When Theresa Lucarini spotted an incorrect answer on one of Anabelle Arginsky’s tests, she didn’t automatically take out her red pen. As had happened in the past, the Beacon High School calculus teacher suspected Anabelle was right and her answer key was wrong.
“She always wants to dig deeper, always pondering, always asking questions, always looking for the next, second or third or fourth step,” says Lucarini, known to students as “Ms. Luc,” of Beacon’s 2025 valedictorian.
“I’ve always been the type of person who doesn’t understand something unless I understand the why,” says Anabelle, who has been at the top of her class since middle school.
Anabelle says that becoming valedictorian was “something that I’ve worked toward naturally,” a byproduct of her curiosity and love of learning. That curiosity helped in many ways, including overcoming discomfort with dissecting a cat, says Laura Thomas, who teaches biology. “She realized that she could gain a lot of firsthand information regarding body systems.”
Anabelle loves theater, participating in many school productions, including Phantom of the Opera and, most recently, Guys and Dolls, in which she played Arvide Anthony, traditionally presented as the grandfather of Sarah Brown, the main character. Anabelle instead portrayed Arvide as Sarah’s sister and sang “More I Cannot Wish You,” hoping her younger sibling finds true love.
Anabelle’s father, Michael Arginsky, says that as a family, they would watch shows like Singin’ in the Rain, prompting his daughter’s love of costumes and dancing, including ballet, which she did for many years. She would stage shows and skits with her friends and sister, says her mother, Deana Morenoff, adding: “She values what the strength of the ensemble does for the whole.”
Beginning in the fall, Anabelle will study food science (and participate in theater) at Binghamton University. “I’ve always loved food and cooking,” she says, noting that she works part-time at Barb’s Butchery in Beacon.
