Matt Gus — Lynbrook's 2011 Salutatorian

Lynbrook High School’s 2011 salutatorian, Matt Gus, naturally excelled in the classroom as an AP Scholar with Distinction, the managing editor of his school’s award-winning newspaper, Horizon, the president of his school’s Mathletes team, and a bronze medalist in the I-SWEEEP international science competition.

But he says that he learned his most valuable and difficult lessons in life on the
football field. “Through being a part of the varsity football team, I learned how to put aside a part of myself to better the team as a whole,” he said. “I think learning how to play a supporting role and being able to put aside some of my personal desires for a greater cause will certainly help me later in life.”

That experience also brought Gus his most special memory — being part of the
2010 Long Island championship team. “The entire season was an experience I will never forget,” he recalls, “and there was no better way to finish it.”

Gus describes himself as a huge sports fan and says that being part of the high
school football and baseball teams has brought him closer to many good friends, working together toward a common goal.

As far as his future goes, Gus is not certain of the occupation he will eventually
choose, but he plans to major in engineering when he heads off to the University of
Pennsylvania in the fall. “I really enjoy building things and working hands-on, so I think I would like to work with special effects, robotics or animatronics,” he said.

It was this love of working with his hands that inspired him to enter the Rube
Goldberg competition, working with a team of friends on the first Rube Goldberg
machine that his school has produced for a number of years. “My teammates and I
spent an extreme amount of time and effort designing and creating this machine,” he recalls. “The difficulties we faced, lacking experience, materials and equipment, were what made the experience so rewarding.”

Gus says that his parents have undoubtedly been the most influential people in
his life. “They’ve taught me how to carry myself and have always believed in me," he said. "People who know my family say that I am just like my parents. I don’t think there is any better compliment.”

One of his most valuable experiences outside of school was the time he spent doing volunteer work at the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC). “Seeing what a difference it made to these children to spend time doing art projects with us made me realize the value of helping others,” he said.

Looking back on his four years at Lynbrook High School, the only thing Gus says he would change is his attitude about the future. “I spent a lot of time looking forward to what’s ahead of me,” he says. “The best advice I can give is to enjoy your time in high school. Time really does go fast – so enjoy the journey.”

This article was submitted by Rosemary Leonetti of Syntax, public relations firm for the Lynbrook School District.