Co-valedictorians active in sports, clubs

West Milford High School seniors Brandon Scrimenti and Wyatt Space are joint valedictorians of the Class of 2023, selected after achieving top academic marks.

Brandon was a varsity athlete in basketball and baseball as well as a captain of the basketball team. He also was vice president of the Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society.

Wyatt played with Brandon on the varsity basketball team and received honorable mentions for all-county and all-conference after the season. He also was a four-year track and cross country athlete.

In addition, Wyatt was a member of the Peers As Leaders (PALS), a group of upperclassmen that act as role models and assist freshman and transfer students.

Both teens credited their parents for helping them succeed.

“Of course, my parents were with me every step of the way. They taught me a lot, as much as my teachers have. All the friends I made along the way helped keep me grounded,” Brandon said.

Wyatt said, “My family, and most importantly my mom and dad, pushed me to get good grades. They’re my biggest supporters and have shown me a lot of patience. They took time out of their day to help me through things, like if I needed help with an essay they would be there.”

Brandon will attend the University of Delaware this fall and plans to major in statistics. During high school, his favorite class was AP Statistics, taught by Samantha Baietti.

He would like to work in sports, “combining something I’m good at with something I enjoy.”

Wyatt will attend the County College of Morris, where he plans to major in biology. He has not decided on a career.

In college, he wants to “participate in clubs that would allow me to give back to the town or the school.”

Asked their favorite memory of high school, Brandon said, “Of course, sports and being part of a team. The fun stuff we got to do like pep rallies and rec assemblies. I was in TV Science so I got to work on those. Just hanging out with friends and being able to be kids.”

Wyatt said, “My favorite memory has to be this year at Senior Night for basketball. We were up against Lakeland, I remember it vividly. It was a close game but we won it. I remember the whole student section rushed to the floor - it was so cool.”

Brandon’s advice to incoming freshmen: “Don’t give up. It takes a lot but get involved. It takes a lot of work but you get what you put into it. If you put in the work, you will be rewarded.”

Wyatt suggested, “Manage your time and get involved. Find what you enjoy doing. Don’t focus on the negatives, focus on the positives. It will go by pretty fast so make the most of it.”