An inspiring group of high school leaders: Meet the Seacoast Students of the Week
A student who "does it all" and whose infectious enthusiasm and kindness "makes me a better teacher and the school a better place." A "wildly talented" trumpet player who will pursue music education at UNH while serving in the U.S. Army. A future educator achieving great things through hard work who is a positive influence on those around her. A senior honored by the Maine Principals Association. A field hockey phenom who is also a top student and community builder. A natural leader who is a strong and compassionate voice for the entire student body.
Meet the Seacoast Students of the Week for April 15.
Seacoast Students of the Week are nominated by local principals, teachers and guidance counselors and, as you'll see below, they reflect a broad range of achievements. While their accomplishments are diverse, a common thread among all the nominees is their kindness, and the work they do helping others, serving as role models for other students in their schools. It is our pleasure to introduce you to these outstanding students and we look forward to sharing stories of so many more of our wonderful students in the weeks ahead.
This week's students represent Exeter, Spaulding, Marshwood, Dover, Oyster River high schools and Traip Academy.
Here are the Seacoast Students of the Week for April 8, as described by the school leaders who nominated them:
Amelia Buckley, junior, Exeter High School
Amelia Buckley is the embodiment of an exemplary student and Seacoast resident. Her openness and energy for trying new academic, volunteer, and extracurricular pursuits make her stand out from her peers. On the academic front, Amelia challenges herself with rigorous courses and thrives with hands-on learning experiences. As a freshman, she came from a small charter school and through her enthusiasm for learning and life, she made the most of Exeter High School by becoming a key member of the many organizations, such as the EHS Drama program, where she consistently brings joy, enthusiasm, and superlative commitment to every class and show she is part of. She even learned to tap dance in preparation for the most recent "Singing in the Rain" production. Additionally, Amelia is devoted to the math team, band, and works part-time at the local library. Amelia also has an altruistic nature and serves as a Special Olympics peer coach and even set up EHS's Polar Plunge team to raise money for cancer research. Similarly, she participated in the Buzz-Off, an event focused on supporting students with cancer, where Amelia shaved her head four years in a row. One of her teachers even noted: "Her enthusiasm makes me a better teacher and her kindness makes the school a better place." If you ever see Amelia around, be sure to pick her brain about classic rock or bowling.
Joshua Turpin, senior, Spaulding High School
Josh Turpin is a senior at Spaulding High School who is a wildly talented trumpet player. He just participated in his fourth NH All-State Festival and is one of a very small group of high schoolers state-wide who made NH All-State ensembles all four years of high school.
Josh has also been part of the NH Jazz All-State Festival for two years.
Josh is part of the Spaulding High School chapters of Tri-M, our music honor society, National Honor Society, and a member of his Senior Class Council.
Josh has enlisted with the Army and is planning to pursue music education at UNH while he is part of the 39th Army band.
Riley Robinson, junior, Traip Academy
Riley Robinson is a Junior at Traip Academy who embodies what it means to work hard and to stay committed to your education. Riley is always ready to learn, prompt with her assignments, and she is an active participant in class. Riley is kind and collaborative with her peers.
Riley is comfortable sharing her opinion and listening to the views of others.
She attends Sanford Regional Technical Center and is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program. I could not think of a better future educator than Riley. She speaks of the young children she works with in a way that reflects her compassion, understanding, and pure joy in what she does.
Riley’s academic schedule requires that she get to school early so that she can attend SRTC. She does not have room for a study hall, yet Riley does not let this prevent her from turning in exemplary schoolwork and consistently meeting her deadlines.
Riley continuously pushes herself beyond her comfort zone in English class. She just finished reading "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight and is now engaging in interviews with people in our community to learn more about pursuing your dreams and entrepreneurship.
One of the most amazing things about Riley is her ability to not only self-reflect, but the natural way she shares advice for being successful and content with her peers in the kindest, most gentle way. Talking with Riley, she acknowledges some of her academic years were rough. Instead of just continuing with the flow, Riley implemented very specific discipline into her schoolwork and her life. She gets up early every day, forces herself to go to the Rice Library to help her focus on her schoolwork, and prioritizes her workload. This hard work and determination are paying off through her acceptance into SRTC and success at Traip Academy. Riley just recently shared some of those lifestyle changes with a friend who is struggling, encouraging her to break the cycle. Her friend was so receptive to Riley because Riley spoke with empathy and understanding. Riley has had her share of ups and downs. She speaks without judgment and in a way that comforts others and helps them grow. Riley is one of those people who make those around her better simply by being in the same room as them. Riley is most deserving of the Student of the Week award.
Rowan Waddell, senior, Marshwood High School
On Saturday, April 6, the Maine Principals Association hosted over 100 high school students in Bangor and their principals for a luncheon to honor one senior from each school. Marshwood High School Principal Brett Hoogterp presented that award to senior Rowan Waddell. The MPA also gave out ten scholarships of $1000 during random drawings. Congratulations Rowan!
Audrey Carter, senior, Dover High School
Audrey Carter has provided leadership in a wide variety of ways at Dover High School. As a member of the Student Council, Athletic Leadership Council, and National Honor Society, she has spearheaded efforts to build community within the school and to provide assistance to outside charitable organizations. Audrey leads by example. Her work ethic inspires the people around her, and she lifts people up with positive support, encouragement and mentoring.
Audrey had an incredible field hockey career at Dover High School and will play at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell next year. This past season, she led the Green Wave to its first Division I field hockey championship since 1975, earning both all-state and Max New Hampshire Field Hockey Player of the Year accolades.
An outstanding student, she is ranked in the top ten percent of her class. She has maintained this standing while taking a rigorous course of study made up of honors and advanced placement classes.
Delaney Nadeau, senior, Oyster River High School
Delaney Nadeau is an amazing, well-rounded student who works hard for the Oyster River Community. She is a driving force on the Student Senate, president of SALT (Student Athlete Leadership Team), very involved in NHS, and on the Student Mental Health Team.
Delaney is a natural leader in so many ways. She does a phenomenal job running point on projects, figuring out the logistics, planning, implementing, and including others. She is open to suggestions and receiving feedback. An example of leadership that stands out is when she moderated the community mental health panel. She was poised, mature, personable, and relatable as she kept the questions flowing, assuring that each panelist had their voice heard. She has a humble confidence with a comical side.
As a student, she is an amazing learner not afraid to push out of her comfort zone. She seeks feedback to have a better understanding of concepts and to strengthen her skills. Delaney is on MOR (Mouth of the River), the student magazine. She is a tenacious reporter and a strong leader for Mouth of the River, covering a range of stories that affect our community. She is a strong and compassionate voice for the student body. She has a wonderful, positive attitude and brings a lot of energy to everything she does. Whether working in small groups or speaking to a large crowd, Delaney is a great role model for other students. She has also been a teaching assistant in a forensics class for two years and is invaluable in the day-to-day operations of the class. She is a second teacher who can help teams troubleshoot, answer questions and even teach concepts. Athletically, she has been very successful with our golf team. She was a driving force to have the NHIAA change the title of golf from boys golf, that female athletes could play for, to coed golf. She is also very dedicated to our student-athletes in the unified basketball and volleyball programs. Delaney works to make positive change in the world and creates and implements plans, so this change actually happens. We are excited to see all of her accomplishments in the future!
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast Students of the Week: Inspiring group of school leaders
