BHS & Mount Graduation Speakers Announced

BHS Valedictorian & Salutatorian

Principal Lucas Giguere is pleased to announce that Kyle Martin and Sarah Edwards have been named Valedictorian and Salutatorian, respectively, of the Bellingham High School Class of 2016.

Class Valedictorian Kyle Martin is the son of Scott and Jeanne Martin of 307 South Main Street. Kyle (left) maintains a 4.0 grade point average and has been a member of the National Honor Society since grade 11, serving as president in grade 12. In addition to his academic honors and accomplishments, Kyle is a four-year member of the cross-country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams, serving as captain in all three sports for grades 11 and 12. Kyle is also senior editor of the BHS literary journal, treasurer of the BHS Student Council, and an active member of the community. He organized a successful trivia night at BHS to benefit the Stand for Trees charity. This fall, Kyle will study biomedical engineering at Boston University on the Presidential Scholarship.

Class Salutatorian Sarah Edwards is the daughter of Peggy and Rockwood Edwards of 8 Fourth Avenue. Sarah (left) maintains a 4.0 grade point average, and she is a distinguished two-year member of the National Honor Society.  Sarah is committed to community service; she serves as president of the Bellingham Youth Volunteer Association. Sarah also organized a summer Mini Meets track and field program which introduced Bellingham youth to the benefits of participating in track and field. The Mini Meets raised hundreds of dollars for Special Olympics.
 
In 2016, Sarah was named a High School All American for her performance in the 800 meters at the Indoor New Balance Nationals. This fall, Sarah will attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute on a track scholarship; she plans to major in interior design.

Mount Saint Charles Academy Salutatorian

Nicholas Dash of Bellingham, son of Mary and Robert Dash, has been named Salutatorian for the Mount St. Charles Academy Class of 2016. He is a member of the National Honor Society and has been listed on the Excelsior Honor Roll for four years. While at Mount, Nicholas (right) received several awards and honors including 1st Grant in the RI Science and Engineering Fair; 3rd place Group Exhibit in the National History Day competition at the state level (RI); the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award for outstanding commitment to social justice; the Society of Women Engineers’ New England Shoreline Section for excellence in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences; and the Harvard 2015 Prize Book Award.

Recognized for his leadership skills, Nicholas received the Young Leaders Award for outstanding leadership displayed in school and, as a freshman, was invited by the National Youth Leadership Council to attend President Obama’s second inauguration. He was also one of 10 students from the Academy selected to attend the Coindre Leadership Conference in Mississippi, where he further learned about the origins of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart upon which Mount Saint Charles was founded.

Beyond his academics, Nicholas has stayed extremely involved in extracurricular activities at the Academy. In athletics, he served as a pitcher and in the outfield for the baseball team and was also a member of both the flag football and basketball teams. Within the school community, Nicholas was part of the Academy’s Campus Ministry Program and Student Leadership Association (serving as treasurer during his senior year). Active in community service, Nicholas was able to perform a minimum of 24 community service hours each year from grades 9-12.  In addition to his commitments at the Academy, Nicholas was employed by Panera Bread and Bungay Brook Golf Club.

In the fall, Nicholas will be attending Providence College with a focus in pre-engineering; he plans to transfer to Columbia.