10/2023

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School math teacher Dennis Christofor introduced his students to Ryan Burke (Class of 2015) who spoke to the Advanced Placement AB and BC Calculus classes about how he uses calculus as a professional options trader.

Ryan spoke about his path as a student at Port Jefferson to becoming an applied math major at Brown University and finding a job to match his interests and skill set. He used slides to highlight reasons people trade options and the calculations used for pricing options. He also offered advice to students looking to prepare for the challenges of college more broadly.

Date Added: 5/5/2023

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School alumnus Jacky Chen was recently signed by the Minnesota Vikings. Chen graduated in 2018 from Port Jefferson and played football at Pace University.

“We are very proud of Jacky and all his hard work to get to this point in his life,” Athletic Director Adam Sherrard said. “I am confident he will continue to grind and put the work in to have a successful career.”

Date Added: 5/2/2023

Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Leo Club members learned about some of the many wonderful opportunities available through the partnership with the Port Jefferson Lions Club.

The presentation was facilitated by school librarian Eva Grasso and technology teacher Brian Chalmers who are co-advisers to the Leo Club. The students welcomed the Lions Club’s liaison, Lori Anne De Iulio Casdia. She shared the background of the local, national and international affiliate of the high school’s Leo Club, which offers student members many unique opportunities. Beyond engaging in community service, the Lions Club also bridges the school to local business and industry leaders, helping to pay it forward and model the ethos of gratitude that the Lions Club espouses.

As stated by the Lions Club organization: “Together, Leos and Lions form a powerful partnership – one of mutual respect where Lions learn from the innovative insights of Leos, and where Leos gain access to the proven strategies of those who’ve successfully served the world for decades.”

The high school Leo Club couldn’t agree more.

“Our Leo Club was thankful for Ms. De Iulio Casdia’s insight and energy, and the Lions Club’s continued partnership,” Ms. Grasso said.

Date Added: 4/21/2023

Answer: Who are the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Quiz Bowl team members.

Question: Which high school team took second place in the Long Island Quiz Bowl competition?

Congratulations to our varsity Quiz Bowl members Teppei Fukuto, Ryan Gameng, Gavin Onghai, Ben Perez Flesler and Nicholas Smirnov for their exceptional preparation and meeting and succeeding with the challenging questions of the Long Island Quiz Bowl, Long Island’s Interscholastic Academic League! The team went undefeated during the Regional Quiz Bowl regular season (5-0) to qualify for the final tournament at Plainview-Old Bethpage High School on April 19. There, they won several matches and finished in second place overall.

“It was a true team effort, and I am proud of each of the students involved,” Quiz Bowl adviser Mr. Matthew Sefick said. “They did a great job!”

Date Added: 4/20/2023