Ready to leap

PHOTOS BY ADAM STEWART | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS Friday night, the graduating class of Stanwood High School (SHS) walks down the aisle to receive the culmination of their adolescent education.

Nine of those students managed to maintain high cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) throughout their four years of high school, earning their place as the valedictorians and salutatorians of SHS’s class of 2010. Valedictorians must earn a cumulative GPA of 4.0, while the salutatorians rank next in line. This year’s salutatorians each earned a cumulative GPA of 3.994.

The valedictorians are: Heather Biehl, Derek Britain, Jerilyn Coberly, Rebecca Raible, Aaron Rice, Elizabeth Richards and Kallen Shaughnessy.

Teague Nelson and John Parker, V, are the salutatorians.

Heather Biehl is the daughter of George and Lisa Biehl and the sister to Austin Biehl, 15.

At left (from left), Kallen Shaughnessy, Aaron Rice, John Parker, Rebecca Raible, Heather Biehl, Derek Britain and Elizabeth Richards stand facing the future, while (above, from left) Jerilyn Coberly and Teague Nelson are all smiles. Throughout her high school career, Biehl was involved in National Honor Society (NHS), Knowledge Bowl (an academic quiz team) and History Club.

She also ran cross-country and track and field, and participated in Link Crew, which welcomes incoming freshmen and orients them to the campus and high school activities.

Biehl said being involved in these sports and clubs, as well as her advanced placement (AP) classes, “Were the biggest influence in both my academic plans for the future and my circle of friends.”

Biehl will attend Williams College in Massachusetts; at this time, she is hasn’t decided on a major, but is leaning toward biology.

PHOTO BY JEREMIAH O’HAGAN | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS She said she believes “To be successful means to wholeheartedly pursue the things in life that one considers most important — it’s all about one’s own perceptions.”

That being said, “Hard work and smiles are usually rewarded.”

Derek Britain is the youngest child of Jerry and Susan Britain; his sister, Nicole, is 25 and his brother, Dylan, is 22.

Britain, too, was involved in NHS, Knowledge Bowl, and Link Crew, as well as Hi-Q and Science Olympiad. He also played tennis.

In the fall, Britain will study biomedical engineering at the University of Washington.

Looking back on the past four years, he said his friends have made high school a blast.

“There was never a dull moment — sitting around parking lots, laughing and enjoying each other’s company,” he recalled.

With that in mind, he said success is “to be truly happy with what you have done and your current situation.”

Jerilyn Coberly is the daughter of Bruce Coberly and Marita Von Moos-Coberly. She has one sister, Kaitlyn (13).

Coberly spent her senior year, and part of her junior year, in the National Art Honors Society (NAHS). This year, once a week, she taught art lessons to fourthgrade students at Twin City Elementary, with the help of her NAHS peers.

Coberly will attend the University of Washington in the fall, where she intends to study engineering, possibly civil or structural.

Coberly said her experiences at SHS have been profoundly shaped by the opportunity to teach art, and studying Spanish under Mr. Johnson (retired).

“Mr. Johnson taught me so much in the two years that I had with him. The passion with which he taught and coached has made me realize that it is important for me to find things in life that I am passionate for,” Coberly said. “To me, being successful means that you have done something, to the best of your ability, that betters either yourself or others.”

Rebecca Raible is the daughter of Stephen Raible and Susan Brand. She has one sister, Marlee, who is 16.

Raible ran cross-country and track and field, and was part of NHS, History Club, Science Team, Hi-Q, Knowledge Bowl and Debate Club. She was also active in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

She said the clubs, sports and AP classes she’s been involved in have shaped her.

“Each one contributes something different,” she said. “FBLA increases one’s confidence while history classes and club improve one’s critical thinking, to name only two.”

Raible plans to attend Pomona College in California. She hasn’t decided on a course of study yet, but is interested in international relations, political science, environmental analysis and languages.

Raible said she believes success can be found by looking for the positive in each situation one encounters along the path to reaching personal goals.

“Even if not everything goes your way,” she said, “there’s always something positive to take from each occurrence.”

Aaron Rice is the son of Jon and Dianne Rice. He has one sibling, Amanda.

Rice was enrolled in NHS and spent two years in FBLA. He swam all four years of high school.

Rice plans to attend Central Washington University’s aviation program, where he will study toward becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Rice said his involvement with SHS academics, activities and athletics have taught him to manage his time efficiently and prioritize tasks. He said that success “should be defined as an accomplishment or achievement.”

Elizabeth Richards is the daughter of Chris Richards and Maggie Strazzo. She has one sister, Remington Richards, 18.

Richards played soccer all four years of high school and ran track and played basketball for two years each.

She was enrolled in NHS for three years and NAHS for one year. Richards was also part of History Club for two years and Science Team for one year. She played piano three years and violin, and participated in photography and yearbook.

Richards will attend Earlham College in Indiana to study biology and prepare for medical school.

To be successful, she said, “Means doing the best we can with what we have to reach a goal … to accomplish an aim or purpose.”

Richards credits her success, in part, to teachers at SHS who supported her efforts while pushing her to challenge herself academically.

Kallen Shaughnessy is one of four children born to Gene and Jana Shaughnessy; her siblings are Andra, 23; Kayla, 20; and Elle, 15.

Shaughnessy was enrolled in NHS and participated in Hi-Q. She also played as a women’s choir accompanist.

She plans to study physics and engineering at Whitworth University, in Spokane.

Very involved in sports, Shaughnessy played basketball, volleyball and tennis throughout high school. She was part of the Athletic Leadership Team and was SHS’s female athlete representative for the Athletic and Activities Code of Conduct.

Shaughnessy said sports became a huge part of her life in high school, affording her the opportunity to interact with a variety of people and meet many good friends.

Success, she believes, in intrinsic.

“To be successful means that you have set challenging goals for yourself, have worked hard at trying to meet those goals, and feel accomplished or proud of what you have achieved.”

John Parker, V, salutatorian, is the son of John and Julia Parker. He has one sister, Catherine, who is 15.

Parker spent all four years of high school on the Science Team, and three years each on the Knowledge Bowl and Hi-Q teams.

Parker said the experiences at SHS that shaped him most were the 11 AP courses he took.

He said to be successful means to be “ready to become a responsible and productive citizen.”

In the fall, Parker will attend Cornell University to study botany.

Salutatorian Teague Nelson is the son of Dan and Debra Nelson. His sister, Margo, is 21.

Nelson participated in National History Day competitions for three years in high school, eventually making it to nationals as a junior.

He played varsity tennis all four years and was co-captain this past season, when he won the WESCO North division tournament in doubles.

Nelson was also enrolled in NHS, participated in Knowledge Bowl and served as Associated Student Body (ASB) President.

“To be successful,” Nelson said, “is to improve yourself while being happy doing it. The most important thing is to enjoy what you do, and if you’re happy, everything else will follow.”

So, here’s to happiness, and success, and may they be one and the same for the graduating class of 2010.