The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Pickard, Ratnarajah lead Class of 2018
ONEIDA, N.Y. » Julia Pickard is the valedictorian of the Class of 2018 at Oneida High School. She will be attending Colgate University this fall to study biochemistry.
Pickard was also accepted at Syracuse University, Clarkson University, St. John Fisher College, LeMoyne College, Utica College, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute. She was a member of numerous clubs and organizations throughout high school including National Honor Society, Zonta Club, Leo’s Club, and Student Council. She was the race director of Robert’s Road Run which she held in honor of a former classmate to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer.
Pickard played varsity field hockey for four years where she was named a Tri-Valley League All-Star from grades 10-12 and was the captain of the varsity team for grades 11 and 12. Pickard
played varsity volleyball for her junior and senior year and their team won the league title her senior year. She ran track for two years in high school and is a Section III Class B champion in the pentathlon.
Pickard is passionate about volunteering and giving back to her community and is so grateful for all of the opportunities her teachers and the Oneida City School District have made available to her to grow and become the person that she is today.
Dana Ratnarajah is the salutatorian of the Class of 2018 at Oneida High School.
Ratnarajah is attending Cornell University in the fall to pursue a major in Human Biology, Health and Society. She was also accepted into Colgate University, Wake Forest University, Trinity College, RPI, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Geneseo. Ratnarajah is president of the Z-Club at Oneida High School, as well as president of the National Honor Society. She is also on the varsity soccer and track teams. She is a mem- ber of Science Olympiad, the Mathletics team, Rotary Club, and the Chamber Choir. Ratnarajah hopes to attain a career in the field of medicine in the future.