WOODBURY — As the end nears for Nonnewaug’s class of 2024, 17 students’ hard work from the past four years has been rewarded with a place among the top 10% of the class.

“It is four years of hard work and dedication,” says Nonnewaug principal Mykal Kuslis, who informed this year’s top 10% recipients Feb. 23. “Those grades go all the way back to freshman year.”

Students who get into the top 10% have to keep up with all of their grades from the time they enter Nonnewaug until just a few months before they leave.

The top 10% of students in the graduating class are, in alphabetical order, Katie Alexander, Amy Byler, Skylar Chung, Sean Classey, Samantha Duncan, Anna Galvani, Nick Higgins, Maggie Keane, Megan Keating, Gianna Lodice, Rubie Lombardi, Kaitlyn Monteiro, Juliette Nichols, Madison Stewart, Madison Strubbe, Cole Wenis, and Madison Willis.

“I applied myself as much as possible in class,” said Duncan, “and I spent some extra time outside of class studying or finishing assignments, which sometimes got stressful.”

Stewart feels that the hard work she has done helped her to be part of the top 10%.

“It definitely is hard,” says Stewart. “You have to take a lot of hard classes, do a lot of homework and study a lot, but the hard work does pay off. The work that you put in to get there is all worth it when you get called into the meeting.”

Not only are the students proud of their accomplishment, but Kuslis said the meeting was a highlight of his first year as Nonnewaug’s principal.

“It is probably the most fun I have had this year so far,” Kuslis says. “It was really great to be able to share in their accomplishments and to be able to give them that initial recognition of finishing in the top 10%.”

Higgins feels the real work towards getting into the top 10% started during sophomore year.

“I started taking APs sophomore year and continued to up the amount after each year until I was mainly taking APs and a few honors classes,” Higgins says. “As long as you take a competitive class load and try to pay attention during class and try on assignments, that’s all you really need to do.”

But in Willis’ mind, the work required started the moment she got to campus.

“I was very relieved because I have been working for this since I was a freshman,” Willis said. “It was a weight off my shoulders that I finally achieved my goal.”

The top 10% will be honored April 25 with a banquet at the Painted Pony in Bethlehem.