Winnacunnet High School Top 10

Here are the 2011 Winnacunnet High School Top 10 seniors (information courtesy of the school):

• Andrew Caunter

Andrew John Caunter, son of John and Katherine Caunter of Hampton Falls, is energetic about people, and thus he is not only a top student at Winnacunnet High School, but he is one of the most productive young persons in our community.  Andrew’s philosophy is that he wants to be a role model and show people, especially younger ones, that hard work does pay off.  It certainly has in his case.  Andrew is an athlete, a musician, and deeply involved in service to his community.  Andrew has been instrumental in forming the ethos of his school.  He has been a counselor at Fresh Start, the freshman orientation program; he has been a tutor in the Big Brother/Sister homework club, and he is a core-member of the anti-bullying task force that was put together by the school’s principal.  Andrew has expended great effort to build a more productive and inclusive and open environment at WHS.  Andrew is also a fine percussionist in our music program.  He plays in all the bands—concert, jazz, and pep.  He commits myriad hours through the school year to enhancing the music program and in performing at numerous venues in the area.  Even in athletics Andrew finds where he can contribute most effectively.  He took up the pole vault in track and field only last year, but he has contributed to his team’s success in quick fashion.  He also stepped up in soccer.  When the last WHS goalie went off to college, Andrew moved into that spot this fall and helped the team to a successful record.  He’d already been elected a captain, but he put his performance on the line in a significant way.  When Andrew was still a little boy he learned from his grandparents, avid skiers, to throw himself into what he loves.  So that’s what he does.  Nowhere is that more clearly evidenced than in Winnacunnet’s classrooms.  As his AP physics teacher says, Andrew is “time and again a leader in the class.”  His math skills are excellent and his communication skills are “top notch” (He became a newspaper columnist this year.).   Andrew has the enthusiasm and talent to be a great success on many fronts.  He will become one of the best at Northeastern University starting next fall.

• Eamon Cullinane

Eamon Barrett Cullinane, son of Jeffrey and Joan Cullinane of Hampton, is one who sets the pace.  Deeply and broadly involved, he is a successful athlete, an effective leader, and a stellar student—hence this spot as a top scholar in the class of 2011.  In all that he does, Eamon would tell you that he likes to compete.  His calculus teacher tells us that Eamon’s determination and drive “set the standard.”  As a runner he is used to arduous activity every day; he approaches his school work in the same way.  He is meticulous in his preparations and insightful in thinking through problems and the organization of projects.  Eamon understands the value of the basics—study skills, time management, class participation—all get his careful investment.  We see that sort of mature dedication in all that he does.  In school, besides the 12 seasons of cross-country and track that he’s run—he has qualified for the state meet in his events—he has been class president for two years, and Eamon leads by doing.  He not only has ideas, but he knows how to see those ideas through to fruition.  He co-founded the young conservatives club this year and has been a member of the math team throughout high school.  Last year he helped plan and put on the junior prom.  He even went to a tournament as a member of the WHS ping-pong team.  Besides his flurry of activity in school, Eamon puts in many hours doing community service.  He is active in his church as an altar server and other programs, and he has volunteered for several years at the Boston Marathon to help raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Research project.  Eamon’s active leading sets the pace for excellence and productivity in studying, running, and serving.  He will take those skills and his desire to compete at the highest levels to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall.  

• Grant Hamel

Grant Alden Hamel, son of Bradley and Sherri Hamel of Hampton is one of Winnacunnet’s most self-directed, efficient, and effective students and has thus earned his spot on the list of top scholars for the class of 2011.  Grant is master of his own education.   He knows his learning style and thus can get the most out of his classes; he manages time effectively and thus avoids pressure and stress which can detract from performance.  Ideas come quickly to Grant as well, so he is able to assimilate and apply his knowledge effectively.  Those skills will come in especially handy as he begins his studies in pharmacy next fall.  After his sophomore year Grant attended the RYLA conference (a Rotary International Leadership workshop).  There he said he learned how to lead more effectively, and we have seen that at WHS.  As a member of NHS, Grant has been involved in numerous community service activities in the school and wider community.  He has given of himself in similar ways through his participation in the Interact club.  He has been involved as a volunteer with the Seacoast Breast Cancer Walk, as a coach in summer basketball camps, and has worked in a local pre-school.  Grant is also a talented athlete. He played basketball and for the past two years was instrumental in the success of the football team which played in the state championship game both seasons.  There is a strand that runs through all of Grant’s activities.  He’s a great team player—in football, the classroom, or for NHS.  He is highly skilled in all that he does and knows how to challenge himself to a top performance in the classroom or on the field.  Grant will take his excellent success to the University of Rhode Island next fall.  

• Megan Hopkins

Megan Rose Hopkins, daughter of Edward and Amy Hopkins of Hampton, is one of Winnacunnet High School’s strongest students, having earned her spot as a top scholar in her class, and she is a highly effective leader.  Blessed with sophisticated insight and skilled expression, orally or on paper, Megan energizes each of her classrooms.  She has managed to pursue a strong curriculum on every front.  Due to her love for photography she managed to fit in Advanced Placement Studio Art as a capstone to her art studies at WHS.  Last year, when she couldn’t fit AP calculus into her schedule, she took the course on line and received an excellent score on the national exam.   Megan is at home in any learning environment.  Her agile and powerful mind loves all forms of intellectual exploration.  Besides high level math, she has mastered the specialized language and procedures of biology and physics and she not only earned an A on her AP US history paper, but she earned A’s on every step of the process along the way.  Which brings us to Megan’s leadership.  She has become adept behind the scenes in the drama program and is deeply involved in the work of her church, even teaching confirmation classes.  She has also been a YMCA summer camp counselor.  Her strongest area of leadership, however, has come through her work in our Marine JROTC program, where she is, as a senior, commander of the entire student company.  Megan would tell you that when she started ROTC as a freshman she didn’t like it very much, but she came to see the value of the opportunity, and as with everything she does, she made the most of it.  She has been a platoon leader, led the color guard, performed on the drill and marksmanship teams, and now takes on the most challenging leadership roles that her commander places before her.  Megan is never a follower. She is always prepared and committed to meeting the next opportunity.  Megan will take the excellence of her performance to Villanova University in the fall.  

• Patrick Kamieneski

Patrick Stanley Kamieneski is the son of Gary and Diane Kamieneski of Hampton.  He is also a wonderful success story.  As a National Merit Commended Student, his natural talent is well-documented.  It’s how he uses that talent that is so impressive.  His Advanced Placement physics teacher tells us that Patrick is a creative problem solver, and his AP US history teacher tells us that Patrick thrives in the larger challenge like a comprehensive research paper.  However, there are other elements that come into Patrick’s performance that may be even more instructive. Due to the complexity of his schedule Patrick had complications with taking French for two years. So he worked on his own over the summer, came in the fall and took the required tests to move forward and thus was able to keep up with his language studies.  His independent initiative is always at work.  Patrick is also at work for others, and that factor shows another facet of his academic success.  He is a valued tutor by students and teachers.  He is frequently asked to help a younger, struggling student in a math or science course.  Patrick comments that he likes the chance to help another student “figure it out” so that he/she can know as well.  Patrick is not satisfied with only his own success; he engenders it in others.  He is just as successful outside the classroom.  He is a four-year tennis player, a captain (and third highest senior scorer in the league) on the math team, and was a wonderful competitor on the WHS Granite State Challenge team last year, where his quick thinking and broad range of knowledge made him a stalwart performer.  He is also an accomplished musician, playing in all the school bands—concert, jazz, and pep—as well as his town’s community band.  Patrick will take his outstanding performance to Bowdoin College in the fall.  

• Timothy Lamprey

Timothy William Lamprey, son of Donald and Sue Lamprey of Hampton is a top scholar who is quietly and diligently motivated, with a quick wit and a comfortable demeanor that makes him a positive force in any setting.  In the classroom setting Tim always seeks to be at his best in the hardest courses—that stems from his dedication to excellence.  A self-directed learner, Tim sees the connections between ideas and thus is able to clarify the larger concepts being examined—for himself and for his classmates.  The dexterity and flexibility of his thinking allows Tim to work quickly without losing accuracy, so he is able to cover a tremendous amount of academic ground in a short period of time.  That sort of efficient productivity will come in handy next fall when Tim takes up his studies at Ohio State University.  The strength of his day to day performance carries over from the classroom to the other areas of Tim’s life at WHS.  He has played basketball for four years and in the summers helps to coach beginning players at the Warrior Hoop camp.  He has been a counselor at Fresh Start, which is the WHS freshman orientation program, and Tim has also been involved in Rotary International service programs.  After sophomore year he attended the RYLA leadership conference, and this year he serves as president of Interact, the Rotary service club.  In his role as president he leads the group—one of the largest clubs at WHS—in many activities in the wider community, whether it’s performing cleanup in public areas or putting on a sweetheart, valentine’s brunch for senior citizens.  Tim has proven himself not only a stellar student, but a valued member of the community who sets the example of caring service.

• Calvin Lord

Calvin Merrill Lord is the son of Jay and Priscilla Lord of Hampton Falls.  What Calvin does is all of a piece.  Whether it’s in the classroom, during extra-curricular activities, or in the wider community, all his efforts display the same qualities—insight, energy, skill, and his distinct brand of creativity.  This fall Calvin finished his Eagle Scout project and was installed into that elite group.  His project consisted of the construction of a shed, for overflow materials, at the town library.  The project involved three phases, at least.  He raised $2000; he enlisted the help of about 15 people, and then oversaw the organization of and worked on the labor to build the shed itself.  The project took many hours of focused determination.  At the end of the project Calvin had been efficient and careful enough to present a check for $500 to the library which was left over from his endeavors.  It is that quality of motivation that has marked all of Calvin’s performance at WHS and has helped him to earn his spot as a top scholar.   Calvin always figures the best approach to an academic project and he uses his resources well.  This fall, when he wanted to take the subject test in physics, he formed a study group with some friends to prepare for the exam.  He took a more complex Advanced Placement calculus exam by doing extra work on his own with his teacher.  That sort of focus imbues Calvin’s approach to everything.  He was an effective captain of our successful math team, and his agile mind and quick recall made him a valuable member of the WHS Granite State Challenge team during his junior year.  Whether it’s studying the stars in Astronomy club, going to Washington DC to study government during the Close-up program, practicing his language skills in Spanish club, or serving as a junior member of his town’s volunteer fire department, Calvin finds his way to excellence.  He will take his skills, energy, and desire for success to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this fall.  

• David Sheehy

David Joseph Sheehy, son of Jim and Rosemary Sheehy of Hampton pretty much does it all—music, drama, academics—with leadership in everything.  David puts in the time for top notch work in any setting, thus earning his spot in our list of top scholars.  His teachers note that he can set a tone for the entire class, and he is deftly insightful at making connections between ideas that many others miss.  David was a captain of our math team and ended the season with the second highest score in the tri-state league among seniors.  David has also competed in national math competition, showing his fearlessness to go along with his aptitude.  What is most impressive about David, perhaps, is that if we have two sides to our brains, then David uses both of his just about as well as anybody.  Besides being a leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) he has been a stalwart in the WHS drama and music programs.  Besides all his performances on stage—he was hilarious last fall in Lend Me a Tenor and convincing this spring as Colonel Von Trapp in Sound of Music—David has helped to expand the vision of the WHS theater program.  He is a leader of the student drama board, an officer of the local chapter of the National Student Thespian Troupe and was on the student leadership board for the New England Theater Conference.  David has been just as powerful in the WHS music program.  He has spent a lot of time leading that pack too—and not just because he is drum major of the marching band.  He is a student director of the pep band and in that role helps to select music and prepare for performances.  He accompanies the school chorus on the piano.  In the jazz band he can hold forth on any of five instruments—clarinet, sax, and organ, or violin besides piano—and he is an officer in the concert band.   David puts great quality into everything, and with his dedicated involvement in his church life to go along with everything else, David is mightily busy in and out of school.  The nice thing is that in all that he does you will find a positive attitude and a smile on David’s face.  He will take his talent, energy, and excellence to Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio in the fall.

• Samantha Smith

When she was three years old Samantha Elizabeth Smith went to her parents, Bernard and Cynthia Smith of North Hampton, and asked if she could play the violin.  They asked her to wait, to be sure that she was truly ready to stick with it.  By the time she was six Samii had proven her determination and took up the violin-she’s been at it ever since—she has played with the Manchester Youth Symphony Orchestra.  That sort of determination is the hallmark of everything that Samii does.  As a National Merit Commended Student, her natural talent is well-documented. Her talent has also been documented by her Maxima Cum Laude award on the National Latin exam and by being nominated for the Rensselaer Medal at RPI.  What can be seen in her overall performance in the classroom, however, is how well she puts all that talent to work.  One of her AP teachers calls her a “wonderful ingredient.”  Insightful and confident, she is a terrific problem-solver who also asks good questions.  She is highly organized, comprehends quickly, and develops her work confidently.  It is those elements that have been the foundation of her performance as a top scholar in the class of 2011.  In correlation to her wonderful academic focus Samii is delightfully diverse in her approach to life in general.  She’s a polished athlete, having played four years of varsity tennis, and this fall she helped the field hockey team to the state championship.  Samii is also influential in the quality of life at WHS.  She is member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), SADD, and is active in Interact—the Rotary International service club.  Her involvement in those activities demonstrate Samii’s desire to make her school and her community a better place for everyone.  And her vision of betterment goes far beyond the local boundaries.  Samii’s long term goal is to work in the medical field in a third world country in order to help those who are most in need.  With the determination that she displayed already as a three year-old, there is little doubt that she will reach her goal. She will begin the quest for that goal this fall at Northeastern University.  

• Alexandra Williams

Alexandra Catherine Williams, Daughter of Scott Williams of North Hampton and Tracey Williams of Cranston, RI, is a force to be reckoned with.  She stimulates the intellectual environment of any class; she is a leader in forming the social culture of her school.  Alex loves to delve into ideas, so she sets a tone of intellectual adventure and academic exploration in her courses.  She thinks critically about ideas, has a penchant for research, and is deft in creative expression.  Hence Alex is one of the most polished communicators through the sophisticated expression of her unique insights.  Much of Alex’s academic power flows directly from her artistic bent.  Her Advanced Placement art teacher explains that Alex is readily efficient in her work with a keen eye for observation and understanding of the nuances of what is expressed artistically.  Her talent placed Alex in the all-state art competition last year to go with her AP work this year.  As noted above, Alex is a powerful force in Winnacunnet school life.  She worked on Prom committee last year and has been a student ambassador, working to acclimate new students to WHS, since that program was instituted.  She is also a member of Project Search and in the wider community volunteers in her church’s nursery program each week.  Perhaps Alex’s greatest involvement has been her work in student council.  She has been on the council for three years as a class officer and now as the vice president of the student body.  In that setting she helps to set the tone for the work of the council and as that work filters into the individual grade level classes.  But her most powerful force is Alex’s ability to do the leg work and see to the myriad details of any project.  Never a mere theorizer, Alex makes sure that things get done, and she does that by her own strong effort as the primary example.  Alex is a stellar student, hence her spot as a top scholar in her class; she is also a wonderful leader who makes the school a better place.  She will begin taking classes at Harvard in the fall.