Newburgh Free Academy has named Megan Cameron as the Class of 2022 Valedictorian and Nathan Teall as the Salutatorian. Cameron attends NFA Main Campus and Teall attends NFA North Campus P-Tech.
Next year, Cameron plans to attend Princeton University to study Molecular Biology. Prior to attending NFA Main Campus, she attended New Windsor Elementary School and Heritage Middle School.
While at NFA, Cameron was on the Varsity Girls Swim Team and was honored with an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Award. Additionally, she was the Senior Class President, Vice President of the Honor Society, and a volunteer coach for NFA Unified Basketball.
Cameron volunteers as a member of FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) where she served as a state representative for Region II. She also earned the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness.
Cameron also teaches swimming lessons after school.
When asked who has had a positive influence on her life, Cameron said, “I owe much of my success to my parents. There was never a question of their support.” She also acknowledged NFA Swim Team Head Coach Pat Kavanaugh, Social Studies teacher Liam Henderson, and all her teachers during her time at NFA.
When asked what advice she had for younger Goldbacks, Cameron said, “Get involved in as many things as you can. There are so many positive things that get overshadowed by negativity. Be a source of positivity.”
When receiving the official notification of her Valedictorian standing, Cameron was joined by her parents, Shannon and Ken Cameron.
Next year, Teall plans to study Software Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. Prior to attending NFA North Campus P-Tech, Teall attended Fostertown Elementary School and South Middle School.
While at NFA, Teall was a member of the National Honor Society, NYS Science Honors Society and NFA P-Tech Program. As a result of his enrollment in the NFA P-Tech Program, Teall will be graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Cyber Security from SUNY Orange.
Teall’s after school hobbies include exploring computer science, playing the piano, and learning to play music of all genres.
When asked who has had a positive influence on his life, Teall highlighted math teacher Eric Waliszewski, who was his teacher three of his four years at NFA, and all of the teachers in the P-Tech Program.
When asked what advice he had for younger Goldbacks, Teall said, “Do things that interest you. Take classes that interest you. You’ll be more successful that way. Also, getting to know your classmates can become a good resource to become successful.”
When receiving the official notification of his Salutatorian standing, Teall was joined by his parents, Lisa and Ed Teall.
