At 16-years-old Cory Rindone is the youngest Farmingdale High School graduate this year.

When he and his family moved to Farmingdale in 1996 from Queens, Cory skipped second grade at Woodward Parkway Elementary School.

"Murray Cantor, the vice principal at the time, said he 'could count on one hand' the number of Woodward Parkway students who skipped a grade in his 30-plus years of teaching there," Rindone's mother, Dale Silverman recalled. "The school psychologist said it is rare to find a student in the very gifted IQ range, who's very interested in sports and making friends."

To that end, Rindone has played basketball with PAL throughout his Farmingdale school years, in addition to experimenting with soccer and a short stint with Farmingdale Baseball.

In third grade, at age 7, Rindone was a finalist in the Reflections Contest, with his poem; also featured in Pennysaver. Soon after, he won the Math Olympiad for his grade. He was a HORIZONS student, participating in fifth grade in the Odyssey of the Mind competition. Rindone is also the recipient of many awards including a $400 scholarship from the PTA, as well as several honors certificates for academic excellence and clubs. An Advanced Placement student, Rindone graduated with a 99.5 percent average. His class rank is unknown as Farmingdale schools no longer rank their graduating seniors.

Growing up Rindone helped his mother, a single parent, raise his younger brother, Jesse and with household expenses by working after school.

With his October birthday, Rindone is often one to one-and-a-half years younger than his classmates. At college some freshmen might even be two years older than he is. He has chosen to attend North Carolina State University.

"Since he possesses the winning combination, i.e., high grades and scores with low family income, he was awarded a very generous financial aid package -tuition, room, board and other expenses - almost totally paid for," his mother said.