Casco Bay High School
196 Allen Ave., Portland | cbhs.portlandschools.org

Graduation day: June 7, 2012
at Merrill Auditorium
Graduation information provided by the high school

National Honor Society

Justin Ehringhaus
Freshman year, Justin was a self-described "passive" and "disengaged" learner. However, by sophomore year Justin found his passion: Japanese studies. He learned to follow his bliss by immersing himself in the study of Japanese language, literature and culture. He soon knew he would travel as much of the world as possible and he began his research into programs and funding. The summer of his junior year he traveled to China as a six week participant in a State Department sponsored exchange. He came back to Maine for only two weeks, then launched himself into a year in Japan. Now fluent in Japanese, he is preparing for a career that involves international studies. Justin has returned to Maine to participate in Casco Bay High School graduation ceremonies and will attend Bowdoin College in the fall.

Samson Fowler
Samson is a deeply compassionate and committed member of the Casco Bay High School community. He has a wonderful ability to see what needs to be done and makes sure it happens. During his four years at Casco Bay High School some of Samson's most impressive work has included: presenting a public policy paper to local experts on the proposed rise in current CAFE standards, being a member of our award winning one-act performing ensemble, interning with the Portland Press Herald newspaper, receiving the prestigious Navigator award for quiet leadership, being a member of our state champion Odyssey of the Mind performance team, participating in the junior class Habitat for Humanity and Gulf Oil Spill clean-up program in Biloxi, Mississippi and being elected by his peers to be the class speaker at graduation. Samson will be attending Clark University in the fall.

Austin Kessler
Austin Kessler is a stellar guide - poised, conscientious and wise. This past fall, we took our entire senior class on a three-night kayaking expedition to various islands on Casco Bay. Austin was the first student we have ever had who did not just participate, he was paid to be a guide. For four years, Austin has been an adept and steady guide at CBHS, modeling excellence in the classroom and in the world, and aiding others in their quest for the same. As a sophomore, he wrote a grant proposal about AIDS prevention in Botswana and researched the hidden history of Apollo 11 astronaut, Michael Collins. As a junior, he defended his ideas about hydrogen cars to a panel of experts and travelled with classmates to Biloxi, Mississippi where he crafted a multimedia oral history about a Biloxian who had endured the twin catastrophes of Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil Spill. This spring, as part of his senior expedition, Austin led staff development for our faculty about how they can boost learning by including more experiential and kinesthetic activities in their everyday lessons. Next fall. Austin will be studying at Prescott College In Arizona.

Noah Lupica
Noah has not only been our top student over the last four years, but also among our most exemplary citizens. In addition to earning the highest GPA, Noah has been a stand-out in numerous student groups from the Gay Straight Alliance (where he forged new bonds between the GSA and the multilingual communities) to the State Model UN Conference (where he was recently named "best delegate"). The last four years teem with memorable, spirited performances from Noah: hosting a school assembly and then doubling as "Irv the Composting Chameleon," demonstrating to peers about the chemistry behind flubber or providing a cameo as Elvis in the school musical. Noah was elected by peers to serve in our school cabinet and also to be our school's one representative to the Portland School Board. He also earned the highest honor our faculty can bestow, the Navigator Award, for the one student in each grade who best "serves as a model citizen and embodies CBHS ideals." Noah will be attending Brown University in the fall where he has been accepted into their medical program.

Sam Mason
Sam Mason has taken on his high school years with remarkable courage and panache. In addition to his great strengths in writing and math, Sam is a natural and kind teacher. He has helped instruct and tutor in classes from Calculus to AP English. He has been very involved in our theater and music programs. The stunning one-act play he authored was an award-winner in this past spring's One Act Play Festival. Sam is so beloved in our school for his amazing combination of creative writing and his love of engineering; a poet's soul in a structure of steel. Sam will be attending the Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall.

Annie McClure-Laughton
Annie McClure-Laughton was a high honor roll student in honors classes (and a varsity athlete )when she decided one-third of the way through her sophomore year to transfer to Casco Bay High School. The remarkable success has continued for Annie, but here she has forged more of her own path. As a sophomore, Annie helped create and implement a sales plan for a Portland professional hockey team game that helped the school net almost $5000. As a junior, she presented her research and stance on algal biofuels to a panel of experts. She was the student coordinator of our Junior Journey, the culmination of a year-long cross-disciplinary study of the BP Oil Spill. She led classmates in fundraising over $30,000, so they could travel to Mississippi, engage in service and conduct multimedia oral histories of Biloxians. This past spring, as the culmination of her Senior Expedition, she led a one-week course in urban homesteading for her classmates. She will be attending Prescott College in the fall.

Alex Perkins
In a jaded and cynical time, Alex Perkins seems too good to be true. Could this budding scholar really be so humble? Could the martial arts expert also be so endearing, committed and passionate about fighting illiteracy in a Nicaraguan village? Alex Perkins is as genuine as he is comprehensively excellent. As a junior, he was invited to testify in Augusta after his stellar research and presentation to local experts about the need for state-level incentives for wind development. He also interned at Maine Health, shadowed a state senator and co-designed a solar panel that powered a school assembly. For his senior expedition, Alex led a literacy project where Maine teenagers designed original comic books for Nicaraguan elementary students - and vice versa. Alex will be attending the University of Vermont in the fall.

Grania Power
Grania is a superb student, a giving citizen, and a phenomenal performer. She has participated in Medieval reenactments with her parents since she was an infant and then became inspired by the Renaissance Era. She has performed in a number Shakespearian plays - as well as for local theater, film and audio books. At Casco Bay High School, she redesigned our "Freshman Finale" (an important rite of passage at the school) and created a significant expedition based on Leonardo da Vinci's theories of learning. Most importantly, Grania has given endless hours in volunteer work both at Casco Bay and in her community. She is planning to take a semester to work on organic farms in Europe and then attend Mt. Holyoke in the Spring.

Madeleine Weatherhead
Madeline Weatherhead returned from a junior year abroad in Germany, having found, in her own words, ?gher cadence.?h Her compassionate senior expedition centered around therapeutic riding, demonstrating just one aspect of her care for others. Madeleine is universally respected by both peers and faculty for her keen intellect, her passion for beauty and profound kindness. Madeline completed a consistently stellar academic career with the second highest GPA in her class. She has a poet's sensibility wrapped in an analytical mind. Madeleine is looking forward to creating her own major combining her passions at Bennington College in the fall.

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