Three Fox Point Natives are Nicolet's Top Scholars

is home to three students who will graduate at the top of their class. Gone are the days of a single valedictorian, because Nicolet has ushered in a new standard of achievement, honoring three this year as “Top Scholars.”

On Sunday, 18-year-olds Joe Margolies and Robert Bamberger and 17-year-old Elizabeth Schoenfeldt will represent the top dogs of their graduating class. 

Based on how many advanced placement and honors courses each student took during high school, grade point averages are measured with weighted and unweighted scales.

 “We do not call them valedictorians," said Ferne Hecker, assistant to the superintendent.  "They are noted in the graduation program as the top ranked scholars.  We use the top two in each grading scale to help on stage.”

This year there are only three top scholars because Margolies ranked as one of the top two students on both the weighted and unweighted scales.  Schoenfeldt is the other top student in the weighted scale, and Bamberger is the other in the unweighted scale.

Although these students have their high achievements in common, the path they take next is what sets them apart.  Margolies has decided to pick up and move out of state because he was accepted to prestigious Princeton University.

“When I got the acceptance letter, I was absolutely ecstatic,” Margolies said.  “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad happier in my entire life.  He went to Princeton, too.”

Margolies is technically undecided on his major, but he said he’ll probably pursue something in public policy and chemistry, a natural move for someone who received scholarships for his math and science accomplishments.

While Margolies may be moving out of state, Bamberger said he’ll follow his interest in math at an in-state university.  The scholarship winner said he’s ready to move from his roots in Fox Point to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I’m pretty excited,” Bamberger said.  “I haven’t really chosen a major yet, but I’m thinking about doing actuarial science.  It relates to using a lot of math for insurance and business reasons.  I’m just really interested in math.”

Bamberger will have some company at college. Six-time scholarship recipient and youngest top scholar, Schoenfeldt, has also chosen UW-Madison.  However, this student has substituted the boy’s interest in math for her own in science.

“I want to be a dentist someday, so I’ll be majoring in something like biochemistry,” Schoenfeldt said.  “I’m not sure which dentistry school I want to attend after undergrad.  I would like to go out of the state, but Marquette is really respected in this area.”

Regardless of their career goals, these three Fox Point natives share the same bittersweet feeling about leaving home.  Whether its friends, family or the washing machine called Mom and Dad, Nicolet’s top scholars are ready to move with a few reservations.

“I’ll miss my friends,” said Margolies.  "That’s a big deal to me because I have a really tight knit group of friends.  But I’m still pretty excited to leave, more so knowing that I’ll be coming back every once in a while to visit home.  It’s not like the move will be permanent.”

Schoenfeldt is thinking of replacing her favorite thing about Nicolet with something new at UW-Madison.  Like Margolies, she says she’ll miss her friends and family, but there’s one thing she’ll miss most.

“I was on the swim team at Nicolet, and that was really the highlight of my year,” Schoenfeldt said.  “So, I’m thinking about joining the rowing team in Madison.  I got the idea through swimming, and I got some info from my coach.  I also recently took a one-day camp at Madison.”

Like the other two scholars, Bamberger says he’s ready to move on to Madison, and home will be close when he needs it.

“I’ll always be pretty close to the Milwaukee area when living in Madison,” said Bamberger.  “If I need to come home and do my laundry, or if I need anything from home, it’s only a little over an hour away.  It’s so close.”

The graduation ceremony is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Doors open at noon and everyone must have a ticket.