The following seniors finish the academic year as the top students in the Class of 2016 at Yarmouth High School by graduating summa cum laude.

Lucy Alexander

Lucy Alexander is the daughter of Frank and Kathy Alexander. She is an AP Scholar with Distinction, winner of the AP Spanish Award and earned high honors every quarter. Alexander performed with the All-State and All-Eastern choirs, acted in three fall musicals, and was a Student Senate delegate. She spent a semester in Chile as an exchange student and is a co-founder of the Spanish Club. Alexander was a captain of two state championship teams, cross-country running and Nordic skiing, and was named to the All-Conference and All-State Nordic ski teams. She will attend Williams College and plans to study chemistry.

Walter Conrad

Walter Conrad is the son of Scott and Carolyne Conrad. He served as a leader of the Outing Club, and sang in the chamber choir. He also enjoys art, and completed a self-portrait using white and black charcoal this year. Walter’s favorite sports are soccer and hockey, and he was a captain of both the soccer and hockey teams during his senior year. Conrad was recognized this past year as a National Merit Scholar. He will start in February next year at Middlebury College in Vermont, where he hopes to continue playing soccer and hockey,  follow his academic and artistic pursuits, and to deepen his connection to the outdoors.

Cody Cook

Cody Cook is the son of Jeff and Sharon Cook. He served as a delegate on the Student Senate and as a liaison to the School Committee.  Cook was also the co-founder and co-leader of YHS’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club. He was all-conference and captain in football, basketball and baseball. Cook received the Dartmouth Book Award, the Western Maine Conference Athlete Citizenship Award, and the 2016 Robert W. Boyd Award. He will attend Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts, where he plans to study biochemistry.

Nathanael Gallagher

Nate Gallagher, son of Whit and Jane Gallagher, took a gap year between sophomore and junior years to study in Spain and volunteer for the nonprofit Safe Passage. As co-president of the Spanish Club, he helped initiate a program to bring Spanish to the elementary school. He served on class councils for the classes of 2015 and 2016. Gallagher received a grant from the Yarmouth Alumni Association to produce a documentary about the implementation of security systems at YHS and the culture of fear in America. He will attend Dartmouth College, where he plans to study biochemistry and global health.

Sarah Gleason

Sarah Gleason is the daughter of Sheila and Ryan Gleason. Being a passionate learner with a love for art and literature, she enjoys reading and developing her own artistic skills. As a member of the Yarmouth Playmakers, she performed in the fall musical all four years of high school. She was a recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa award her junior year. She will be attending Saint Anselm College this fall, when she plans to study English and illustration.

Emma Glessner

Emma Glessner is the daughter of John and Tracy Glessner. She was a member of the Global Action Coalition at Yarmouth High School, and co-led the club from 2013-16. Glessner participated in cross country for three years, as well as lacrosse and Nordic skiing all four years. She also captained the Nordic ski team as a senior. For both cross country and Nordic skiing, Glessner was selected to the Western Maine Conference All-Academic teams. She was the recipient of the Ruth B. Plummer Academic Achievement Award. In the fall, Glessner will attend Bucknell University.

Elizabeth King

Elizabeth (Libby) King is the daughter of Andrew and Janet King. A recipient of the Barnard College Book Award, she served as a representative on the Class of 2016’s Class Council during her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was also a member of the yearbook staff for two years, serving as co-editor for the 2016 yearbook. King will attend the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University in the fall and plans to study media and digital design.

Danielle Laverdiere

Danielle Laverdiere is the daughter of Brenda and Tom Laverdiere. Laverdiere participated in cross country, captaining her senior year and leading the team to its first-ever state title. She also played tennis, captaining her junior and senior year. She received the Yale Book Award and participated at the Maine Youth Leadership Seminar. She was active in Student Senate and the Maine Youth Court, also serving on the Maine Youth Court Advisory Council. Accumulating over 200 hours of community service, Laverdiere volunteers at MaineGeneral Medical Center. She will be attending Middlebury College in the fall.

Conor Hastings O’Donnell

Conor O’Donnell is the son of Mary and Peter O’Donnell. He played percussion for two years in the concert band, and served as a delegate for Student Senate for one year. He was a Clipper Buddy for two years, and he was also a member of BOLD (Building Our Lives Drug and Alcohol Free). He played soccer, basketball and baseball for four years at Yarmouth High School. O’Donnell will be attending the University of Michigan, where he plans to study engineering.

Thomas Spencer

Thomas Spencer is the son of Kim Spencer and Randy Spencer. He played in the school band all four years of high school, and he also ran cross country during his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was the top scorer on the American Math Contest in high school for three years in a row. Spencer was the recipient of the Rensselaer Medal when he was a junior. He also was a National Merit Commended Scholar. He will be attending Texas Tech University, where he plans to study electrical engineering.

Nico Whitlock

Nico Whitlock is the son of Justin and Stephanie Whitlock. He enjoys outdoor activities such as ice skating, hiking in the mountains, stargazing and rafting. He also loves music and plays bass in bluegrass and rock bands. Whitlock was the recipient of the faculty-selected 2016 Hector Hebert Award. After taking a gap year where he hopes to volunteer in Guatemala, hike and work in Iceland or Cambodia, and road trip to the West Coast, he will study at the University of Maine in Orono.

SpencerGleasonGallagherWhitlockGlessnerKingO’DonnellLaverdiereConradAlexanderCook

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