Meet the Nottingham Class of 2024 Valedictorian and Salutatorian!

We are so proud of all of our hardworking soon-to-be #SCSDGraduates in the SCSD Class of 2024! Today, meet the top performing students at Nottingham High School - Valedictorian Lucy Lombard and Salutatorian James Saufley. Stay tuned this week as we feature the top performers from each SCSD high school!

Nottingham Valedictorian – Lucy Lombard 

What are your plans after graduation (what college, what interest in terms of major)? I will be attending Syracuse University, where I plan to study Psychology on a Pre-Med track. I hope to become an anesthesiologist one day. I had surgery on my knee, and I researched anesthesiologists and it seems like a fulfilling job where I can help others.
 
What activities have you been involved in outside of class/outside of school? Captain of the Varsity Tennis team, Flag Football, President of Yearbook Club, Art Society, Key Club, Girl Up, Science Olympiad
 
What has been the best part of your high school career and why? I’ve met most of my closest friends in high school, and the teachers and faculty have been so supportive. They have prepared us so well to step into this next chapter. I feel prepared for college because of the rigors I’ve been through here at Nottingham.  
 
What was your proudest moment in high school? After four years of competing with James for the Valedictorian title, I’m most proud of that! We’ve been neck and neck for years, and our GPAs are only separated by like 0.5. I’ve worked so hard in my college classes throughout high school, and it’s been constant work… I’m so excited to take the next step!
 
What are you most looking forward to about college? I’m most looking forward to the independence, meeting new people, joining new clubs, securing internships, and being in a new environment. I’m also happy I’ll be near home so I can go home to have my mom do my laundry or make a home-cooked meal!
 
What’s the best thing you’ve learned over the course of your time in the SCSD? I love being part of the SCSD, because of how diverse it is – I’ve been offered a new perspective, and I really appreciate that. I’ve also learned, through my college classes, how to manage my time, complete things on time, and develop strong study habits!
 
What advice would you give to other students as they continue their studies here? Get involved in clubs and activities! You’ll meet new people, and you could even help the school. I’d also say to keep up with your work. You think that if you take a couple of days off, you can catch up – but in reality, things pile up fast!
 
What is something major you hope to achieve in life? I hope to become an anesthesiologist so I can help people who are undergoing serious surgery. I want to be the one who helps patients get through a hard time in life.

Nottingham Salutatorian – James Saufley 

What are your plans after graduation (what college, what interest in terms of major)? I will be attending Cornell University. I’m undeclared, but I plan to pursue something in the math department. My ultimate goal is to become a high school math teacher.
 
What activities have you been involved in outside of class/outside of school? Christian Club, Varsity Soccer, Bowling, Tennis, Unified Bowling and Unified Basketball, National Honor Society, Key Club
 
What has been the best part of your high school career and why? The best part of my high school experience has been being involved in so many different groups. Nottingham is such a diverse school with so many different people with different backgrounds – it’s also been a great opportunity to be open about my religion.  
 
What was your proudest moment in high school? It’s tough to pick just one! My proudest moment was probably helping to co-found the Christian Club. It hasn’t been running for close to 20 years, I think; and my sophomore year, I helped get it back up and running and I was able to help it grow.
 
What are you most looking forward to about college? I’m most looking forward to earning a degree; as well as being challenged to balance my life and my education and not just live under a rock focused on schoolwork! I’m also looking forward to growing my personality and continuing to think about the future.
 
What’s the best thing you’ve learned over the course of your time in the SCSD? I’ve learned that it’s important to be challenged and push yourself to do well in school; and also that it’s important to have a life you enjoy socially and to be involved in things you like. I’ve also learned that the people at Nottingham – the staff and administration – really care about us. They’ve really built us up.
 
What advice would you give to other students as they continue their studies here? Be open minded – with school, with clubs, with the people you meet. Especially in high school, it’s important to be able to see a different perspective. Take a class that seems like it could be too hard. Join a club that doesn’t seem interesting at first. Now is the time to be open minded and try!
 
What is something major you hope to achieve in life? My goals are twofold: I hope to continue to explore and grow stronger in my religion; and I hope to be able to give back as a teacher… either here at Nottingham or in another city school district.