Danielle Nichols, Bridgeport Central
This senior captain of both the cheerleading and softball teams has a 3.34 GPA while taking mostly AP and Honor classes.
Danielle plans on continuing her cheerleading and softball career as a student-athlete in college.
She has volunteered for several events and organizations, including Relay for Life, children’s clinics for cheerleading and softball, the color run and breast cancer walks.
Catarina Silva, Danbury
This High Honor Roll student maintains a 3.9 GPA while taking AP and Honors classes.
Catarina has been a varsity girls soccer player for three years and swam for the boys varsity team during her freshman year.
She is a member of several clubs, including DECA, BOG, Executive Council, and was inducted into the National Business Honor Society.
Catarina is a member of the Youth Volunteer Corps of Western CT (YVC), serving at soup kitchens, cleaning up parks and homes, wrapping toys, building shelters, etc. She was a three-time recipient of the Presidential Award for her service and was a recipient of the CABE Leadership Award.
Justin Lowenbein, Norwalk
This member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society has a 4.2 cumulative GPA while taking multiple AP and Honors classes.
Justin was a solid defender for Norwalk’s boys soccer team who had a key role in helping the Bears advance to the semifinals in conference and state tournaments.
He received the St. Lawrence University Book Award for Community Service. Justin volunteers at soccer clinics for younger players and he is also a volunteer for Unified Sports.
Emily Neuner, Darien
Emily is a National Merit Common Scholar and a recipient of the Smith College Book Award.
She has been a member of Darien’s perennially-strong field hockey program all four years and she helped the Blue Wave win the FCIAC championship this year. Emily is a four-year member of the girls tennis team as a No. 4 singles player, she has won FCIAC and state championships with that program and is a senior captain.
Emily volunteers as a tutor at Norwalk Grassroots Tennis and Education, the Bruce Museum and Seaside Center, and she is a Senior Advisory Link Leader.
Louisa Bjerke, Greenwich
Louisa, who was inducted into the National Honor Society this fall, has a 4.55 cumulative GPA.
She has been an Honor Roll student every year in her first three years and was previously inducted into the National Math Honors Society (Mu Alpha Theta) and National Junior Classical League, an organization in which she currently serves as vice president.
Louisa has been a pianist since seventh grade and a member of the American College of Musicians National Piano Guild since 2001. She has been a member of the Greenwich High School Piano Club the last two years and donates her time and talent to playing piano for various community elderly care homes.
She was an all-state athlete as a member of the powerful Greenwich girls swimming and diving team. As a member of the school’s varsity sailing club, Louisa received the Top Prospect Award in 2015 and added to that with the Outstanding Crew Award in 2016 and ’17.
Alex Urbahn, New Canaan
This senior has taken 10 AP courses, been on the High Honor Roll every quarter of high school, and has received the AP Scholar with Distinction award and the Brown Book Award for excellence in written and verbal communication.
Alex is a team captain of the cross country and indoor track and field programs and he made the All-FCIAC Cross Country Second Team in 2016 and ’17. Alex has been a member of both programs all four years.
Alex is co-founder, director and treasher of the New Canaan Bee Foundation (a nonprofit to save honeybees), treasurer of the National Honor Society, founder of the Stock Club and a volunteer at Waveny Care Center.
Tejas Kulkarni, Trumbull
This High Honor Roll student with the 4.0 GPA while taking all AP and Honors classes is a member of the National Math Honor Society.
Tejas has been a three-season runner for the cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field teams with plans on being a team member all four years and is also a participant in DECA, BEI and Academic Decathlon.
Jalen Edmonds, Bridgeport Central
Jalen has been inducted into the National Honors Society, he is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars, and was selected to participate as a member of the Guided Pathway Support Program, a national college preparatory and leadership development program for African-American students.
He has maintained a 3.9 GPA in the Aerospace School of Fairchild Wheeler High School, where he has a rigorous course load of ECE and engineering-focused classes.
Jalen was the starting left offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the football team and as the self-proclaimed Chaplain he prayed for and with the team before each game. He has also participated in weightlifting and for the boys track and field program throughout his high school career.
Jalen has also given much time to several community organizations and clubs. I Heart New Haven Community Outreaches, NHS Community Service, Christian Fellowship at school are among them. Jalen has also been the teen basketball small group leader at church.
He went on a mission trip to New York City to volunteer at soup kitchens, hand out clothes to the needy, clean parks and homeless shelters, help run a bible camp for youngsters, visit the elderly, talk to the lonely and pray hope to the homeless in Harlem.
Erika Linke, Ridgefield
This senior High Honor Roll student has achieved a weighted GPA of 4.263 while taking all Honors or AP classes such as AP Psychology, AP United States History, AP Government and Politics and she currently takes a UConn English Level Course.
Erika is a member of the National Honor Society, Role Model Mentors, RHS Helping Hands and RHS Key Club, and she earned Academic Recognition in German for the 2015-15 and 2015-16 school years.
She is team captain of the girls soccer team, she played a vital role to help the Tigers win the state Class LL championship this year after they won FCIAC championships in 2015 and ’16. She received the Tiger Pride Award as a freshman and more recently as a senior.
Erika is also a member of the girls indoor track and field, and girls lacrosse teams.
Vishva Patel, Norwalk
Vishva, who has made High Honor Roll throughout high school, is ranked fifth in his class with a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.44 and he has an unweighted GPA of 3.9 while taking all AP and Honors classes throughout high school.
He is a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society and is secretary of the Future Business Leaders of America Club.
Vishva has been a four-year member of both the cross country and and boys indoor track and field teams, a three-year member of the boys outdoor track and field team, and he is a senior captain for all three programs. He was the cross country team MVP in 2016 and ’17 and was also on 4×800 relay teams which set school records indoor and outdoors.
Vishva is a Link Crew leader at NHS (a mentoring program for freshman entering high school). He is a lifeguard at Chelsea Piers in Stamford and he also volunteers at The Open Door Shelter and the Carver Center in Norwalk.
Maressa Tumminia, Danbury
This senior member of the soccer and track teams has been a High Honor Roll student throughout all four years of high school and currently has a 3.96 GPA for her senior year.
Maressa volunteers in the tutoring center every week to assist fellow students in their academics. She works at the Danbury Sports Dome and engages the youth in fun and competitive events.
James Dubreuil, Trumbull
This junior member of the Math Honor Society is a High Honor Roll student with a 4.137 GPA while taking all AP and Honors courses.
James runs for the boys cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field teams and earned selection on the 2017 All-FCIAC Boys Cross Country Second Team.
He was Honorable Mention for Best Delegate in Model Congress and Honorable Mention in the National French Exam.
James is a Link Crew Leader, he tutors middle school children in math, volunteers each year at a Cub Scouts summer camp in Trumbull, and he is currently working on his Eagle Scout project.
Colin Baker, Norwalk
This member is a senior co-captain of Norwalk’s boys cross country and track teams and he is now serving as his class president for the third straight year.
Colin has a 3.75 unweighted GPA and a weighted GPA of 4.25. He is a National Honor Society member and an AP Scholar with Honor.
He was also one of four runners on the 4×800 relay team which set a school record.
Colin is a founder of two clubs and he works as a lifeguard at Chelsea Piers in Stamford.
Jenna Smeriglio, Norwalk
This versatile athlete is a High Honor Roll student who has achieved a 4.081 GPA while taking mostly AP and Honors classes.
Jenna is a National Honor Society member and a recipient of the University of Michigan Book Award.
She was a four-year varsity starter and senior captain of Norwalk’s girls soccer team. She is an excellent gymnast who has competed in regional and national meets as a member of the Wilton YMCA team, and she also works as a junior figure skating coach for the Town of Westport.
Jenna volunteers at Person 2 Person (food pantry), she helps at West Rocks Middle School events and as a sophomore she was a participant in the 30-hour famine.
Katie Pieterse, Ridgefield
This excellent student-athlete is a three-year starter for the field hockey program, she made All-FCIAC and All-State Second Team as a junior and has committed to Yale University for field hockey.
Katie achieved High Honors during her freshman and sophomore years and has a 4.286 GPA.
She made the FCIAC All-West Field Hockey Team, as a sophomore played lacrosse as a freshman and switched to outdoor track and field for her spring sport as a sophomore.
Katie also volunteers for many organizations. She is a Role Model Mentor, a youth field hockey referee, and she volunteers for the Family and Children’s Agency, National Charity League and as a coach for Ridgefield Youth Field Hockey.
Kathryn Barlow, Ridgefield
Kathryn is an Honor Roll/High Honor Roll student with a Q1 2017 GPA of 4.083.
She had one of the most accomplished careers as a four-year starter for the girls soccer team which won FCIAC championships during her sophomore and junior years and as a senior captain she helped the Tigers capture their first-ever state Class LL championship. This fall Kathryn made the All-State Class LL First Team and All-FCIAC Girls Soccer First Team. Last year she made All-FCIAC Honorable Mention.
Kathryn is also a member of Safe Rides, Key Club and has taught soccer to younger players. She has held a variety of posts during her six years as a member of the National Charity League.
She plans to head south to attend college.