Wells High School Graduation and Top Ten list for 2021

Post date: Jun 02, 2021 11:45:28 AM

Wells High School will hold commencement exercises outside on Friday, June 4th at 6:00 pm on Warrior Memorial Field. Rain dates include Saturday, June 5th or Sunday, June 6th with a starting time for either of those dates to be determined should rescheduling be needed.

Kate Pinette is the Class of 2021 Valedictorian and Grace Stevens is Class Salutatorian. This year’s commencement speaker will be Bob Gilpatric, a teacher at WHS. What follows is an alphabetical listing of the top ten along with abbreviated school biographies:

Kathryn Cafaro is the daughter of Rayanne and Anthony Cafaro. Kathryn plans to attend the University of New Hampshire to study Mechanical Engineering. She has been a member of “Teen Trendsetters” reading program and an integral part of two school drama productions as a performer and in assisting the tech crew. Kathryn has received numerous Book Awards and has been a participant in the WHS Winter Guard program which earned 3rd place at the NESBA finals in 2018. She also received First Place in the Literary Achievement Awards in her sophomore and junior years.

Leah Cluff is the daughter of Jeanine and Steven Cluff and will be attending Husson University to study Sport Management. Leah has been the WHS Girls Lacrosse Team manager and a key member of the WHS Soccer and Basketball teams which, the latter, became the Class B State Championship Basketball Team in 2020. Leah received a Book award for excellence in mathematics and was honored as a Student of the Trimester.

Connor Lavigne is the son of Joseph and Jessica Lavigne and will be attending the University of Miami to study Civil Engineering with the goal of designing sustainable,

carbon-free buildings. Connor is the 2020-2021 recipient of the Tyler/Grandmaison MELMAC Citizenship Award. As a student-athlete, Connor participated in WHS Football,

Outdoor Track and intramural programs. He is the recipient of the Algebra Book Award, a Literary Achievement Award and honored as a Student of the Trimester.

Gavyn Leighton is the son of Lucas and Leya Leighton. This fall Gavyn will be attending the University of Maine at Orono to major in Mechanical Engineering. At WHS, he has been a member of the WHS Basketball, Outdoor Track, and Soccer programs. Through these programs and as a member of these teams, Gavyn has won Regional Championships, including six Western Maine Conference Championships (two WMC Champion honors in Triple Jump, one WMC Champion honors in High Jump, one WMC Champion honor in Discus, one WMC Champion honor in Javelin, and one WMC Championship honor in Basketball). Gavyn has also devoted over 500 hours volunteering in his community.

Sydney McDermott is the daughter of John and Kimberly McDermott. This fall, Sydney will be attending Stonehill College to major in Psychology. At WHS she has been a member of the Environmental Club, the Cross Country team and the Drama/Music programs. Sydney has volunteered her time in both Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Teen Trendsetters mentoring programs. She has won numerous Book Awards, First Place in the Literary Achievement Awards, honored as a Student of the Trimester, and recognized for excellence with a Breakfast of Champions award.

Jacob Michaud is the son of Edward and Kelly Michaud and will be attending the University of Maine at Orono to major in Computer Science. A student-athlete, Jacob became a State Champion in the Indoor Track Hurdles event. He also made multi-year commitments to the WHS Indoor Track, Soccer, and Outdoor Track programs. Jacob is a member of the National Honor Society and is the recipient of numerous academic awards. Throughout his career at WHS he has achieved High Honors.

Lindsey Parker is the daughter of Marisa Boothby and Rick Parker. Lindsey plans to attend Norwich University to major in Civil/Environmental Engineering. She has made four-year commitments to both Indoor Track and the Lacrosse team where she was captain. Lindsey is a member of the National Honor Society and is the recipient of the Warrior Pride award and Book Awards in Algebra I/II. Lindsey has participated in several clubs while at WHS including Fems in STEM, the Environmental Club, and intramural programs.

Kate Pinette, Class of 2021 Valedictorian, is the daughter of Christopher and Paula Pinette. Kate will be attending Babson College to study Business Administration with a focus on

Marketing and Sustainability. Senior Class Vice President and Treasurer of the Environmental Club, Kate is also a student-athlete having participated in WHS Outdoor Track, Cross Country, and Soccer programs. Kate received a York County DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Good Citizen award and is a recipient of numerous WHS faculty awards in the areas of English, Art, Mathematics and Social Studies.

Jonah Potter is the son of Tasha Walker Potter and Adam Phillip Potter. In the fall, Jonah will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute majoring in Aerospace Engineering. While at WHS, he has been a four-year member of the WHS Wrestling, Football and Lacrosse teams. During this time, Jonah has served as team captain, awarded numerous coaches awards, and received a Western Maine Conference Citizenship Award. He has won eight total State Championships at Wells High School, including two in Football, four in Team Wrestling, and two individual Wrestling State Championships.

Grace Stevens, Class of 2021 Salutatorian, is the daughter of Rob and Taunya Stevens. Grace plans to attend the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to study Animal

Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine. She is the recipient of numerous Book Awards, Student of the Trimester and Breakfast of Champions recognitions. Grace is a life-long member of the Girl Scouts organization and a dedicated member of the WHS Color Guard/Winter Guard program where she has served as captain and participant in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band program for several years.