DHS Class of 2020 Valedictorian & Salutatorian
Posted on 05/27/2020
Dryden High School is pleased to announce the Class of 2020 Valedictorian and Salutatorian. Congratulations to Dryden High School Valedictorian Eryn Woernley and Salutatorian Adrian Finney!
Valedictorian Eryn Woernley plans to attend the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the fall where she will be majoring in animal science, with a focus on wildlife research.
During her time at Dryden High School, Woernley was a member of the National Honor Society and secretary of the FFA chapter. She was an apprentice falconer, working to successfully capture, tame, hunt with and release a Red Tailed Hawk. She was also a member of Primitive Pursuits, where she assisted with teaching kids wilderness survival skills while expanding her own skills.
Currently, Woernley is working on a research project in the Lovette Laboratory at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. For this project, she works with the genomic DNA of Grasshopper Sparrows to determine if this population shows a bias in its sex ratio. She hopes to have this research published soon.
Woernley spent time volunteering at the Cornell Museum of Vertebrates where she helped curate the museum and prepare specimens for the museum collection and future research. Through the TST BOCES New Visions program, she worked with the New York Maple Association through the Maple Experience to educate New York City children about the production of maple syrup. Woernley also enjoys riding horses in her free time.
Salutatorian Adrian Finney plans to attend Binghamton University in the fall where he will major in music, with a concentration in composition. He is considering pursuing a double major in cinema as well.
During his time at Dryden High School, Finney was involved in Art Club, Brass Choir, Clarinet Choir, Jazz Band, Beyond Measure, Seussical, Student Council, and the Dryden Student Leadership Team.
Throughout high school, Finney participated in cross country and track. He received the Brad Sanford 2019 IAC Cross Country Scholar Athlete Award his senior year.
Finney was involved in various community service efforts through Boy Scouts. He participated in highway cleanups, flag distribution/removal at veteran graves and Christmas caroling at nursing homes. He also volunteered with his church through Thanksgiving food drives with Youth Group, Community Supper and bell ringing for the Salvation Army. He volunteered with Trick or Treat Street with National Honor Society and Student Council as well.
Outside of the classroom, Finney enjoys taking cello lessons, playing other instruments and making art (2D, 3D, film and animation). He also spends time coding, knitting, cooking and planting things.