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She plans on attending the University of Connecticut in the fall and intends to major in molecular and cellular biology, an interest that was sparked during her sophomore year in high school, when she took advanced placement (AP) biology, one of her favorite courses.
"I enjoyed the challenging aspects... [and] the ability of the teachers to get us interested in the material," she said, mentioning one teacher, Eileen Reed, in particular.
"I was so impressed with her knowledge of the subject and her ability to make it interesting that it made me want to pursue a career in it," she said of Mrs. Reed.
Her other favorite class was AP U.S. history, another subject area she enjoyed.
More important than that was what Stephen Flanagan, her teacher, taught her about life.
"He's such a caring person; he made me a better person," Alexandra said.
Eugene, 17, is also a New Milford resident. His mother, Shirley, is a chemist, and his father, Jimmy, owns the Home Buffet restaurant. His older brother, Ryan, is a junior at Brandeis University.
The salutatorian will be going to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall and plans to major in mathematics.
At NMHS, his favorite class was one he took as a freshman-Development of Western Civilization, with teacher Frank Gillespie.
"I really like Mr. Gillespie," Eugene said. "He made the class exciting and told us great stories."
Eugene said he also enjoyed his junior year because he had the opportunity to take classes with students in the Class of 2008.
He also spoke highly of the Math Department, especially teacher David Shaffer. "They [math classes] were good classes for me, with nice teachers. I had a good relationship with all of my teachers."
Alexandra was a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, and both the Math Team and Team Waramaug, the trivia team led by social studies teacher Brock Putnam. She said that these groups, especially the National Honors Society, helped to keep her focused.
However, the valedictorian attributes much of her outstanding academic performance to herself.
"Internal motivation is my personality. I strive to succeed at everything I do," she said.
"The reason I did so well was because I put so much work into it," she continued, noting, however, that she did not do it completely alone. "My mother affected me a lot, especially how I did in school."
Extra-curricular activities also played an important role in Eugene's high school career.
He was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, the National Honor Society, and the Math Team as well as a tutor. Most important of all, he was a member of the track team throughout his high school career.
"Doing track allowed me to exercise to relieve stress," he said. "After a long day of school, running helped to work off stuff and relax my mind."
The salutatorian said he is grateful to his brother for helping him through school.
"He was two years ahead of me, so he told me what to expect before each year," Eugene said.
Things other than facts, numbers and dates are also taught in high school, and Eugene definitely feels that he learned some other important lessons as well.
"High school taught me time management and how to prioritize when you're involved in a bunch of stuff and it all starts to stack up," he said.
For Eugene, the reason for his academic success could be summed up in one word: competition.
"My competitiveness was definitely a driving factor for me. When I get a test back, especially in math, I want to get that 100, and anything else is a disappointment. Getting points off math tests is a big pet peeve of mine."
Of course, high school isn't solely about the school work. In addition to all her academic work, Alexandra played the flute in the school band for three years. She also found time to enjoy life with her friends, Austin Jacobson and Stephanie Spock, whom she credits with helping her in the social aspect of high school. "They made me come out of my shell much more than I would have on my own," she said.
Her fondest memory during her high school years doesn't necessarily involve high school, but it did have a profound effect on her. "Holding my baby sister for the first time, during my freshman year, was really important to me," she said.
As for her high school experience as a whole, Alexandra said she "wouldn't change anything."
Both the valedictorian and salutatorian gave speeches on Saturday during graduation ceremonies, and for Alexandra it was a simple task.
As soon as I sat down to write it, I knew what to do," she said of her speech.
Eugene also found it "pretty easy."
"I wrote the first part late at night pretty quickly, but the second part took a couple of nights," he said. The second part of his speech was a reflection written in verse with a rhyme scheme, which he said let him "remember a lot of things that I hadn't thought about in a while."
To future high school students, Alexandra would offer this sage advice: "Don't procrastinate, put your heart into everything you do, and make sure you enjoy the time you have."
"Be involved," Eugene added. "Join groups or sports teams, and get to know and befriend a bunch of different people, but keep a core group of friends because people will change during high school."
