Ossining Valedictorian and Salutatorian to Pursue STEM Careers

Xia Saavedra and Linlee Mangialardi were in math class in late April when counselors Johannah Moran and Marie Kretzschmar pulled them out to tell them they are the Ossining High School Class of 2021 valedictorian and salutatorian.

Xia said she has always been academically driven, took many advanced courses at OHS and particularly excelled in her junior year, but being named valedictorian was still a surprise. “I didn’t really think that I would actually get it,” she said.

“When I found out, I was really excited and I called my parents and then I started crying,” she added.

Thanks to QuestBridge, a nonprofit that connects high-achieving students who have financial needs with prospective colleges and universities, Xia will be attending the University of Chicago on full scholarship. Xia is excited about the school for its academics, its location and the beauty of the campus.

“I’ve never visited, actually, thank you COVID. It looks like Hogwarts. It’s gorgeous,” she said, referring to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series.

Xia plans to combine her longstanding passion for biology with her interest in chemistry and major in biochemistry. She took SUNY Chemistry her junior year and found it very challenging. She would like to attend medical school and is particularly interested in cardiology.

Linlee is headed to Georgetown University, where she plans to major in biology. “I don’t think I want to do pre-med, but I think I want to become a researcher eventually,” she said.

Her sister graduated from the school in 2016 and she has a cousin who attended. “It was towards the top of my list, but then once I got in, I got really excited about it and it became the very top,” she said.

Xia and Linlee were both in the three-year Science Research Program at OHS and credit the experience with helping shape their future.

“Before I started science research I had no clue what I wanted to do, but now walking out, I know that’s what I want to do,” Linlee said.

Linlee completed two science research projects. The first was an investigation of bird species and population trends at Teatown nature preserve. In the second one, she studied trehalose and glycerol, compounds that help yeast cells respond to changes and alter their metabolism.

Xia studied a gene involved in type 1 diabetes and built a stem cell model. Her goal was to develop better insight into diabetes. Little is known about how many genes affect diabetes.

Both Xia and Linlee have been very involved in athletics and clubs at OHS. Xia played softball all four years and soccer for three years.

She is president of the Engineering Club this year. It was hard to get involved in the club freshman year because there were so many upperclassmen. As a sophomore, she ran the underclassmen robotics team that science teacher Douglas Albrecht, the club adviser, had created. Last year, Xia was one of 14 Dean’s List winners in New York in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Competition.

Linlee has been on the track and cross-country teams since her freshman year and is captain this year. Her event in cross country is the 5k, and she usually runs the 800 or 1000 meters in track.

“Originally it was really challenging for me, but then I grew to like it,” she said of running, adding that it is more of a mental sport than some others.

Linlee is a lawyer on the Mock Trial Team and co-president of the National Honor Society. She is a peer tutor and student life editor of the Current, the OHS student news site.

Xia and Linlee speak highly of their years OHS and their teachers. “I think what’s great about OHS is the opportunities to grow, both extracurricularly and academically,” Linlee said. “I think that as for the teachers, there’s always someone there who’s there to help you and help you grow.”

Xia said she is grateful for the support she received from science research teacher Angelo Piccirillo, among other teachers. “He’s always given me really good advice and he’s never sugar-coated anything,” she said.

They have not finalized their graduation speeches, but Linlee wants to talk about change and flexibility. She was hybrid at the beginning of the year, switched to fully remote, and is finishing out the year in person at OHS.

“I think the biggest thing about this year is that there are always changes, so we have to be adaptable and try to work together,” she said.

Xia said her speech will have the overall themes of unity and inclusivity, and it will be personal to the Class of 2021’s experience. “I want it to be very light-hearted because no one wants to sit through a speech,” she said.