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Massena High School names class leaders

Posted 5/12/16

MASSENA -- Massena High School has named Ethan Marcello the 2016 valedictorian and Abigail Matthews the salutatorian. Marcello is the son of Krista Marcello and Adam Marcello. He has a 99.09 average …

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Massena High School names class leaders

Posted

MASSENA -- Massena High School has named Ethan Marcello the 2016 valedictorian and Abigail Matthews the salutatorian.

Marcello is the son of Krista Marcello and Adam Marcello.

He has a 99.09 average while completing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, which is “the highest cumulative grade point average on record at Massena Central,” school officials said.

“Ethan Marcello is the kind of student we all hope to encounter in our field. Ethan possesses a powerful combination of leadership skills and initiative to take action,” school officials said. “Ethan’s drive to excel and achieve to his personal best is the hallmark of his personality. In his pursuit of excellence, Ethan seeks to elevate others, as well. In our setting, he is both highly unique and valued for his many contributions.”

Marcello has volunteered at school and in his community assisting with school events, and always making himself available whenever the school has a need for a student volunteer, school officials said.

He was a “Learn to Lead” mentor last year. He was partnered with an underclassmen who he helped overcome some intense obstacles. He is a “Leader” in the Link Crew initiative that mentors the freshman class to help ease their transition into high school.

“Ethan excelled to the highest degree at both responsibilities,” a statement from the school reads.

He is also a member of Student Council, Whiz Quiz, and an elected class officer the past two years.

Marcello also participates in football, track and baseball. He received invitations to the NYSSMA Festival, the area All-State Festival and All-County Festival for band.

He has also volunteered for “Make a Difference Day,” as a Salvation Army bell ringer and works at various charity events.

He will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall as a midshipman.

“He is respected tremendously by both his peers and the Massena Central faculty. When Ethan’s name is mentioned, there is an instant expectation of excellence attached to him by all that know him,” the statement reads. “He is the rare student that has all the tools needed to not only succeed at the next level, but to thrive.”

Matthews is the daughter of Leonard and Jeanna Matthews.

Her average 98.78 while enrolled in what school officials describe as “many of the most challenging academic courses available to Massena students.”

“Abigail Matthews is the unique student all educators hope to meet in their career. She is a constant beam of positivity and optimism,” Massena High School said in a news release. “Her academic abilities in the classroom are stellar and admired by many. She possesses an immense amount of motivation, focus and purpose to achieve at the highest level.”

Early in her high school experience, she decided to accelerate her graduation to get started in the college process. For reasons related to her college admissions process, Matthews subsequently decided to complete a bridging year at Clarkson University in lieu of early graduation. She attended the Clarkson School during the 2015-16 school year, where she has completed a full year of college coursework.

She was a member of National Honor Society and French National Honor Society, and is currently the chair of the Clarkson School Council. She has also been invited to do research in the Clarkson Summer Program.

She plans on attending Clarkson University in the fall, but is waiting to receive final decision letters from Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Pennsylvania, Brown and Harvard universities.

“She has the utmost respect of the Massena Central faculty,” the release said. “Abigail has been a model student during her high school career. She is the embodiment of excellence as a student and in regard to character.”