Mid-Coast School Notebook: Brunswick High School's top 10 students

Madeline Cowan

The following students are Brunswick High School’s top 10 graduates for 2014.

Madeline Cowan

Madeline Cowan, the daughter of Kevin and Beth Nowack Cowan, of Brunswick, is the valedictorian for the graduating class of 2014. She is a National Merit Scholarship winner underwritten by The UPS Foundation. Cowan has excelled in all subjects earning the Society of Women Engineers Award, the Brown Book Award, English Department award (two years in a row), and induction into the National Honor and Spanish Honor Societies. In addition to playing soccer, Cowan was a swim team captain. She is an accomplished clarinetist. Cowan is still undecided in her major for college, but indicates an interest in studying either business administration or economics. She has also indicated her college choice is Vanderbilt University.

Anna Cowan

Anna Cowan is the daughter of Kevin and Beth Nowack Cowan. She has received the Harvard Book Award, induction into both the French and National Honor societies and All-Academic KVAC Athlete recognition. Cowan has taken an active role in the governance of her class as student government treasurer as well as playing a major role in the organization of this year’s Winter Carnival, sports assemblies and the senior prom. She was co-president of the National Honor Society as well as girls’ varsity soccer and indoor/outdoor track captain. Cowan also plays piano and French horn. Outside interests include club soccer and being a lifeguard at Bowdoin College. Her post-secondary plans include Middlebury College next fall with an interest in studying either genetics or biology.

Isabelle Jorgensen

Isabella Jorgensen is the daughter of Sanford Jorgensen and Melinda Porter. She has been inducted into the National Honor Society, French Honor Society and has been the recipient of the Brunswick High School Service Award and the Saint Michael’s College Book Award. She has been elected as a class representative to student government for four years and is currently student government president. She has also been a student representative of the Brunswick School Board, co-president of the National Honor Society and has had roles in several BHS Players dramatic productions. Her volunteer work includes serving as a student coordinator and mentor of the Navigate Program. In her spare time she likes to travel, follow politics and has been a member of a band where she has sung and written some songs. In the fall she plans to attend the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, where she will study political communications.

Zach Miller

Zach Miller is the son of Mathew Miller and Michele Marshall. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honorary Society, and the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society. Zach plays the baritone saxophone for Honors Wind Ensemble, and Jazz band. He has participated District III and All-State musical festivals. Additionally, Miller is a member of the cross country team, as well as the indoor and outdoor track teams. As a member of the math team he participated in the National Math meet at Penn State two years in a row. During his spare time, Miller enjoys photography and solving computer programming problems on Project Euler. A National Merit Scholarship finalist, he plans on pursuing a degree of engineering this fall at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York.

Teresa Murphy

Teresa Murphy is the daughter of John and Sheila Murphy, of Brunswick. She has been the recipient of the Davis Award, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Rochester Award, Yale Book Award, Daughter of the American Revolution nominee as well as the BHS science department award. Murphy is a member of the National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honorary Society. She sings, plays the piano and guitar for her church teen band. She has been a member of the cross country team, indoor and outdoor track, serving as captain her senior year. During her spare time, Murphy enjoys volunteering her time with Youth Works mission trips and Irish Step Dancing. She has decided to take a gap year, volunteering for Safe Passage in Guatemala. She looks forward to continuing her studies in biology and music and hopes to pursue a career in medicine.

Walter Martin

Walter Martin is the son of Lisa and Burnham Martin. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honorary Society and the Mu Alpha Theta. He is a gifted and talented trombonist, a valuable member of the cross county, indoor and outdoor track team as well as the math team. Volunteer work has included Curtis Memorial Library book sales, trombone lessons and playing for community bands. In his spare time Martin enjoys cross country skiing, ultimate frisbee, disc golf, hiking and beekeeping. A National Merit Scholarship finalist and a Presidential Scholar nominee, Martin plans on attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fall studying mechanical engineering.

Anna Turner

Anna Turner is the daughter of Mary and Chris Turner, of Brunswick. She is a member of the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta Society. She has been the recipient of the English Department Award as well as the Science Department Award and received the Brown Book Award in both her freshman and junior years. A talented clarinetist, she has attended several music festivals over the past four years at BHS. This year Turner was named captain of the indoor track as well as the cross country teams. During her spare time, she enjoys, art, baking, volunteering at the soup kitchen, food pantry, and garden club. Active in her church, she has helped raise money and awareness for world hunger. This summer, Turner will be attending a mission trip to Queens, New York, and in the fall she plans on attending Bates College in Lewiston, where she will major in neuroscience.

Hannah Vilas

Hannah Vilas is the daughter of Margaret Zilloux and Robert Vilas. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and the Tri-M Music Honorary Society. She has been the recipient of the Cornell Book Award and the RIT Computing Award. Vilas is a four-year participant in the BHS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble and was selected each year to the District III and All-State Band and Orchestra Festivals. She is an accomplished clarinetist and soprano vocalist. Other interests and activities include being a member of the BHS Gay/Straight Alliance and numerous theatrical productions. A Presidential Scholar nominee and a National Merit Commended Student, Vilas was accepted at Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio. She looks forward to pursuing her interests through exposure to a broad array of liberal arts offerings.

Kathryn Eldridge

Kathryn Eldridge is the daughter of John and Brenda Eldridge. She has been inducted into the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, has been a two-time recipient of the English Department Award, and was a National Merit finalist and the recipient of the Williams College Book Award. Eldridge has been a member of the Wind and Jazz ensembles for four years, named to the District III Honors Band for four years, and the Jazz All State and Classical All State Bands for three years. She has been a member of the math team for three years and has logged over 100 hours of community service at Curtis Memorial Library and the Midcoast Hunger Prevention’s food pantry. In her spare time, when she’s not in school or playing music or volunteering, she enjoys baking, reading and doing crossword puzzles. In the fall, Eldridge plans to attend Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where she will study accounting.

Joe Waring

Joe Waring is the salutatorian for the Brunswick High School graduating class of 2014. He is the son of Mary and Dean Waring, of Brunswick. He has been the recipient of the Bausch and Lamb Science Award as well as the Davis Award. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society, Brunswick High School’s boys’ varsity hockey team and the Tri-M Music Honorary Society. A gifted and accomplished alto saxophone musician, Waring has been a member of the Honors Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, District III, as well as first chair in All-State Band, Jazz Band, All-New England band as well as All-Nationals Honors Band. This past year he received his Eagle Award in Boy Scouts and has completed over 250 hours of volunteer work since his freshman year. A National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Waring was accepted at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he looks forward to studying biology and Spanish.