Michael Calixto, a hardworking and inspiring young man from Passaic, has earned the distinct honor of the Valedictorian of PCTI’s Class of 2020! This tenacious senior has dealt with serious medical issues for most of his life, but he has never been anything but positive and persistent in the pursuit of his dreams. Upon graduating Passaic’s Gifted and Talented Academy, Michael knew that attending PCTI would afford him opportunities like no place else, and he was eager to take advantage of every one of those opportunities.

During his time at Passaic County Technical Institute, Michael has achieved immense success thanks to his steadfast dedication to his studies and a relentless work ethic as a member of the Academy of Medical Arts. Michael has achieved an incredible GPA of 4.624 while taking on a rigorous academic workload of Honors and AP Courses. He has also been an extremely active member of the PCTI community, as he has served as a Class of 2020 representative, Parliamentarian of HOSA: Health Occupations Students of America, and a Saturday tour guide at PCTI. Michael is a member of Gifted and Talented, World Language Honor Society, and National Honor Society, and has participated in Boys State and attended the New Jersey Governor’s Schools in the Sciences. Michael has also become one of the leaders of PCTI’s Academy of Medical Arts E & E Fundraiser, raising money for organizations which provide physical and mental healthcare to those in need.

Community service is very important to Michael, as he has volunteered through his youth group at St. Anthony’s of Padua church, taught woodwinds to children at Passaic’s Gifted and Talented Academy, volunteered at Eva’s Village and the Clifton Public Library. At PCTI, Michael has assisted with the “Wreaths Across America” initiative and participated in the patriotic 9/11 and veterans’ ceremonies. Michael believes he is lucky to be in a position where he’s able to help others, so he’s taken these opportunities to do just that.

This extraordinary senior will be attending Brown University on a full four-year Questbridge Scholarship where he will major in Biology. Michael intends to pursue medical school where he hopes to one day become an oncologist, a field prompted by his own health hurdles and watching his mother bravely battle cancer. It is Michael’s hope to someday provide his own patients with the care and compassion that he has experienced firsthand. Michael believes that even through life’s difficulties, one can find inspiration to help others and make the world a better place. At a time when Healthcare workers are being saluted as true heroes, we celebrate this ambitious and inspiring young man as he begins his journey to one day join the frontlines in medicine.

Congratulations, Michael! Your academic excellence, diligence and selflessness are inspiring to us all. We wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors!

Connor Wang is an exceptionally studious and passionate young man from PCTI’s Academy of Information Technology who has been named the Salutatorian of the class of 2020! Residing in Little Falls with his family, Connor fills his time with an array of AP courses, extracurricular activities, hobbies and volunteerism to not only better himself, but to enhance the lives of those around him.

Inspired by his brother who was diagnosed with severe autism, Connor became incredibly responsible and self-disciplined from a young age. His longstanding passion for science, history and linguistics launched a commitment to learning that would pave the way for outstanding academic success. From watching Discovery Channel documentaries at a young age to teaching himself German, Connor has repeatedly proven himself as an academic powerhouse in the classroom as well as a curious and self-motivated young man. During his high school career, he has earned superb scores on twelve AP exams, four of which were completely self-taught topics.

Connor continues to achieve excellence and success in all aspects of his life while maintaining a quick-witted sense of humor. Holding a remarkable 4.5 GPA, Connor has demonstrated unwavering commitment to his studies and has truly capitalized on the myriad of extracurricular opportunities afforded to him at PCTI: he has earned the prestigious National Merit Scholarship, served as President of the History Club, and is involved in the National Honor Society, the World Language Honor Society, Gifted and Talented Club, Environmental Club, Asian-Pacific Heritage activities, and the boys’ fencing team. In the SeaPerch Regionals, he placed second, and his team earned first place in the Teen Summit video competition. Furthermore, Connor’s involvement with the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute TI@TI at PCTI made a lasting impact on our Salutatorian and given him numerous invaluable friendships.

Connor’s relentless work ethic and motivation for success has earned this exceptional young man the honor of PCTI’s Class of 2020 Salutatorian. After graduating from PCTI, Connor plans to attend Johns Hopkins University to study Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. His goal is to earn an MD-PhD and make strides in the field of Genetic Engineering while also fostering his passion for the academic field of humanities.

Congratulations, Connor! Your tremendous academic capabilities and enthusiasm for learning will greatly benefit you in your collegiate studies and beyond!