York High School’s Top Students

VALEDICTORIAN CHRISTIAN O’CONNOR is the son of James and Lezlee O’Connor of York. While at York High School Christian excelled in academics as well as in athletics and extracurriculars. He enjoyed running for the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams under head coach Ted Hutch in all four years of high school. Christian served as a three-season captain in his senior year and stands as the two-time Western Maine champion in race walk. Christian began his work with the York High School Interact Club as a freshman and served as club president this past year. He continues his work with Rotary International as a counselor at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), a leadership development camp for rising high school juniors. Christian also found fulfillment in speech and debate, acting as team captain in his senior year and competing alongside Joseph Leroux (York ’13) as the first York High School public forum team to contend at the state level. His most lasting achievement at York High School will be his work as a writer and the chief editor for York High School’s best news publication The Agamenticus Sun. In 2013 he was the recipient of the Bausch and Lomb Science Award and the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Achievement Award. Christian looks forward to attending the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall where he plans to pursue interests in finance and entrepreneurship.

SALUTATORIAN BRYCE PATRICK SOBOTKA is the son of Melanie and Jeffrey Sobotka. He was a member of Deutsche Ehrenberdindung Delta Epsilon Phi and received an award for highest achievement in German. Bryce is an artist and has won several art awards as well as receiving the honor of having a piece of art purchased for the school’s permanent collection. He also received the Rensselaer Medal Award for outstanding achievement in math and science. Bryce is an avid skier, hiker, and camper. He was a member of the cross country team for all four years and the track and winter track teams. He has been practicing Shaolin Kenpo Karate since he was six and has achieved the rank of second degree black belt. He is also a musician and was a member of the YHS Jazz Band for all four years, as both a saxophonist and a bassist. This fall, Bryce will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he plans to study Mechanical Engineering.

ADAM BRIGGS is the son of Darrell and Rasa Briggs and has lived in York his entire life. He was a four-season runner and captain on the school’s track and cross country teams, and he enjoyed running on his own, snowboarding, and listening to jazz outside of his athletic and academic careers. Adam was a writing center tutor with a willingness to participate in volunteer work. He was a member of the Deutsche Ehrenberdindung Delta Epsilon Phi, a commended scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Program, and recipient of the Williams College Book Award during his junior year. During his years at York High School, Adam focused on the social sciences and the field of biology to prepare himself for his future studies in Neuroscience at Northeastern University.

MADISON ELIZABETH DARRAH is the daughter of Mary Boncal and Robert Darrah of York.  She was a member of the National Honor Society for two years, the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica for two years, and a member of the Debate Team this past year. Active in sports, Madison was a member of the varsity cross country team and was also senior varsity captain of the lacrosse team. Madison’s love for music was expressed through her membership in the York High School Chamber Singers, performing at the Portsmouth Music Hall and receiving the Senior Director award her senior year. Madison is dedicated to giving back, raising over $16,000 in the past seven years for Children’s Hospital Boston. These contributions solidify Madison’s bond with her younger sister, Peyton Darrah. Madison won several awards while at York High School, including the Saint Michael’s College Book Award for academic excellence with a social conscience, academic achievement awards in both English and Political and Legal Studies, and honors all four years. She has received a merit scholarship at Simmons College where she plans to pursue a Pre-Med track with Biology and Religious studies.

ABIGAIL FERLAND is the daughter of Glenn and Lynda Ferland and has lived in York for most of her life. She was a member of the Société Honoraire de Français for two years, a member of Sober Friends all four years of high school, and a member of the Yearbook Committee and Interact during her high school career. Abigail has received several academic achievement awards over the past four years and is a recipient of the American Association of Teachers of French Outstanding Senior Award. Abigail participated in softball and winter track as a freshman, sophomore, and junior. As a part of the Lynn Grove-York Exchange Program, she hosted a student from England and traveled to England her freshman year, and she plans on studying abroad in her future. Abigail spent months of her senior year volunteering at York Hospital. In the fall, Abigail will be attending Roger Williams University with an undeclared major and the intent to pursue her interest in Clinical Psychology.

MASON CHARLES FINITZ, son of Sarah and Jeff Finitz, was born in Salem, Massachusetts.  He lived in nearby Swampscott, Massachusetts, for four years before moving to York where he started his academic career at Jack and Jill Nursery School with Bertha Rocray.  During his time at York High School, Mason received various awards, such as Highest Honor in French III, Société Honoraire de Français, the Art 1 Award, and the Physical Education Award.  Mason was a member of the Student AIDS Education Team, Student Government, and Student Government Executive Council.  He is an avid skier and excelled in cross country, where he made the top 30 runners in the state meet his sophomore year, and lacrosse for which he received the Head, Heart, Hustle Award and was captain his senior year.  As part of his church group he has volunteered for two of the bi-annual week-long mission trips to help people in need. This fall Mason will be traveling to Colorado to attend the Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Denver where he will pursue his goal of becoming a biomedical engineer.

SEAN HORIGAN is the son of Mary and Tommy Horigan of York. Sean has maintained honors throughout high school while being an active participant in high school athletics including baseball, soccer, and winter track. During his last spring season, Sean joined the tennis team which won the best sportsmanship award for the conference. To support the class of 2014, Sean has been a class officer every year at YHS. He was also an advisor at the high school writing center his junior year and a writer on the school newspaper his senior year. Sean’s true passion is the outdoors where he is an avid skier, hiker, and surfer. With goals of supporting the environment he loves, Sean will pursue Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Hampshire this fall.

GABRIELLA KNOX is the daughter of Anthony and Elizabeth Knox of York. Gabriella is the secretary of the National Honor Society and a member of the Société Honoraire de Français at York High School. She has been an active student, volunteering in the community at York Hospital, student listening at York Middle School, and tutoring English students at York High School. She spends every Tuesday afternoon with her “little brother” in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, volunteering through Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast. Gabriella has been a member of the York High School Chamber Singers for the past two years, has sung with the York High School A Cappella ensemble, and has been a part of the District 1 Honors Choir for the past two years. Academically, Gabriella has achieved honors all four years of high school and has received awards in French, Chorus, Preparation for Citizenship, and Psychology. In her free time Gabriella loves reading, writing, listening to music, singing, photography, spending time with friends and family, and traveling as much as possible. Gabriella is very excited to attend Boston University in the fall with a major in Biology and the intention of pursuing a career in medicine and public health.

HUNTER MCKAY, son of Daryl and Julie McKay, was the President of the National Honor Society and a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student.  He won the Yale Book Award as well as various other academic awards in German, Social Studies and Music.  An extremely active musician, he also recently received both the John Phillip Sousa Award and the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award.  During this past year’s jazz band festival circuit he received outstanding musician awards at the MMEA State Jazz Festival and the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival.  Not only was he a member of the YHS Jazz Band and Concert Band, he also sang with the Chamber Singers and performed with many ensembles outside of school.  A student of Matt Langley and Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, he has performed at venues across the Portsmouth area including the Press Room, the Music Hall and the TEDxPiscataqua River 2014 talks.  He also founded his own group, “The Hunter McKay 5tet” who recently released their first live album.  Hunter will be studying Jazz Saxophone Performance at the University of Southern Maine this fall.

CHRISTOPHER CULLEN O’CONNOR is the son of Christopher O’Connor and Sylvie Arseneault. He was a member of the wrestling team for freshman and sophomore year and a hurdler on the track team for junior and senior year. He will be attending McGill University in Montreal in the fall where he plans to study Biochemistry.

HEATHER OFFERMANN is the daughter of Peter and Linda Offermann. Prior to moving to Maine in 2004, Heather was born and raised in Long Island, New York. Heather has strong passions for both art and science, and she chooses to display her creativity through the hobbies of drawing and painting while she strengthens her love for science through academics. Throughout this past school year, Heather volunteered for the Interior Design panel at York Hospital, where she was able to learn more about the art and design field while giving back to the community. Through the Student Listener Program, Heather mentored a middle school student once a week. While balancing her high school academics, Heather has been working at a hotel resort for almost two years. During her time at YHS, Heather has won awards in French, 20th Century America, and Photography. Heather is looking forward to joining the Behavioral Neuroscience program at Northeastern University, where she will continue to pursue her interest in the human brain.

SAMUEL RICKERICH, son of Dana and Steve Rickerich, was a student-athlete in his time at York High School. A member of both the National Honor Society and the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, he values leadership and service to help those around him. Athletically involved, Samuel was on the varsity soccer and varsity lacrosse teams. He played soccer for his four years at York and was captain of the team for his junior and senior year. In Samuel’s senior soccer season, he was awarded All-Academic and All-State honors. Next year he intends to play soccer at the Division III level at Bates College. Outside of sports and academics, Samuel is a outdoor enthusiast and certified Wilderness First Responder who leads his friends on adventures in the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire. Looking towards his future at Bates, Samuel is eager to pursue a degree in a scientific field and to continue the extracurriculars that he loves.

TRENTON SPENCER, son of Shad Spencer and Jasmine Riel Cooley, was born in Concord, New Hampshire. Trenton arrived in York, Maine, in 2007, where he currently resides. While attending York High School Trenton was a member of multiple clubs and activities, including being a member of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. Outside of academics, Trenton was a dedicated member of the debate team, in which he competed at a varsity state level meet. Enthused by sports, Trenton was a varsity member of both the football and lacrosse teams. Over the course of his high school tenure, he participated in multiple charity events and helped out walking dogs at the NHSPCA. Trenton is an outdoor enthusiast, and enjoyed spending a large portion of his time skiing during the winter. Trenton looks forward to attending Northeastern University in the fall, where he plans to pursue interests in Chemistry.

BRYNN VESSEY, daughter of Michael and Dwyer Vessey and the youngest of four, has lived in York the majority of her life. She grew up in the York School District where she worked diligently to achieve honors and high honors throughout high school while balancing a busy schedule. Brynn was a four-year member of TIDALWAVSE, a member of the National Honor Society, and a member of Société Honoraire de Français and Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica. She participated in many clubs throughout her high school years and worked independently on passions in the visual arts and writing. In the fall, she will be attending Connecticut College with a major in Behavioral Neuroscience and minors in foreign languages.

ERICA WEIGEL, daughter of Helen and William Weigel, has lived in Maine her whole life, but moved from Yarmouth to York when she was three years old. Throughout high school she was always participating in a sport, running cross country and winter track for four years, and spring track for three years until finding an interest in tennis her senior year. She was also a captain of the winter track team senior year. She received the Wellesley College Book Award as well as an award from the Maine Section of the Society of Women Engineers. Erica has a passion for music and has been a member of the YHS Chamber Singers for two years and participated in the choral program at YHS all four years. She plans on attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, this fall and will be in the honors program studying Biology with a focus in Ecology.

YORK HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2014 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS  

SCHOLARSHIP/AWARD                             AMOUNT              RECIPIENT

Academic Boosters Scholarship                    $500             Adam Briggs
Andrew Swiedler Award                                 $1,000             Abigail Ferland
Carter Furber Scholarship                              $1,000             Alyson Philbrook
Don Morrison Memorial Scholarship          $2,000             Liam Goodale
Don Morrison Memorial Scholarship          $2,000             Madison Darrah
Early College for ME                                        $2,000             Catherine Bonner
Early College for ME                                        $2,000             William Blackwell
Erika Jolie Memorial Scholarship                $500             Amanda Sevigny
Family and Friends of Linda Masella          $500             Shenelle  Letourneau
Gerety/Kerrigan Scholarship                        $2,000             Theodore Scontras
Grant Award                                                     Silver Bowl          Christian O’Connor
John F. Welch Scholarship                           $1,000             Madelyn Dignam
John K. Schroeder Award                             Silver Bowl        Christian O’Connor
Justin Donovan Memorial Scholarship     $500             Julianna DePerrio
Ken Sullivan Memorial Award                    $500             Andrew Boisvert
Kennebunk Savings Bank Scholarship      $1,000             Emily Sudrabin
Lawrence Ellis Memorial Scholarship       $1,500             Ross Hogan
Leeward Industries Scholarship                 $2,500             Matthew Piazza
Loretta Abbott Memorial Scholarship       $500             Shenelle  Letourneau
Maine State Golf Association                       $6,000             Connor Arsenault
Maine State Golf Association                       $6,000             Jackson Cogger
Margaret S. Sewall Fund                               $1,000             Derek Zhou
Matthew Cruz Memorial Scholarship        $2,000             Abigail Cruz
Mike Ford Memorial Scholarship               $5,000             Courtney Cole
Milton F. Todd Memorial Scholarship       $500             Michael Gallagher
Mitchell Scholarship                                      $7,000             Madison Darrah
Robert ” Bob” Masi Scholarship                  $1,000             Jack Lawlor
Robert G. Pacitti Memorial Scholarship    $500             Zachary Pease
Sanford Institution for Savings Scholarship        $1,000             Shenelle  Letourneau
Sanford Institution for Savings Scholarship        $1,000             Trenton Spencer
Sanford Institution for Savings Scholarship        $1,000             Nicholas Schilling
Search for Knowledge Award                                   Silver Bowl        Christian O’Connor
St. Aspinquid David Rocray Memorial Scholarship   $1,500             Mason Finitz
St. Aspinquid Elizabeth Haskell Memorial Award    $1,500             Hunter McKay
Stonewall Kitchen Scholarship                    $2,000             Madelyn Dignam
Stonewall Kitchen Scholarship                    $2,000             Madison Patten
The Bank of Maine                                         $1,000             Amber Freeman
The Tyler/Grandmaison MELMAC Scholarship        $1,500             Shenelle  Letourneau
Wolfrett “Sport” Eldredge Scholarship                        $1,000             Phillip  Brockelman
York Art Association                                      $750             Connor Arsenault
York Athletic Boosters Scholarship            $500             Madeline Leroux
York Athletic Boosters Scholarship            $500             Heather Evans
York Athletic Boosters Scholarship            $500             Adam Legg
York Athletic Boosters Scholarship             $500             Sarah Panteleos
York Golf & Tennis Club Appreciation Award        $1,000             Heather Offermann
York High School Faculty Improvement Award     Silver Bowl        Shenelle  Letourneau
York Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Award            $3,000             Brynn Vessey
York Rotary Scholarship                              $5,000             Amanda Sevigny
York Rotary Scholarship                              $2,000             Samuel Hines
York Rotary Scholarship                              $5000            Anne Graziano
York Soccer Club Scholarship                     $1,000             Courtney Cole
York Soccer Club Scholarship                     $1,000             Samuel Rickerich
York Student Scholarship Fund                  $1,000             Brooke Ambrosino
York Teachers’ Association Scholarship    $2,800             Shanelle Letourneau
York/Ogunquit Storage Solutions Scholarship        $500             Madeline Leroux

Honor Students

(In Alphabetical Order)
Wyatt Austin
Drew Binger
Liam Bond
Adam Briggs
Philip Brockelman
Courtney Cole
Kathleen Cronin
Madison Darrah
Juliana DePerrio
Renee Dervishian
Heather Evans
Abigail Ferland
Mason Finitz
Kelley Francis
Amber Freeman
Ashlea Gerbino
Liam Goodale
Anne Graziano
Sean Horigan
Georgianna Knowles
Gabriella Know
Madeline Leroux
Jiamei Liu
Carter Long
Carlie Martin
Hunter McKay
Conner O’Brien
Christian O’Connor
Christopher Cullen O’Connor
Heather Offerman
Sarah Panteleos
Zachary Pease
Alyson Philbrook
Barrett Pritchard
Samuel Rickerich
Anna Schindler
Amanda Sevigny
Taylor Simpson
Bryce Sobotka
Trenton Spencer
Paul Sturgis-Bright
Taylor Vallee
Brynn Vessey
Elizabeth Wagner
Erica Weigel
Nicholas York

GRADUATES
(In Alphabetical Order)

Brooke Ambrosino
Colin Amidon
Connor Arsenault
Wyatt Austin
Anna Bajko
Timothy Bigos
Drew Binger
William Blackwell
Andrew Boisvert
Phillip Bolz
Liam Bond
Catherine Bonner
Adam Briggs
Morgan Briggs
Philip Brockelman
William Burke
Daniel Cannata
Noah Carpenter
Kevin Carr
Victoria Churchill
Mikayla Civali
Jackson Cogger
Courtney Cole
Adam Crepeau
Kathleen Cronin
Hannah Crusan
Abigail Cruz
Nicholas Darby
Madison Darrah
Cristian Davila
Andrew Davis
Juliana DePerrio
Renee Dervishian
Madelyn Dignam
Ava Douris
Christian Eaton
Bridjet Ely
Heather Evans
Ryan Fanning
Makena Farrer
Tristen Fegan
Abigail Ferland
Samantha Ferland
Mason Finitz
Andrew Fitzgerald
Kelley Francis
Amber Freeman
Michael Gallagher
Tyler Gallant
Dalton Gamache
Ashlea Gerbino
Liam Goodale
Mark Gorman
Anne Graziano
Spencer Hapgood
Mitchell Hickey
Samuel Hines
Ross Hogan
Sean Horigan
Kiyanna Hutchins
Allison Jusczak
Sean Kelly
Matthew Khan
Mark Knight
Georgianna Knowles
Gabriella Knox
Olivia Lamontagne
Jack Lawlor
Mitchell Lee
Adam Legg
Madeline Leroux
Shenelle Letourneau
Jiamei Liu
Elias Loeffler
Carter Long
Grant Mahoney
Courtney Martel
Carlie Martin
Michael Mazur
Daniel McCarthy
Ethan McDonough
Hunter McKay
Jennie McPhail
Kyle Miller
Ryan Miller
Joshua Mitchell
Hailey Morse
Nicholas Moulton
Travis Niles
Conner O’Brien
Christian O’Connor
Christopher Cullen O’Connor
Charles O’Shaughnessy
Heather Offermann
Sarah Panteleos
Madison Patten
Zachary Pease
Kyle Peterson
Alyson Philbrook
Nicholas Pomer
Barrett Pritchard
Matthew Prouty
Christopher Puffer
Pamela Ramsey
Hope Reed
Matthew Reil
Madelyn Rennie
Fionnbharr Reynolds
Samuel Rickerich
Rachael Rutledge
Austin Santoro
Nicholas Schilling
Anna Schindler
Adam Schoff
Theodore Scontras
Amanda Sevigny
Cheyenne Simas
Taylor Simpson
Bryce Sobotka
Trenton Spencer
Cody Spicer
Michael Stein
Paul Sturgis-Bright
Emily Sudrabin
Robert Sullivan
Kellin Sweeney
Joshua Tapley
Sarah Tennant
Sean Tourigny
Presley Trimble
Eli Valentine
Taylor Vallee
Brynn Vessey
Elizabeth Wagner
Benjamin Wallace
Erica Weigel
Melissa Welch
Joshua White
Nicole White
Asher Wilford
James Winkler
Daniel Woods
Sheryl Woodworth
Nicholas York
Lucas Young
Andrew Young
Derek Zhou

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