From the moment she arrived at William Floyd High School, Cassidy Samuelson (Class of 2020) was viewed as a role model by her teachers, coaches and peers. Described as relentless, Cassidy’s devotion to both her academics and athletics has forged a memorable William Floyd career. She is a scholar-athlete with an 87.5 GPA and multiple accolades in both volleyball and basketball, who has made a tremendous impact during her time at William Floyd.

“Cassidy has been a varsity starter for the girls’ basketball team since she entered the high school in ninth grade,” said Rich Sinclair, William Floyd High School girls’ varsity basketball coach. “She has taken a leadership role and is always willing to offer words of encouragement and to help her teammates. She has developed into a true senior leader in my program. Every girl in our locker room looks up to her.”

That leadership comes as a result of the tremendous accomplishments Cassidy has achieved in her William Floyd basketball career. A four-year varsity starter, Cassidy has earned numerous accolades, including being named a Newsday Top 100 girls’ basketball player this season. She was the second best scorer and rebounder on the team from ninth through 11^th grade, and has taken the reins as top scorer and rebounder in her final year. She is on pace to break 500 career points.

The William Floyd High School girls’ volleyball program has felt the same impact. Cassidy, like in basketball, has been a starter on the varsity team since ninth grade. As a freshman, she received rookie of the year honors in her conference, the first ever Colonial to win the award. Her senior year was even better, as she became the first Colonial in over a decade to receive All-League and All-Conference honors.

“While playing volleyball for the Colonials, Cassidy has earned numerous awards throughout the years to represent the school in a positive manner,” said Matt VanHorne, William Floyd High School girls’ varsity volleyball coach. “Most importantly she has brought the excitement of volleyball back to the school. Many young volleyball players watch her and strive to play and represent the program as she has.”

Her contributions to William Floyd don’t stop on the court as Cassidy has also devoted her time to serving her community. She has helped serve food at the local food pantry, volunteer as a coach for the Moriches Youth Organization and assist William Floyd coaches in middle school volleyball tryouts. She also has contributed to the William Floyd girls’ basketball spring youth clinic and fast-break league for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade girls in the William Floyd School District.

With the reality of her William Floyd career having only a few months left, Cassidy has looked ahead toward her next chapter, while also reflecting on her time as a William Floyd student-athlete. “Balancing athletics and school work took some time getting used to in the beginning as a freshman,” said Cassidy. “Now, it has become second nature to me. When my schedule allows, I attempt to tackle my homework prior to the start of practice and whatever I don't finish gets done immediately after practice. I do my best to give equal attention to both my school work and sports.”

Cassidy acknowledges that the many great teachers and coaches she has had over the years have played a critical role in her success. “The coaches that I've been fortunate to play for have been the greatest to me – uplifting and supportive. They always ran hard practices. They were determined, pushed me to my limits and proved their belief in me every day; but more importantly they showed their belief in our teams,” Cassidy said. “The teachers at William Floyd are unmatchable. Just when I think I couldn't get a better teacher, a new school year starts and I'm grateful for whose class I've been assigned to.”

Cassidy added that when she graduates in June, she’ll miss a little bit of everything. “The teachers, the coaches, my friends, and I can't forget the welcoming and smiling security staff.” As for a career path, she will be attending Keene State College in New Hampshire to continue her volleyball career as well as major in early childhood education and minor in special education.

For future girls' scholar-athletes, Cassidy attended William Floyd schools K-12: Moriches Elementary, William Floyd Elementary, William Floyd Middle School and now William Floyd High School.