Cape Rising Stars - Team Site

CA P E CO D TI M E S
May 13, 2013
RISING STARS
Meet the Cape and Islands high school seniors
driving straight to the future.

2 Rising staRs
By gWEnn Friss
gfriss@capecodonline.com
I
can’t tell you how glad
I am to be the editor of
the Rising Stars annual
supplement and not one
of the judges.
While we all get to read
and enjoy the nominations
– 116 of them this year – the
judges then have to rank
their top 20 choices. Those
three independent rankings,
combined through
the magic of math, produce
a list of the young people
whom you’ll find profiled in
these pages.
The volunteer judges
change from year to year,
but I consistently hear two
things: “This is so hard!” and
“Thank you for asking me.”
I understand both of those
About Rising Stars
feelings. But it’s kind of nice
that it’s difficult because it
shows what a great group of
teens you – parents, teachers,
employers, siblings –
nominate.
It’s also fun for me to read
the letters each year.
As I read the nominations
each year, I wish they could
all be Rising Stars. But then
I realize, they are. Be sure to
check out not only the 20 profiles
but also the list of nominees
at the end to find names
of graduating seniors whom
you may be fortunate enough
to know.
But first, thank you to our
judges, community members
who do yeoman’s work:
Mindy Todd is Managing
Director of Editorial at WCAI,
the Cape and Islands NPR
station and host of “The
Point.” With more than 30
years experience in radio
and television, Todd regularly
examines issues critical to
the region from local newsmakers
to nature and culture.
She has received numerous
awards, most recently
her 5th National PRNDI
(Public Radio News Directors
Incorporated) award for best
call-in program and best
interview.
Dr. Thomas Kerr is a lifelong
educator who served suburban
Philadelphia schools for
40 years before retiring to the
Cape with his wife, Gayle. Dr.
Kerr founded the first com-
puter magnet school in the
nation to assist with desegregation
efforts. He was an
advisor to the Pennsylvania
Department of Education on
reform issues and serves as a
consultant today.
Robin Smith-Johnson works
as the newsroom librarian
at the Cape Cod Times, as
well as teaching in Cape Cod
Community College’s language
and literature department.
She is the author of a
blog on Cape history called
“Cape Rewind.” Her book of
poetry, “Dream of the Antique
Dealer’s Daughter,” will be
published in December by
Word Press, an imprint of
Word Tech Communications
LLC.
Rising
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Editors
gwenn Friss
Melanie Lauwers
dEsign
nora De Vita
on thE covEr
alyssa Preston
Photo by
Merrily Cassidy
www.capecodonline.com
/risingstars

BY LAURIE HIGGINS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For Mairead Hadley, the
most important thing
in life is to surround
yourself with people
who support and motivate you
to do what makes you happy,
and that is just what this Truro
resident has done.
Mairead plans to be a writer
and she says that her decision
to be one of the last eight
students to graduate from
Provincetown High School
has offered her boundless
paths toward that goal.
“I think that this school
offers a lot of opportunities,”
she says. “I’ve been able
to do my internship at the
Fine Arts Work Center. I’ve
taken classes up at Cape Cod
Community College. It’s a
very unique, special place.
You can really be yourself.
You know your teachers very
well and they know you well.”
Mairead says she first
became passionate about
writing in seventh grade during
an after-school workshop
with one of the fellows from
the Fine Arts Work Center,
so it is very fitting that she’s
been an intern at the center
since last autumn. Her jobs
over the past school year
have been varied. She has
helped writing coordinator
Salvatore Scibona process the
application manuscripts for
writing fellowships, solicited
book donations for the center’s
library, researched web-
Mairead
Hadley
Career goal: “I want to be a fiction writer.”
site traffic, run a Google ad
campaign and helped order
books for this summer’s visiting
teachers, among other
things.
“It’s been really good for
me because it’s helped me get
a good idea of what I should
look to be doing in my future,
and my goals and how to
achieve them,” Mairead says.
“I’m over there five days a
week for an hour to an hourand-a-half.”
One of Mairead’s proudest
accomplishments is finishing
a short novel that she worked
on with the help of mentor
Melissa Yeaw as part of the
Academy Program at her
high school. It took her four
to five years to complete it,
but she says it was an incredible
learning experience. She
is currently taking an online
poetry class through the Fine
Arts Work Center and is also
doing a poetry workshop
taught by one of the center’s
fellows at her school.
Last summer, Mairead
participated in Brown
University’s competitive summer
writing program for high
school seniors, spending four
weeks living on campus and
participating in workshops
and classes five days a week.
That experience has left her
very excited about attending
Emerson College in Boston
in the fall, where she has
been accepted into the writing,
literature and publishing
program. Those who know
May 13, 2013
RON SCHLOERB/CAPE COD TIMES
Mairead Hadley has spent many hours on the mural in the stairway at Provincetown High School.
her in Provincetown expect
great things from Mairead in
the future.
“In the years I’ve known
her, I’ve witnessed the more
self-assured and powerful
growth of her clear and
courageous voice,” says
Nancy Flasher, Provincetown
High School Academy and
n PROVINCETOWN HIGH SCHOOL n
3
Community Internship coordinator.
“Mairead is a gifted
story teller and we are a people
in sore need of thoughtful
stories.”

4 Rising staRs
n MASHPEE HIGH SCHOOL n
Zackery Surrette
Advice for other high school students: “Just put in your full effort.
Don’t do it halfway, and if you work hard you will get results.
By ANNA MORAIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Zackery Surrette knows
all about hard work and
perseverance. And it
has paid off.
In addition to being sixth
in his class and excelling in
challenging courses, Zack
has received numerous academic
awards, including a
Saint Michael’s College Book
Award Scholarship worth
$82,000.
“He is always conscientious
about his work and his
deportment. He is diligent
and hardworking. He is analytical
and inquisitive,” says
Mashpee High School history
teacher Dana Smith.
Zack’s academic success
didn’t come easy. At the age
of 2, he was diagnosed with
autism.
“He had no speech and
couldn’t process any language.
He had sensory, fine
motor and social issues,”
says his mother, Jeannette
Campbell. “He also had a
rare seizure condition called
Landau-Kleffner Syndrome.”
But Zack never viewed his
autism as a force he had to
overcome. It was more of a
motivation and an opportunity
to educate others.
“Autism has not been an
obstacle, nor has it been a
crutch for Zack. And his
autism has not limited his
teachers or students, but has
enriched us all, coupled with
Zack’s wonderful personality
and hard work,” Smith says.
Zack is passionate about
raising autism awareness. For
his senior project, Zack gave
a presentation on autism at
Quashnet Elementary School
in Mashpee, and held a raffle
and a loose-change fundraiser
for autism. He raised
more than $1,200, half of
which will support Boston
Children’s Hospital’s Autism
Research Department. The
other half will go to the
Mashpee school system’s
special education department
for iPad apps, which will help
autistic students communicate.
He will also give his presentation
in front of the
Barnstable Special Education
Parent Advisory Council on
May 15.
When asked about his
favorite high school memory,
Zack responds: “I like every
day.”
He exudes positive energy
and passion, making him a
pleasure to be around. Zack
is particularly passionate
about his favorite subject,
history. He respects history’s
connection to everyday life,
he says. Last May, Zack
received a 4 out of 5 on the
Advanced Placement U.S.
History exam.
In addition to his meritorious
course load, Zack also
ron schloerb
/CAPE COD TIMES
Zackery Surrette
spends a great
deal of his time
hitting the books
to reach his A+
grade point average.
works part time at Stop
& Shop, has participated
in volunteer work, and is
a member of the National
Honor Society and Mashpee
High’s Audio-Visual Club
and Blue Falcon Theatre
Company. Zack performed
in his first musical, “Into the
Woods,” in March. “I asked
him what style of singer he
was… And he looked at me
strangely and said ‘Oh, I can’t
sing. I just want to be part of
this before I leave,’” says Pat
Farrell, school counselor and
Blue Falcon producer.
Zack devours as many life
experiences as he can. He
will attend Saint Michael’s
College either in the fall or
after deferring for a year, and
he’s open to all majors, he
says.

Merrily Cassidy/
CAPE COD TIMES
Emma Harney
holds some of
the activity
books that she
sends to various
hospitals for
young patients
and their siblings
to occupy themselves
during
long visits.
By CHRISTINE LEGERE
clegere@capecodonline.com
Emma Harney only vaguely
remembers what has become
a defining moment in her life,
influencing daily priorities and
perhaps ultimately setting the course of
her future.
“I was born with pectus excavatum,
so my ribs were too long for my body
and were folding in on themselves,”
Emma says. When she was 2½ years
old, surgeons at Boston’s Children’s
Hospital performed open-chest surgery
and corrected the condition.
The surgery required the little girl to
remain hospitalized for several days.
“I remember being very confused,”
Emma says.
“She had to go back quite a few
times afterward, and it left an impression
on her,” says Emma’s mother
Lisa. “The people there were really
amazing.”
At the beginning of her sophomore
year, Emma decided to fulfill
her community service requirement
by giving back to the hospital that
helped her as a child.
“I think community service should
be something you’re passionate about
and connect with,” Emma says. “When
I called Children’s Hospital to see
what I could do, the volunteer coordinator
suggested I make up activity
books with mazes, coloring and dotto-dot
to help keep the young patients
at the hospital busy.”
Known around school for her finely
honed motivational skills, Emma has
since turned the booklets into a cottage
industry of sorts, enlisting the
help of fellow high-schoolers, sitting
in detention with time on their hands,
and elementary students in the local
after-school program.
May 13, 2013 5
Emma Harney
Life philosophy: “I want to get into business not to make money but to help people, maybe working for a non profit ...
I’m good at running events, and I like it when they have a higher purpose.”
Older students assemble the
10-page booklets, while the children
decorate the cardboard covers. “I
explain you can’t write ‘get well’ on
the front because they might not
get well,” Emma says. “The younger
kids get to pick the color of the ribbon
tying the books together and the
order of the pages.”
In addition to Children’s Hospital,
Emma now provides hundreds of
activity books to Massachusetts
General Hospital, Jordan Hospital,
Cape Cod Hospital and Newton-
Wellesley Hospital.
All those books were produced
while serving as class president for
her four high school years, working
as a student ambassador and mentor,
sitting on the student council, running
track all three seasons and maintaining
a 4.04 grade-point average.
“She brings passion and enthusi-
n DENNIS-YARMOUTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n
asm to everything, and always gives
100 percent,” says school social worker
Melissa Hudson.
Emma is also a member of the
National Honor Society, a Yale Book
Award recipient, first-place essay
winner for Barnstable County Law
Day and a John and Abigail Adams
Scholarship winner.
Emma’s future is looking bright
as she finishes her senior year, with
acceptances to Wheaton College,
Holy Cross, Boston College, Stonehill
College, Boston University and
UMass Amherst. She has decided
to attend Boston College, hoping to
major in business.
“I want to get into business not
to make money but to help people,
maybe working for a nonprofit,”
Emma says. “I’m good at running
events, and I like it when they have a
higher purpose.”

6
Thomas
Moakley
Advice to fellow students: “If you find
something that you like to do, then it really
doesn’t seem like work. What you get is more
than what you put into it.”
By NEIL JOHNSON
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Thomas Moakley
spent the summer of
2011 in Washington,
D.C., working as
a Congressional page. He
recalls sprinting from his
student dorm to Capitol Hill
in the unbearable humidity;
having to memorize 193
members of the House of
Representatives just by their
faces; and the excitement of
being there the day Congress
resolved the United
States debt-ceiling crisis.
“We had guest speakers
come in from media outlets
in Washington, we had
members of Congress come
in, telling us how they got
started. And then, at 9:30,
we’d walk into the Capitol
Building and sign in on
the House floor and get to
work.”
Since then, he has been
a four-year class president,
is ranked fifth in his class,
has a schedule filled with
Advanced Placement and
honors courses, and recently
has attained the rank of
Eagle Scout.
“Tom has a passion for
organization and process
with underlying concerns
to empower his fellow
classmates,” says Falmouth
High School guidance
counselor Carolyn
Connolly.
This year he applied his
passion and experience to
bring something entirely
new to Falmouth High
School.
“Motivated by the prospect
of shared decision
making with the administration
and an active voice
for student, and inspired
by my time in Washington,
I wrote up a whole new
15-page charter for the
student government that
I called the Homeroom
House of Representatives,”
Thomas says.
“We have representatives
elected from each of
the homerooms and I serve
as speaker of the house
that just sort of moderates
during the meetings with
parliamentary procedure,
as well as being the liaison
with the administration
presenting the bills.”
He speaks with the kind
of confidence and intelligence
you would want to
see in a politician.
In addition to laying the
ground work for a new
student government within
his school, he has worked
to bring in experienced
politicians to talk with the
students.
He arranged for State
Representative David
Vieira, R–East Falmouth, to
speak for the first student
government meeting of the
school year. His goal is
to bring even more politicians
into the classroom
“to explain how they got
started, how it works in
different levels of government
for local, state and
Rising staRs
national, and to give students
the exposure.”
He has also in recent
years become involved
in theater, performing in
Falmouth High School’s
renditions of “Grease”
and “Footloose” as well as
“Pippin” and “The Lion in
Winter” at the Falmouth
Theater Guild. In the summer
he works with children
as a counselor at an acting
camp in Woods Hole. He
says that performance and
politics can work in conjunction
by allowing him
to become “more and more
n FALMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL n
christine hochkeppel/CAPE COD TIMES
Thomas Moakley started a student government group, called the Homeroom House of Representatives,
that gives his classmates a forum to share their opinions and make change. He has been voted
class president four years in a row and will be attending Georgetown University in the fall.
comfortable being in front
of people.”
Thomas hopes to return
to Washington, D.C., to
study political science, government
and international
business at Georgetown
University.

By JASON COOK
jcook@capecodonline.com
It takes a unique person to describe
open-heart surgery as a great experience.
But that’s just what Alyssa
Preston, 18, of West Dennis, called
it.
Alyssa has faced a lot in those 18
years. Two open-heart surgeries –
one when she was just 3 days old.
The death of her father. A second
surgery during her sophomore year.
But through it all she’s maintained
a positive attitude.
May 13, 2013
Alyssa Preston
What her friends would say about her: “That I’m always there for them.
I’m willing to listen and work it out with them.”
Alyssa was diagnosed with pulmonary
atresia, a disease where
valves in the heart are blocked by
extra muscle tissue. With the initial
surgery shortly after her birth,
Alyssa’s family was told she would
need further surgery down the
line. That day came in December of
2010.
“I was scared,” Alyssa says, “but I
did it one time, I could do it again.”
She was admitted to Boston
Children’s Hospital and said everyone
there was great. “It was a great
experience to have.”
Back at school just weeks after
the surgery, Alyssa still has regrets
about the time after her operation.
“I regret not taking AP classes,” she
says, of being worn down after the
procedure.
“Challenge yourself no matter
what,” she says to those who are
starting high school this year.
“She’s a special kid. She’s a survivor
with a fighter mentality,” says
Nicole D’Errico, guidance counselor
at Dennis-Yarmouth.
D’Errico says Alyssa was
inspired by the young people she
n DENNIS-YARMOUTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n
MERRILY CASSIDY/CAPE COD TIMES
Alyssa Preston, a member of the Dennis-yarmouth Regional High School golf team, is described by her guidance counselor as “a survivor with a fighter mentality,”
who maintains a positive outlook despite two heart surgeries.
7
came across at Boston Children’s
Hospital while writing her essay.
“But what she doesn’t realize is
she’s an inspiration herself.”
With a love of history and foreign
policy, Alyssa has her sights set on
a career as a history teacher or a
career in politics. She’s looking at
Salve Regina and Bridgewater State
universities for college, she says.
“She’ll be doing amazing things,”
says D’Errico of where she sees
Preston in five years. “She does
things with a purpose, not just to
build her resume.”

8
n SANDWICH HIGH SCHOOL n
Rising staRs
christine hochkeppel/CAPE COD TIMES
Evan Denmark says working hard and playing hard helps him achieve academic and personal success.
Evan
Denmark
“I’d never been inside a hospital before. It was
a great experience and it got the ball rolling
for my interest in
bioengineering and surgery.”
By Sean Drohan
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While many young
people have stars
in their eyes, Evan
Denmark’s eyes
are focused on the sun. In May
2011, Evan founded Sunsitivity,
a skin cancer awareness
program recognized by the
American Cancer Society.
“As a Barnstable lifeguard,
I’ve seen, firsthand, the ignorance
to and the dangers of
sun exposure,” Evan says.
After working with the
ACS, Sunsitivity was featured
on CBS-Boston that
June.
The program is dedicated
to informing the public of
proper safety and skin cancer
prevention methods and
has expanded to all corners
of the Cape, says Evan.
But the Sandwich High
School senior is not content
to merely inform. With
a resume more replete
than that of some adults’,
it’s no wonder Evan has
been accepted early to
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, where he hopes
to pursue a career in bioengineering
or at least within the
biomedical field – possibly as
a surgeon.
“After starting Sunsitivity, I
went to the Koch Symposium
at MIT,” Evan says.
The Koch Institute for
Integrative Cancer Research
is lauded for hosting one of
the world’s leading symposiums
on cancer research
and treatment each summer.
“That’s when I started
getting interested in bioengineering,”
says Evan.
His symposium attendance
was followed by meetings
with researchers from MIT,
Dana-Farber, Massachusetts
General and Faulkner
hospitals and Cape Cod
Dermatology, to name a few.
“I’d never been inside a
hospital before,” Evan says.
“I’ve just never really been
sick. It was a great experience
and it got the ball
rolling for my interest in
bioengineering and surgery.
Actually getting to see procedures
was amazing.”
According to SHS Principal
Ellin Booras, Evan expanded
his field research on skin
cancer that August.
“Throughout the fall of
2012 he organized his data
and applied his hypotheses to
study the molecular biochemistry
of skin cancer and the
pharmacology of melanoma
treatments,” Booras says.
“I’m excited to go to MIT
and Sunsitivity is really what
started it all,” says Evan.
When he’s not shielding
Cape Cod from the sun, Evan
has time to umpire Little
League games, referee youth
soccer and contribute to the
Knights Theatre Company at
SHS, where he’ll be playing
Action – his largest role yet
– in their upcoming performance
of “West Side Story.”
“Work hard, play hard,”
says Evan. “I just have fun
doing all this stuff. It doesn’t
feel like work.”
In his Advanced Placement
classes at SHS Evan “shines”
as well and “even in such
a constellation, Evan’s star
shines brightly,” Booras says.
Brighter than the sun, so it
would seem.

Katie
Perkoski
“When I sing it’s one of the
best feelings I’ve ever felt.
When you interpret a song and
really connect with the words
emotionally, it’s a
beautiful feeling.”
By Sean Drohan
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While most high school seniors
are jammin’ out to fresh beats,
Katie Perkoski is humming
along to Bing Crosby and Rosemary
Clooney.
“She is truly unswayed by the superficial
pressures of her generation and is
self-directed and self-possessed,” says
Sean Burke, Katie’s guidance counselor
of four years.
As if Katie’s 4.40 grade-point average,
her duo of academic awards from Bourne
High School and her Harvard University
Book Award weren’t enough, Katie is a
piano player of six years and an “inspiring
vocalist,” according to Burke.
“When I sing it’s one of the best feelings
I’ve ever felt,” Katie says. “When you
interpret a song and really connect with
the words emotionally, it’s a beautiful
feeling.”
Six years ago, Katie began taking private
vocal lessons but was a shy singer,
yet to step into the spotlight. Now, she’s
been accepted to the University of New
Hampshire as a music major with a concentration
in voice.
“It really started last year,” Katie says. “I
heard that (BHS’ theater department) was
looking for soloists for ‘Phantom of the
Opera.’ I was always way in the back in
chorus, I was so nervous.”
But Katie not only got the part, she
sang two solos in front of a packed
house. “That was when I knew that music
is my life. That’s the greatest feeling, to
sing to an audience and connect with
them, it’s unlike anything else.”
Since then, Katie has earned the lead
in Bourne High’s production of Little
Women, singing two solos last month,
and she is set to sing “It’s Only a Paper
Moon,” among other songs, at the
school’s spring concert this month.
“I think what it comes down to is that
I don’t like disappointing people. I knew,
May 13, 2013
n BOURNE HIGH SCHOOL n
Christine hoChkeppel/CAPE COD TIMES
Rising Star Katie Perkoski, 17, enjoys being on stage whether performing in a theater production or in the school choir.
deep down, that I had to pursue
music and I knew that stepping in
front of a crowd was necessary,”
Katie says. “I always think about
rising to challenges and this was
one that I had to rise to.”
After college, Katie wants to
travel and explore the music of
other cultures before moving on to
teaching.
“(Music) is my passion, it’s what
I love to do. I want to pass that on
9
to kids. I want to give them the
encouragement to go into music,”
Katie says. “Music has given me so
many friends, really great friends,
that I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

10
n FALMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL n
Rising staRs
christine hochkeppel/CAPE COD TIMES
Vincent Lin has science and service in his sights as he prepares for Harvard.
Vincent Lin
On the future: “My goal is to try to figure out
how I can make a difference in the world.”
By AnnA MorAis
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Vincent Lin’s high
school career can be
described as a juggling
act. He juggles a
strenuous course load including
independent studies, AP
courses and online classes.
He is involved in a number
of extracurricular activities
including membership in three
National Honor Societies and
a number of Falmouth High
School clubs. And he’s No. 1 in
his class.
“It’s difficult (to do so
much), but you have to try
your best to get it done as
soon as possible and be efficient,”
says Vincent. “Even
if you’re working very hard
there’s always time to do the
things you enjoy and have
fun.”
In his free time, though it’s
limited, Vincent enjoys basketball,
trombone and being
with friends.
“He is an innovator, he
is philanthropic and he is
enthusiastic about all of
the possibilities for him to
make a difference in his
future,” says Susannah E.
Cronin, guidance counselor
at Falmouth High. “In getting
to know Vincent over
the past four years, I can say
that I have been more than
impressed by his academic
accomplishments. But what
has ultimately won me over
has been his humble benevolence
and the passion and
excitement about what the
future holds.”
Vincent lives his life with
overwhelming compassion
and a sincere dedication to
improving the world, and
he draws inspiration from
numerous places, including
the Hugh O’Brien Youth
Leadership Seminar he was
selected to attend his sophomore
year and the Intel
International Science and
Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)
in which he competed.
The seminar fueled his
desire to help others, inspiring
Vincent and a classmate
to create The Civic
Leadership Project, a club
that meets weekly for students
to discuss social issues.
Under Vincent’s leadership,
members also participate
in charity events, such as
a holiday canned food and
toy drive for the Falmouth
Service Center. He is confident
that the club will continue
to thrive after he graduates.
“It’s an opportunity for
kids to serve the community
and learn about civics,” says
Vincent. “Obviously we can’t
change problems, such as
poverty and homelessness,
but we can do something to
help.”
Vincent was inspired by
some of the world-changing
projects other students were
doing at the Intel ISEF,
including projects related to
cancer research. It was a tremendous
source of “innovation
and progress,” he says.
His passion for benevolent
scientific research is also
reflected through his volunteer
work at the Marine
Biological Laboratory
Ecosystems Center and the
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution.
Vincent acknowledges his
family’s role in his success.
“My parents came from very
humble beginnings in China
and worked extremely hard
to come to the United States
for graduate school .... They
worked so hard to give me
the life I have,” he says. “I’ve
been very fortunate to have
all of the opportunities I’ve
had.”
Vincent will attend
Harvard University in the
fall. He’s open to all majors,
as long as he will end up
making a difference.

Jocelynn
Sullivan
By CYNTHIA MCCORMICK
cmccormick@capecodonline.com
Like many a high-performing high
school student, Jocelynn Sullivan
spent the night before an English
class assignment reciting her
Shakespeare monologue over and over.
She ended up getting the highest
grade in class, Dennis-Yarmouth
English teacher Allison Nagle
wrote in nominating Sullivan to be
a Rising Star.
But what impressed Nagle even
more was something Jocelynn
shared after class.
The teen mom had been up all
night delivering her lines from
“The Merchant of Venice” not to
empty air, but to a restless baby
daughter, Nagle says.
“I was so impressed that
Jocelynn had found this creative
balance between the multiple roles
she has to juggle,” she says.
“Jocelynn is more exceptional
than most adults I know,” Nagle
says. “Despite having many more
obstacles than her peers, Jocelynn
was one of the top students in the
class.”
Jocelynn, now 18, takes four
Advanced Placement classes and
two honors courses in addition
to being treasurer of the Dennis-
Yarmouth High’s Key Club and a
class representative.
She also belongs to the student
council, Leo Club and National
Honor Society.
Jocelynn is also the mother to
Jenessa, age 3.
Transferring to D-Y as a pregnant
freshman from Springfield
May 13, 2013
On plans to open a clinic for the homeless:
“No one should be without the resources they need.”
n DENNIS-YARMOUTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n
merrily cassidy/CAPE COD TIMES
Jocelynn Sullivan has found the “creative balance” in the multiple roles she has to juggle as a high school honors student, peer leader and mother of a 3-year-old.
Jocelynn plans to attend Salem State University and eventually go to medical school.
“was the hardest thing,” Jocelynn
says.
Having a baby “was kind of like
the elephant in the room,” she says.
Jocelynn tackled the issue in her
usual forthright way, writing about
her experience for a class assignment.
“No one really thinks about it
now,” she says.
Jocelynn is planning on attending
Salem State University this fall
and eventually going to medical
school.
One day she’d like to open a clinic
for homeless people, she said.
“No one should be without the
resources they need.”
English teacher Nagle calls
Jocelynn mature beyond her years.
She also says Jocelynn is a good
listener, a leader and an insightful
writer.
The other day, Jocelynn took the
11
time to teach her mother, Jennifer
Sullivan, math concepts for her
studies in pharmacy technology.
“You always told her you can do
anything,” Jocelynn’s grandmother
Kathy Sullivan says.
Jocelynn lives with her daughter,
mother, 16-year-old brother,
Dion Sullivan, grandmother and
grandfather Joe Sullivan in South
Yarmouth.
A school guidance counselor
helped her develop the patience
she needs to succeed as a mother
and student, Jocelynn says.
She says during a rant about a
teacher, Dale Fornoff told her she
had to learn to control her temper
or she wouldn’t get anywhere.
“It kind of just hit me,” Jocelynn
says. She also said that as a young,
single mother, she realizes school
is something she needs to excel at
to create a good life for herself and
her daughter.
“There was no point complaining
about it,” Jocelynn says.

12
n STURGIS CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL n
By HEATHER WYSOCKI
hwysocki@capecodonline.com
Sturgis Charter Public School
senior Sara Sweeten has traveled
the world, both literally and
figuratively.
On family trips and through school,
Sara has visited Peru, Morocco,
Spain, Iceland, Japan and Bermuda.
As a member of the school’s Model
United Nations team for four years,
she’s had the chance to be a “delegate”
from Israel, North Korea, Yemen and
Macedonia.
It’s that experience and a deep
dedication to giving back that compel
Sara to pursue her goal of working in
international relations.
And, her teachers say, she’s got the
drive and vision to go anywhere she
wants – in the world and in life.
“She has no fear and she’s willing
to try things and talk to people,” says
Jeff Hyer, her history teacher and
adviser for Model U.N.
Those leadership skills have come
in handy as Sara has moved up in
the Key Club, first taking a small
leadership position at her school
sophomore year, then moving to
become the student in charge of all
eight Cape and Islands clubs. This
school year she was elected the district
governor, a position that put her
in charge of around 160 clubs in New
England and Bermuda (it’s too small
to have its own district), or around
8,000 high-schoolers.
“It was a huge job, and it kept me
so busy,” Sara says. “But I really
Rising staRs
Sara Sweeten
On her dedication to public service: “You don’t have to raise a billion dollars to make a big difference.”
loved the leadership part.”
Sara has helped organize service
projects at the local level – such as
when the Sturgis Key Club sponsored
the distribution of “smile
cards,” which featured positive comments
about students and staff – and
on the international scale.
One very close to her heart is
the “Eliminate Project,” an effort
organized by Kiwanis International
(which oversees the Key Club program)
and UNICEF with the goal of
ending maternal and neonatal tetanus
by 2015.
Her club has helped raise money
for tetanus vaccinations in third
world countries – each of which cost
only $1.80, “so it’s something that
can actually be done,” she says.
steve heaslip/
CAPE COD TIMES
Sara Sweeten
started with a
small leadership
position in the
Key Club during
her sophomore
year at Sturgis
Charter Public
School, and this
year was elected
district governor,
in charge
of 160 clubs in
New England and
Bermuda.
Since she was a child, Sara has
hoped to take flight like her father,
an Air Force pilot. She even takes
flying lessons and is working on her
private pilot’s license.
It’s a goal she still plans to pursue
despite a heavy blow that came in
early April, when Sweeten learned
she hadn’t been accepted to the
prestigious United States Air Force
Academy.
But she applied to 13 other schools,
too, and is confident one of them will
lead her to her dreams.
“Not getting in has forced me to
look at different things. And in five
years or even a couple of months, it
will all work out. No matter where
I go, I still want to do the same
things.”

May 13, 2013
Brian Kenney saw a need for compassion for those having social difficulty at school and filled that need with a new club.
By Dick TrusT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Brian Kenney’s interests cover a
wide spectrum, from his study of
computer game art and animation
to the founding of his high
school’s chapter of the Gay/Straight
Alliance (GSA).
Committed to Mount Ida College
in Newton, the Mashpee High
School senior has a pretty good
handle on what his career will be:
working on, and helping a company
develop, animated games for consoles,
Play Stations, Xboxes and
more. Despite all he has done and
accomplished, surviving a serious
auto accident has left him, Brian
said, “lucky to be alive, and lucky to
be alive with no problems.”
He was a first-grader, one month
shy of his seventh birthday, when
Brian Kenney
“Just be who you are. I know that’s cliché, but take risks, be a visionary, think outside the box and stick to your own ideals.”
the car he was riding in, with his
mother at the wheel, was struck
head-on by a drunk driver in
December 2001. Brian’s jaw broke
in three places, his mouth was
wired shut for a month, and a tube
was inserted to help his breathing.
“The good news is that we all
survived,” Deborah Handy, Brian’s
mother, said, referring to Brian,
his older brother, Patrick, and herself,
“but Brian’s injuries were (the
most) severe, enough for him to be
flown to Boston. He lost most of
that year. When he finally returned
to school, the physical and emotional
scars made him feel that he
was on the sidelines socially.”
“When he reached high school,
news of children and teens committing
suicide, literally being bullied
to death, started surfacing, and
that affected Brian deeply,” Handy
said.
Brian successfully petitioned the
superintendent of schools to start a
GSA chapter at Mashpee High, and
he has been its president and driving
force three-plus years.
“The GSA is a club that gives
kids who might feel outside mainstream
high school society a safe
haven to discuss issues and challenges
they face,” says Brian’s
mom, who nominated Brian as a
Rising Star. “Many are not even
supported at home. The club also
hosts events to raise awareness at
school. I admire Brian for steadfastly
sticking to his ideals, quietly
doing what he believes in, trying to
make the world a better place.”
Brian’s compassion for students
who are conflicted on various
n MASHPEE HIGH SCHOOL n
13
ron schloerb/CAPE COD TIMES
issues, gender-related and otherwise,
is known throughout
Mashpee High. He lent his voice
and counsel to a lunch group of
peers that included those with mental
disabilities and/or difficulty in
socializing. That was in addition to
his GSA involvement.
“There are some people who keep
their identities locked for years and
it eats them up inside,” Brian says,
who plans to major in game art and
animation at Mount Ida.
“I’m a straight dude,” and the
GSA offers a forum for people to
speak out on whatever issues they
have.”
His advice to all: “Just be who
you are. I know that’s cliché, but
take risks, be a visionary, think
outside the box and stick to your
own ideals.”

14
n MASHPEE HIGH SCHOOL n
Rising staRs
Raha Maalin’s early life shaped her commitment to helping others, at home and abroad.
ron schloerb/CAPE COD TIMES
Raha
Maalin
On grades: “I study a lot. I
have to try really hard to get
my grades up. But it pays off at
the end.”
By GWENN FRISS
gfriss@capecodonline.com
Raha Maalin’s high school years have
been a time of giving back to the community
that embraced her when she
immigrated at age 5 and to people on
the continent of her birth.
Born in a refugee camp in Kenya, while her
family was fleeing civil war in their native
Somalia, Raha is the third sister in the family
to be honored as a Rising Star.
“With such strong role models as her
siblings, Raha’s work ethic has resulted in
high grades and even higher goals,” writes
Mashpee High School counselor Pat Farrell.
Raha is president and a leading member of
the Key Club, raising money for charities at
home and around the world. After the club’s
advisor was contacted about the need for
books, Raha and her classmates collected 82
boxes – more than two tons – of mostly textbooks
for the Maassi Tribe in Africa.
Closer to home, she made the most blankets
to send to the Noah Shelter in Hyannis,
after helping to obtain a grant for materials.
“We also sold yuda bands (leather bracelets)
for $7 each to raise money for a
Guatemalan child to go to school,” Raha says.
Farrell writes, “Her ideas kept the Key Club
jumping with their busiest year ever last
year; and it was due to her influence that the
club earned four awards at the New England
conference. Raha also has leadership roles in
the Human Rights Club and as a class officer
(treasurer).”
Of the Human Rights Club, Raha says, “We
try to promote diversity, (send the message)
that it’s OK to be different.”
A weekend cashier at Roche Bros. grocery
store, Raha has been working since eighth
grade.
“I think financial problems were the biggest
problems we faced,” Raha says of immigrating
with her mother and four siblings. “If I
could support myself, I wouldn’t be a burden
on my mom.”
Raha will study pre-med at Holy Cross
College in Worcester, where one of her sisters
still attends.
“I want to be a women’s doctor,” Raha says,
“and go to Third World nations and help
women there.”

David Picard
“If an opportunity comes upon you, don’t
second-guess it. Strive forward and do
what’s best for you.”
By Dick TrusT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
David Picard knows
what he wants and
he’s out to get it.
The goal-oriented
Upper Cape Cod Regional
Technical School senior has
been accepted into the sixyear
physician’s assistant program
at Springfield College.
He’s ready for the challenge
of becoming a PA.
“I’ve wanted to work in
health care for quite some
time,” David says.
A Plymouth North High
School student before he
moved to Wareham and
transferred to Upper Cape
in Bourne for his junior year,
Picard is already immersed in
the health care field.
He worked with anesthesiologist
Dr. David Gannon at
Cape Cod Pain Management
in Plymouth, spring to fall
2011, observing many of his
procedures. At the same time,
he volunteered at South Coast
Rehab in Wareham, where he
helped residents with patient
care and activities of daily
living.
Since May 2012, Picard
has worked at the Kindred
Transitional Care and
Rehabilitation – Forestview in
Wareham every other week
as part of Upper Cape’s co-op
program. Indicative of his
dedication to his chosen field
combined with a strong work
ethic, Forestview bestowed
upon him its Above And
Beyond Award.
“David’s maturity is evident
in his ability to look at the
bigger picture,” says Upper
Cape counselor Jennifer
McGuire, who nominated
David as a Rising Star. “He
has a work ethic that is enviable;
he never expects anything
to be handed to him. He
understands that a great deal
of hard work lies between
where he is now and reaching
his dreams, and he is not
afraid of the journey ahead.”
Another sign of his desire
to excel in the health care
field is that in April 2012
he earned his wings as a
Certified Nursing Assistant
from the American Red
Cross.
And despite his relatively
brief time at Upper Cape,
he received the school’s
27th-annual Outstanding
Vocational Technical School
Student Award at a dinner
April 4 at Mechanics Hall in
Worcester. Each of the commonwealth’s
52 voc-tech
schools sent its award winner.
“I’m very grateful for the
award,” says David. “I’m
extremely happy.”
He’s also grateful for his
acceptance to Springfield,
which he calls his “proudest
accomplishment because I
put a lot of effort into it. It’s a
very select program and I feel
honored.”
David is not all work and
no play. He played Babe Ruth
baseball before entering high
school, and, as he says, “I try
to keep myself busy. I like to
go out with friends and go to
the beach.”
Clearly, though, he’s careerdriven.
His words of advice:
“If an opportunity comes
upon you, don’t second-guess
it. Strive forward and do
what’s best for you.”
David’s mother, Heather
Morse, is a role model.
She, too, is a CNA, at Tobey
Hospital in Wareham. With
his parents divorced, David
lives with his mom, who has
an 11-month-old daughter,
Olivia. David said he spends
as much time with his little
sister as he can, adding that
his family is the most important
thing in his life.
May 13, 2013
christine hochkeppel/CAPE COD TIMES
David Picard has begun his health care career early. He’s already completed certification as a nursing
assistant, before going to Springfield College for the physician’s assistant program.
“I put my family before
anything I might do as a leader
or in my work in the health
care field,” David says. “I have
n UPPER CAPE COD REGIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL n
to give credit where credit is
due. As a single mother with
a baby, my mom does her
job and does it well at work
and at home. She keeps you
focused but gives you the
spirit of independence.”
15

16
Allyson
Collette
On her leadership abilities:
“My coach says I lead
by example. I take the
initiative so people will
follow. At student council
I put in extra work and
maybe others will do more
when they see me do it.”
By K.C. MYERS
kcmyers@capecodonline.com
Allyson Collette wants to
teach middle school math.
And if she ever does head
her own classroom, her students
will be hard-pressed to find
any excuse that will impress this
driven and loyal young woman.
Allyson, 18, of Dennis, is student
council class president at Dennis-
Yarmouth Regional High School.
She plays three varsity sports:
basketball, softball and volleyball,
where she is team captain. She’s
a member of D-Y’s concert band,
Spanish Club, Interact Club, the
National Honor Society, and the
Prom Committee.
She met this reporter at 6:30 a.m.
at the high school recently.
The rest of her day would include
school, followed by a meeting with
Interact, a community service club.
Then softball practice until 5 p.m.,
followed by plans to decorate the
school for a regional school council
event the following day.
Homework, she says, usually
happens early in the morning,
starting around 4 a.m.
“But I go to bed at 8:30 p.m. so it
evens out,” Allyson laughs.
Allyson’s Spanish teacher calls
her a true leader.
It’s not just what she does, but
how she does it, says Diane Ross,
who teaches Spanish at D-Y.
“At the high school, (Allyson)
voluntarily tutors several eighthgraders
and reaches out beyond
school time to keep them on track
with their homework and test
preparation,” Ross writes. “I have
witnessed her go out of her way on
several occasions to offer students
rides home in order to stay after
school and make up work. After
she brings these students home,
she returns to school for her athletic
responsibilities.”
Allyson’s father, Alan Collette,
said his daughter showed talent in
sports and music early in her life.
Volleyball is her passion, and clarinet
her primary instrument. But
she picked up her other sports easily
and can also play the flute and
the piccolo, her dad says.
Volleyball isn’t her only passion.
She also cares deeply about her
own high school.
During her junior year, as part
of a class project, Allyson submitted
a letter to the Cape Cod Times
about school choice, in which she
argued for staying with your town
school even in difficult times, her
dad said.
“I like D-Y a lot,” Allyson says in
Rising staRs
n DENNIS-YARMOUTH REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n
merrily cassidy/CAPE COD TIMES
Allyson Collette plays three varsity sports: basketball, softball and volleyball. She’s a member of D-y’s concert band, Spanish
Club, Interact Club, the National Honor Society, and the Prom Committee.
a recent interview. “I don’t like how
people on Cape Cod don’t think
D-Y is a good school. D-Y is a good
school. They haven’t been through
it so they don’t know.”
Her leadership abilities are well
honed by now. But they didn’t come
out of nowhere.
“I was so shy in kindergarten I
never said a word,” Allyson says.
“My coach says I lead by example.
I take the initiative so people will
follow. At student council I put in
extra work and maybe others will
do more when they see me do it.
“With volleyball I just like it so
much, I do a little more,” she adds.
She learned leadership skills by
quietly and carefully watching the
older council presidents and team
captains before her.
She decided recently to attend
Salve Regina University in Rhode
Island where she will pursue her
studies as a math major with a
minor in education.
Allyson wants to teach math to
eighth-graders. Middle school math
is one of the areas where qualified
candidates aren’t exactly barging
through the door to apply. Young
people with those skills can get
jobs in more high-paying fields
than education.
But money is not what motivates
Allyson.
“I want to be a teacher because I
want to give back what my teachers
gave me,” she says.
And though she herself is clearly
a focused and hard-working student,
the kids who don’t necessary
like school are the ones who
inspire her the most.
“I want them to be motivated and
dedicated,” she says. “Those are
the kids who make me want to be a
teacher.”

May 13, 2013
Travel is David Liptack’s love and he hopes to do more of it while helping the people he meets.
By AMY ANTHONY
aanthony@capecodonline.com
Like many high school students
about to enter college, David
Liptack doesn’t know exactly
what he wants to do – but he has
an idea.
“I’d always like to be traveling
and meeting new people,” says
David, a senior at Sturgis Charter
Public School. “I’ll try to gear my job
toward that.”
And at the age of 18, David is
no stranger to traveling and living
abroad. During his sophomore year,
he spent five weeks in Ecuador with
other high school students helping
native entrepreneurs build bungalows
and helping farmers eradicate
invasive trees.
“I felt like I was one of them,” says
David of the locals who housed and
David Liptack
“I’d like to try to do something good for the world, something ethical and moral.”
fed him and his colleagues during
the trip. “It gives you a good perspective
on life.”
David says the “most memorable
experience” of his life was a family
trip to Africa when he was 12.
He fondly recalls the gratitude and
generosity of the locals his family
encountered.
“I’d like to be helping people
around the world,” says David,
who will graduate in June with an
International Baccalaureate Diploma,
for which he has done extensive
research on politics. He is also part
of the school’s Model United Nations
Delegation, a club that requires him
to research an assigned country and
travel each year to New York City for
a conference.
In the fall, David will attend
Cornell University, where he will
major in industrial and labor relations.
“I’m pretty excited for next
year,” says David, who would like
to work for the World Bank or
the International Monetary Fund
because of his interest in macroeconomics.
“I’m interested in the global aspect
of it,” he says.
“It’s a pleasure to know someone
who is following their dreams,” says
Susan Whalley, the school counselor
at Sturgis who nominated David.
Staying on course hasn’t always
been easy: At the end of David’s
sophomore year, his right lung spontaneously
collapsed. Although surgery
to repair the lung was successful,
in the middle of David’s junior
year, his left lung collapsed.
“I struggle sometimes,” says David,
17
n STURGIS CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL n
STEVE HEASLIP/CAPE COD TIMES
who quit the crew team to focus on
repairing his health and keeping up
with school work.
“His setback was not a setback,
as he kept up with a demanding
academic life and used his time to
advance his learning,” says Whalley.
“He’s resilient.”
The Cummaquid resident says he
felt “shocked” when he learned about
the Rising Stars nomination.
“I try to be a nice person,” who is
modest about his accomplishments,
he says. “I’d like to try to do something
good for the world, something
ethical and moral.”
David credits the way his parents
raised him and his three sisters for
shaping his curiosity and openness.
“I was brought up to not hide emotions,”
he says, “and to present yourself
as who you are.”

18
By Rachael Devaney
rdevaney@capecodonline.com
When Camille
Buffington feels
her arrow will hit
the mark during
archery practice she says
she “backs up a few feet” to
break away from her “comfort
zone.”
It’s self-motivation like
this that has earned the
Barnstable High School
senior a 4.56 grade point
average, ranking her sixth
in her class out of 358.
What makes her rank
more impressive is
Camille’s course load,
which consists of all honors
and Advanced Placement
classes. Even at this level,
Camille still managed to
remain on the honor roll
throughout her high school
career.
Buffington has also
garnered the President’s
Award, the Randolph
Classic’s Book Award and
a certificate of academic
excellence in the National
Latin Examination.
In her free time, Camille
participates in the National
Honor Society at the school,
as well as its peer tutoring
program. With a passion
for the arts, she is a member
of the Barnstable High
School Drama Club, plays
the piano, designs jewelry
and is an assistant fencing
instructor at the Barnstable
Recreation Department.
While Camille does
admit that her workload
can become stressful, she
says a great tool that keeps
her organized is an agenda
book where she lists her
“goals for the future.”
“I write everything
down,” she says. “I believe
that if you see your goals
every day you will be more
motivated to fulfill them.”
Camille’s goal for the
moment is attending a college
modest in size, an
aspect, she says, that will
allow her “one-on-one time”
with her professors.
“With a smaller class
size, I can get to know the
teacher and learn their
teaching styles and in turn
they get to know how I
learn.”
Family is also a priority
for Camille and she
Rising staRs
Camille Buffington
Advice on life:
“Make good friends.
They will be there
with you to get you
through high school,
and actually, they
will be there to
get you through
anything.”
envisions a school close to
home.
“A lot of times when I
need to get something done
(my parents) will stay up
with me,” Buffington says.
“And if that didn’t happen
I don’t know if I would be
nearly as motivated.”
Camille hails from an
Italian family and her
maternal grandparents
are fluent in Italian. This
prompted her interest in
culture and language and
inspired her to participate
in the high school’s travel
abroad program to Greece
in the summer of 2011.
The trip, she says, allowed
her to “take a risk and try
something new.”
“I was interested in learn-
ing a new alphabet,” she
says. “The Greek people
have different idioms and
they speak in a different
way and while a lot of
things get lost in translation,
it was amazing to
learn about another culture.”
Her love of language
doesn’t end there. Camille
can also read and write
music. “Phantom of the
Opera,” her favorite musical,
has influenced her to
minor in music along with
a double major of neuroscience
and creative writing.
“When I sit down at the
piano and a melody comes
into my mind, I play it and
it takes stress away.”
Camille is also writing
n BARNSTABLE HIGH SCHOOL n
Steve HeaSlip/CAPE COD TIMES
Barnstable High School Rising Star Camille Buffington beside her piano at her Cotuit home. She plans to minor in music in college.
her first novel, “Divided
Loyalties,” which is a fantasy
and science fiction story
that surrounds her theory
that darkness and light are
interchangeable. She hopes
to publish the book, which
she has been writing since
the sixth grade.
With college on the horizon,
and a host of goals
waiting to be conquered,
Buffington says by incorporating
“challenge, risk and
adventure” into her life she
can continue to be “a work
in progress.”
“The most challenging
thing is taking charge of
my life and taking risks,
but new things can be the
best thing in life.”

Seth
Andreasson
Proudest moment: “At the end of the
musical ‘Rent’ sitting up on the stage getting
our senior roses and being acknowledged
for everything we’ve done for our
involvement in the arts department over
the high school career and it just felt like I
was proud of what I did and everything I’ve
done in high school.
By LAURIE HIGGINS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Seth Andreasson’s motto
is to “do what you love
and put everything into
it,” and he certainly has
put that to good use in his own
life. Described by his guidance
director as “the driving force
behind our school’s music
program,” Seth loves all kinds
of music. With musicians in
both sides of his extended
family, the Monomoy Regional
School District at Harwich
High School senior says he
didn’t get involved with music
until middle school when he
fell in love with classic rock.
Since then he has discovered a
love for jazz, funk, and certain
types of country, rap and hip
hop.
“I play bass and six-string
guitar,” he says. “Those are my
two main instruments and I
also sing in Select Choir.”
In addition to performing,
Seth has extensive knowledge
of music engineering
and has spent more than 300
hours volunteering as his
school’s in-house sound engineer.
He has run the sound
systems for concerts, school
meetings, sports events and
the school’s yearly spring
musical. In addition to doing
sound himself, he has also
taught other students so they
can carry on after he leaves
for college.
He’s looking forward to the
next chapter of his life and
currently deciding between
University of New Hampshire
and Northeastern University.
“Outside of music, I’ve
always loved building things
and engineering so I want to
go to college for engineering,
whether it could be music
engineering like designing
instruments or even architecture
like designing auditoriums
or designing music tech,”
Seth says. I love to perform,
but I like building things, too,
so I might possibly double
major in music performance.”
Seth loves to challenge
himself so he took all honors
and AP classes and earned
a 4.1 grade-point average.
That same love of challenge
led him to fulfill his longtime
desire to play football
in his senior year for the
newly formed Monomoy
Sharks team. A highlight of
his season was being named
“Athlete of the Week” in his
local newspaper alongside
his sophomore brother, Sean,
for their combined efforts in
his first varsity game against
Saint Joseph’s Preparatory
High School. The siblings
were already close, but playing
football brought them
closer.
Family is obviously very
important to Seth. After talking
about his relationship
with his brother, he made
sure to include his sister,
Danielle, who is currently
in seventh grade. He and
Danielle bond over their
shared love of music and he
listens to her singing audi-
May 13, 2013
merrily cassidy/CAPE COD TIMES
Music, football and challenging academic work have filled Seth Andreasson’s four years of high
school.
tion pieces and helps her with her violin.
“Seth is literally the most well-rounded
kid that I’ve worked with in years,” says
Guidance Director Jonathan Bennett. “He
19
n HARWICH HIGH SCHOOL n
plays on the football team, he’s in the play,
he’s a wicked talented musician and he’s
very mature and respectful. He’s just a super,
super human being.”

20
n BARNSTABLE HIGH SCHOOL n
By GWENN FRISS
gfriss@capecodonline.com
When Kayla Crook joined
the Barnstable High drama
club, auditioning for a role
was not the half of it. She
also cleaned the office, raised $3,300 in
advertising for coupon booklets given
out free to patrons and generally found
ways to make herself useful.
Although she was new to the stage,
she won the key role of Rizzo in
“Grease” and Phoebe in “As You Like
It.”
“I loved it for the fun of it, but really
wanted to be part of the backbone
of it,” Kayla says. “I definitely think
drama club deserves every ounce of
my body (strength). It saved me. It
was awesome.”
After four years on Barnstable
High’s championship volleyball team
– as captain in her senior year – her
last season ended. Team leadership
was tough at times, Kayla acknowledged,
such as when she had to contact
the administration about harassing
Tweets about the team.
Close to her teammates, Kayla was
left looking for a new crowd.
“I was never the expert friend-maker.
I always depended on my team
so when it was over, I turned to the
drama club … I was losing a friend
group and drama club was great,”
Kayla says.
Rising staRs
Kayla Crook hopes to put her love of math and science to work in the biomedical engineering field.
Kayla Crook
Philosophy, via William Shakespeare: “Sweet are the uses of adversity.”
Drama club adviser Edward
O’Toole writes of Kayla, “She has
brought the discipline and dedication
of the volleyball team to the drama
club. She has handled publicity,
advertising and the creation of an inschool
museum.”
O’Toole writes that Kayla’s willingness
to do the “grunt work,” with the
maturity to balance optimism and
realism, makes her a student that
stands out in his 35 years of teaching.
Kayla says, “I’ve just always been
a worker my whole life … I will beat
myself up until something is done the
way I want it done.”
But she sees the dark side of that
work ethic.
STEVE HEASLIP/CAPE COD TIMES
“One of the things I need to work
on is delegating. I tend to leave a lot
of things up to myself.”
It’s something she can pursue in the
fall at the University of Connecticut
at Storrs, where she will put her love
of math and science – and 3.98 (out
of 4) grade-point average – to work
in the study of biomedical engineering.
She will decide later whether to
attend medical school or work with
clinical studies or medical imaging
devices.
For the summer, she’ll continue
working at Barnstable Market and
hopes to pick up a waitressing job to
earn money for college. She comes
recommended.

May 13, 2013
Nick Peabody is not sure what he’ll study at Princeton University this fall, but he will be playing football.
BY ROBERT GOLD
rgold@capecodonline.com
When Barnstable High
School guidance counselor
Karen Gauthier was
assigned a new batch of
students more than two years ago,
Nick Peabody was one of the first to
introduce himself.
Starting his sophomore year,
Nick wanted to show the guidance
counselor his three-year plan for
his remaining high school career.
“He wanted to maximize the
amount of challenges here,”
Gauthier says.
As a freshman, he already had
Nick Peabody
Proudest high school achievement: “Setting an example of a student athlete. There is a common stereotype or
misconception that it’s one or the other. You can be top in your class, you can work hard at both.”
tested into AP French, something
the long-time high school counselor
has never seen before from a
first-year student.
This year, as a senior, he is taking
six AP classes, including three
language classes. By her count, he
is the first student to take four AP
language classes.
“He was just determined from
the beginning,” she says, adding
he takes the same approach to all
aspects of life including being a
friend and excelling in sports. Nick
is a star football and basketball
player at the school.
He excelled as quarterback of
the Red Raiders, throwing for 33
touchdowns and leading his team
to a No. 1 ranking before a onepoint
high school Super Bowl loss
to Everett at Gillette Stadium.
Nick racked up a slew of
regional and national awards for
his season, and when he attends
Princeton University this fall he’ll
play football at the school.
Nick also has a 4.69 GPA (4.00
unweighted).
“I like to see what I can do,” Nick
says. “I like a challenge for sure.”
The West Yarmouth resident
grew up in a family that celebrated
the appeal of learning other lan-
21
n BARNSTABLE HIGH SCHOOL n
steve heaslip/CAPE COD TIMES
guages. He spent part of his summer
before high school in France
as part of an exchange club. He
was the youngest student.
This year, he is taking AP French
Culture, Spanish and Latin.
“It’s a cool skill to have, to communicate
in another language. It’s
marketable; it’s a lot of things,” he
says.
Nick hasn’t decided what to
pursue academically at Princeton.
Perhaps business. Perhaps sports
management.
“I’ll see what I really like, what
I thought I really liked and don’t
actually,” he says.

22
n NAUSET REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n
For Olivia Miller, a budding interest has turned into full-blown research.
Rising staRs
ron schloerb/CAPE COD TIMES
Olivia Miller
Best advice: Get involved in every way you
can to try stuff out. Once you find something
you like, really pursue it. Just try to get
passionate about something,
no matter what it is.
By LAURIE HIGGINS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Olivia Miller was
interested in language
and linguistics
as a possible career
choice, but the concussion she
received while body surfing at
Nauset Beach her sophomore
year changed her life. After
spending months recovering
from the effects of her brain
injury, the Nauset Regional
High School senior, who lives
in Harwich, decided to learn
more about how language
works in the human brain.
“I want to do research on
the brain, mostly how human
behaviors translate into
actions in the brain on a biological
level,” she says.
But Olivia is not waiting
until she graduates from college
to do so. When she had
an empty elective block in
her schedule junior year, she
began doing an internship
with the school’s speech and
language pathologist, Mae
Timmons.
During her internship
last year, she helped a fellow
student with cerebral
palsy set up and personalize
a communication device
so that the student could do
email, go on Facebook and
even order a pizza using an
automated voice. She also
worked with two boys with
autism who were having
trouble making friends. Olivia
played Monopoly with them
during lunch and the two
became friends and joined a
Social Club for Students with
Asperger’s syndrome that
Olivia facilitated. This year
she has tutored a student who
was born deaf but now has
cochlear implants.
She is also working with
an elderly man from Mae
Timmons’ private practice.
He has primary progressive
aphasia, a rare disease that
has not been researched fully.
The gentleman comprehends
what people are saying and
knows what he wants to say,
but has problems finding the
right words. At some point he
will probably be completely
mute and may lose motor
control as well.
Olivia and her mentor
have taken a two-pronged
approach to this client. First
they try to find things that
will help him now, while
also researching devices and
therapies that will help him
in the future as his disease
progresses. They got an iPad
for him and are working on
archiving his stories with an
app that includes a photo
album. He writes captions
and records stories that he
will be able to share with his
grandchildren when he can
no longer speak. Another
app will allow him to type in
words and the iPad will speak
for him.
Olivia also video records
his stories and uses them
to identify what words he
has trouble remembering.
A research study they came
across indicated that people
with primary progressive
aphasia can be helped with
the use of pictures that
remind them of the words
they can’t express.
“That really worked for
him, which is great,” she says.
“He remembers the pictures
so he can talk even without
the visual support.”
“Beyond being very, very
bright, Olivia is so genuine
and she’s found something
that she loves,” says guidance
director Dee Smith. “If she
stays with this research she’s
going to make a lot of difference
for a lot of people.”

Also nominated …
Catie Adams, Provincetown High
School
Padraic Angelone, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Tianna Bassett, Cape Cod Regional
Technical High School, Harwich
Brian Beaty, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Tyler Bennett, Barnstable High
School
Lexi Black, Riverview School, East
Sandwich
Jessica Blute, Harwich High School
John Wesley Bowman III, Cape Cod
Regional Technical High School,
Harwich
Christina Brown, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Kendra Brown, Mashpee High
School
James Busker, Cape Cod Regional
Technical High School, Harwich
Brighid Coleman, Barnstable High
School
Kate Conway, Pope John Paul II
High School, Hyannis
Jon Cubetus, Sandwich High School
Dominga DeCoster, Falmouth High
School
Cassie Doble, Falmouth High School
Jake Robert Donehey, Barnstable
High School
Alison Donovan, Harwich High
School
Andrew Falacci, Barnstable High
School
Rebecca Feeney, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Catherine Felicetti, Sandwich High
School
Justine Fisette, Harwich High
School
Kyle Foley, Harwich High School
Taryn Gaffney, Sandwich High
School
May 13, 2013
Rising Stars nominees
Holly Gallant, Harwich High School
Marissa Gallant, Barnstable High
School
Jacob Ganley, Sandwich High
School
Kylie Germann, Harwich High
School
Durham Ghelfi, Falmouth High
School
Alexander “Sasha” Goyne,
Falmouth High School
Davis Hartnett, Nauset Regional
High School
Brody Hollett, Sandwich High
School
Kayla Howe, Chatham High School
Erin Hurley, Sandwich High School
Matt Inzirillo, Mashpee High School
Connor Jones, Barnstable High
School
Peter Julian, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Megan Keating, Falmouth High
School
Elizabeth Knox, Falmouth High
School
Henry Daniels-Koch, Sandwich
High School
Shon Koren, Sandwich High School
Lucie Lass, Sturgis Charter Public
School East
Renee Lavigne, Riverview School,
East Sandwich
Brittany Lawler, Falmouth High
School
Anna Lee, Falmouth High School
Bezie Tesson-Legnine,
Provincetown High School
Lydia Tesson-Legnine,
Provincetown High School
Jessica Linnell, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Christopher Long, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Virginia Star Lowell, Chatham High
School
Sam MacRae, Mashpee High School
Matthew Hunter Maher, Nauset
Regional High School, North
Eastham
Reed Maxim, Sandwich High School
Aubrey McDonough, Nauset
Regional High School, North
Eastham
Samuel McGuire, Mashpee High
School
Catherine McKenna, Sandwich High
School
Jessica Medeiros, Mashpee High
School
Jamien Grace Meservey, Cape Cod
Regional Technical High School,
Harwich
Emily Mihailescu, Falmouth High
School
John Milligan, Pope John Paul II
High School, Hyannis
Caio Mitre, Barnstable High School
Renee Mulcahy, Bourne High School
Kelly Murphy, Harwich High School
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Murphy, Dennis-
Yarmouth Regional High School
Jordan O’Dea, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Alexa Rose Panepinto, Falmouth
High School
Mary Pawlusiak, Sturgis Charter
Public School
Nicole E. Peckham, Harwich High
School
Samantha Petracca, Sandwich High
School
Brianna Pingree, Mashpee High
School
Paul Presbrey, Barnstable High
School
Jacob Prescott, Mashpee High
School
Elizabeth Reardon, Sandwich High
School
Esther Rei, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
23
Zachary Robbins, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Steven Rowell, Barnstable High
School
Matthew Schmitt, Bourne High
School
Kimberly Schoener, Harwich High
School
Kaitlyn Silva, Provincetown High
School
James Silverman, Sandwich High
School
Rebecca Stevens, Nauset Regional
High School
Kimberly Stewart, Nauset Regional
High School
Shylee Stewart, Nauset Regional
High School
Jacob Scott Sullivan, Sandwich
High School
Nick Swenson, Sandwich High
School
Summer Tompkins, Falmouth
Academy
Lisa Emily Torres, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Molly Travers, Sandwich High
School
Austin Treat, Chatham High School
Alexander Vrountas, Sandwich
High School
Jonathan Watkins, Chatham High
School
Michelle Whipple, Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional High School
Sydney Whitcomb, Chatham High
School
Kallie Whritenour, Sturgis Public
Charter High School East
Amy Wilson, Falmouth High School
Corey Woolfolk, Barnstable High
School