Study Partners Soar to the Top of the Class of 2025

Since their first advanced class together in ninth grade, Massapequa High School seniors Samantha Portz and William Stebner have found themselves at nearby desks many times. Now, they are together side-by-side in the Class of 2025 rankings.

Samantha is the valedictorian with a weighted grade point average of 101.34, followed a fraction of a point behind by William, the salutatorian, with a 101.083 GPA. On a recent Friday, Samantha was called to Principal Barbara Lowell’s office from her Advanced Placement Biology class and told the good news. A few minutes later, William was called down from AP Physics.

“I was extremely happy, all my hard work over the years being recognized,” Samantha said, jokingly adding, “I always knew that Will was main competitor.”

“We’ve always been there to support each other,” William said, noting that they were never actually in competition, but always rooting for each other’s success and studying together ever since they took AP Human Geography at the Ames Campus.

Both describe their areas of strength as math and science, although they have challenged themselves across the curriculum. Samantha has taken 14 AP classes at Massapequa High School and William enrolled in 13.

With all the rigorous courses, Food and Nutrition is the class that stands out for Samantha as a favorite from high school. Learning how to cook and prepare healthy meals was a valuable life skill, she noted. Massapequa’s unique law program, which has a dedicated classroom that resembles a courtroom, struck William’s interest.

Samantha, who started as a kindergartner at Lockhart Elementary School, looks to major in math in college. She has already committed to Amherst College in Massachusetts to play softball and join the ROTC. After those four years, she plans to join the military as a second lieutenant.

Her involvement in high school stretches well beyond the classroom. She’s been on the varsity softball team for four years, varsity soccer for three years and varsity bowling for two years, is a member of Best Buddies and was selected to the National and Spanish honor societies.

“There’s tremendous opportunities here,” Samantha said. “Anything that interests you, there’s something available.”

The top-ranked graduates are Class of 2025 officers, with Samantha serving as secretary and William as treasurer. They are also both members of Science Olympiad and last year teamed up to win a regional medal in the chemistry lab competition.