The 2017-18 school year is winding down, and this year’s Top 10 academic seniors at Lawrence High School are looking ahead to their future plans as high school graduates.
Each student filled out a questionnaire about themselves, including information about their career plans, favorite Lawrence memories, extracurricular activities and teachers.
The seniors will attend colleges such as Princeton University, Rutgers University, North Carolina State University, Villanova University, Drexel University and the University of Michigan.
They will study engineering, computer science and digital media design on their way to prospective careers like statisticians, investment bankers, professors and animators, among others.
During their time at Lawrence, this year’s Top 10 students were involved with clubs like Interact and DECA, extracurriculars ranging from marching band, soccer, swimming and cheerleading to STEM Academy, Science Olypiad and the Green Action Team. They were also members of academic organizations like the National Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society.
The class of 2018’s graduation ceremony is set for Tuesday, June 20, 2018 at the Cure Insurance Arena, starting at 3 p.m.
Joshua Drossman
Princeton University (engineering)
Engineer
Rank: 1
Activities: STEM, Science Olympiad, Math League, TEAMS, Green Action Team, National Honor Society
Favorite memory: Being called a problem child in BC Calculus by Dawn Recentio.
Most influential teacher: Mr. Troy. Being an old, bearded physics teacher with a thick Russian accent is the dream.
Favorite quote: “Pants are overrated.” –Myself
David Horne
Rutgers University (psychology and computer science)
Clinical psychologist and professor
Rank: 2
Activities: Math League, Science Olympiad, STEM, National Honor Society, Green Action Team, Peer Leadership
Favorite memory: Walking a 5K for NAMI to raise awareness and end stigma associated with mental health with my friends.
Most influential teacher: Mr. Rowe. I learned a lot through taking AP European History classes and he has been an extremely supportive teacher.
Favorite quote: “All I know is that I’ve wasted all these years looking for a sort of trophy I’d get only if I really did enough to deserve it. But I don’t want it anymore, I want something else now, something warm and sheltering, something I can turn to, regardless of what I do.” –Kazuo Ishiguro
Harshith Tenepalli
University of Michigan (math/statistics)
Actuary/statistician
Rank: 3
Activities: Swim team, marching band, Model Congree
Favorite memory: Everything in marching band, particularly a moment in sophomore year when I threw a flute across a parking lot.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. McGill, the best band teacher ever who made sophomore and junior years the best of my life thus far. Mrs. Hertzog for teaching me how to use my brain.
Favorite quote: “Sometimes good people make bad choices. It doesn’t mean they are bad people. It means they are human.” –Sui Ishida
Sarah Zoll
Villanova University (business)
Rank: 4
Activities: Basketball, lacrosse, soccer, DECA, National Honor Society, Driver’s Ed Club, Student Leadership
Favorite memory: Attending DECA Internationals in Anaheim, California and Atlanta, Georgia.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. Williams.
Favorite quote: “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” –Babe Ruth
Emily Mah
Drexel University (digital media design)
Art director/animator
Rank: 5
Activities: The Lawrencian, pit orchestra, Tri-M Music Honor Society, debates, National Honor Society, Interact
Favorite memory: Playing an arrangement of “Secrets” by One Republic in a trio group for my freshman instrumental concert.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. Eng. She has truly inspired me and helped me pursue various artistic opportunities.
Favorite quote: “I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.” –Edna Mode
Gillian Dauer
Rutgers University (history/political science)
Rank: 6
Activities: Marching band, Tri-M Music Honor Society, The Lawrencian, National Honor Society
Favorite memory: When a fire drill interruped a guest conductor from TCNJ during wind ensemble and we brough our music an instruments outside to continue rehearsal.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. McGill, due to the stories and joy she brings to the classroom every day and for creatinga safe creative environment for every student.
Favorite quote: “There is no immortality that is not built on friendship and work done with care.” –Robin Sloan
Isabella D’Ascoli
Northeastern University (environmental engineering)
Rank: 7
Activities: STEM Academy, Tri-M Music Honor Society, swimming, National Honor Society, Green Action Team, Madrigal, The Lawrenceian
Favorite memory: This year when both the boys’ and girls’ swim team tied Notre Dame with two touchpad ties in single events.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. Buck has consistently pushed me to be the best version of myself and always made learning exciting. She has also taught me to see everyone as a glass half full that has something unique and knowledgable to say or do.
Favorite quote: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” –Oscar Wilde
Matthew Augeri
University of Chicago (economics)
Soulless investment banker
Rank: 8
Activities: Swimming, Model Congress, National Honor Society
Favorite memory: Making high-quality presentations in AP Lang with Justin Michel Franc and BC Calculus with Dawn.
Most influential teacher: Mrs. Errico for teaching me to write better even though she gives too much work.
Favorite quote: “I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.” –Bob Dylan
Shannon Ari
North Carolina State University (exploratory)
Rank: 9
Activities: Cheerleading, Student Leadership, National Honor Society, Operation Smile
Favorite memory: Being a part of Mr. LHS. This opportunity allowed me to work with new people and create something of our own. Performing on stage will all of my friends was such a fun experience that I will never forget.
Most influential teacher: Mr. Rowe. Aside from the Modern World Civ and APUSH curricula, Mr. Rowe taught me what it means to work hard and love what you do. He pushed me to continually improve myself and inspired me to change the world, or try, at least.
Favorite quote: “You maynot always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be.”
Mariah Crawford
Princeton University (chemical and biological engineering)
Biomedical engineering
Rank: 10
Activities: DECA, Interact, Student Council, Student Leadership, National Honor Society, spring track and field, engineering club, Princeton University Prepatory Program
Favorite memory: When I discovered that I got into 13 out of the 15 schools I applied to, including Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Bucknell, Hamilton, URichmond, TCNJ and Rutgers.
Most influential teacher: I appreciate all of my teachers who each have influenced me in many ways.
Favorite quote: “I bend but I don’t allow myself to break. In this work of give and take, I’ll defy gravity and soar through the sky. What’s my limit? Well, that’s for me to decide.” –Myself
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