A student with drive excelling in automotive technology. An honors art student whose work improves her school and city. A volleyball player who helped her team compete for a state championship. A student ranked first in his class, recognized for “commitment to academic excellence and leadership. The New Hampshire teen poet laureate who is a champion for students with disabilities. A National Honors Society Executive Board member, Girl Scout Silver Award winner and accomplished musician.
Meet the Seacoast Students of the Week for Nov. 11.
Seacoast Students of the Week are nominated by local principals, teachers and guidance counselors and, as you’ll see below, they reflect a broad range of achievements in their schools and communities. It is our pleasure to introduce you to these outstanding students and we look forward to sharing stories of so many more of our wonderful students in the weeks ahead.
This week’s students represent Seacoast School of Technology, York High School, Spaulding High School, Dover High School, Exeter High School and Oyster River High School.
All Seacoast-area public high schools have been invited to highlight their students’ achievements each week in the Seacoast Students of the Week feature.
Here are the Seacoast Students of the Week for Nov. 11, as described by the school leaders who nominated them:
Ruby Stevens, junior, Seacoast School of Technology
Ruby Stevens, a student in the automotive technology program at the Seacoast School of Technology (SST), is making impressive strides toward a future career in the automotive industry. Her journey took an exciting turn at the recent New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association College and Career Day, where a conversation with representatives from Exeter Subaru inspired Ruby to take her next big step.
Motivated by this interaction, Ruby applied for a position and is now working as an Entry-Level Technician at Exeter Subaru. She’s gaining invaluable hands-on experience under the guidance of Ken, a seasoned technician at the dealership, who is mentoring her as she builds her skills and confidence in the field.
“Ruby is a fantastic example of where hard work and passion can lead,” said her SST instructor. “Her drive to succeed in automotive technology is inspiring to all of us.”
With her enthusiasm, commitment, and valuable industry experience, Ruby is well on her way to a promising career in automotive technology.
Huxley Schintzius, senior, Dover High School
This week Dover High School recognizes senior Huxley Schintzius. Huxley is passionate about art and has demonstrated her skill and commitment both inside and outside of the school. In school she has done an independent study in sculpture and is currently in AP studio art. She recently designed and painted a mural commemorating Dover’s Apple Harvest Day on a traffic light box that had been covered with graffiti. She is a member of the National Art Honor Society and is in her second year as the vice president of the Art Club. Huxley is also a performer. She has been a member of the school’s chorus and Sound Waves ensemble. Theatrically, she was part of the cast of “The Music Man” and has participated in performances of the Garrison Players. Huxley’s community service focus is around substance misuse prevention and recovery. She has been a member of Youth 2 Youth for seven years and has presented at conferences throughout the country. Her career goal is to be a substance misuse epidemiologist where she can continue to support people who struggle in this area. An excellent student, Huxley’s schedule includes multiple AP classes. She has a 4.5782 GPA and is in the top 10% of her class.
Makayla Zietala, sophomore, York High School
Makayla is an integral member of York High School’s varsity volleyball team that competed for the state championship. She is also an honors student with excellent grades. She is the epitome of a student-athlete!
Cole DeAngelis-Poland, senior, Spaulding High School
Cole is an exceptional senior currently ranked number one in his class, recognized for his commitment to academic excellence and leadership. Serving as the vice president of his class and contributing four years to Student Leadership, Alex has proven his dedication to making a positive impact on his school. His involvement in the National Honor Society for three years, along with being a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Ambassador and a member of the National Technical Honor Society, speaks to his passion for both academics and technical skill-building. Additionally, Alex has been a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) for two years and the Spanish Honor Society, broadening his leadership and cultural understanding. He plans to study engineering next year at either Brown University or Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he is sure to bring the same drive and excellence that have defined his high school years.
Shayla Gerkin, senior, Exeter High School
Shayla Gerkin is Exeter’s Student of the Week! Shayla is a very hard worker that also supports those around her with positive feedback and guidance. She is persistent and determined to learn and succeed. Shayla has a leading role on the Poetry Team at EHS. She also has a leading role in The Talon, our school newspaper. Outside of school, Shayla is a New Hampshire Teen Poet Laureate and has worked as a Library Page at her local Brentwood library for almost four years now. Shayla has put together multiple poetry readings and been a part of many events relating to poetry like the UNH Poetry Festival. She involved with S-DEIJ and has put together infographics during each celebrated month. Lastly, Shayla is a champion for students with disabilities, as her sister has experienced many complex medical issues and it is a passion of Shayla’s to fight for her rights.
Courtney George, senior, Oyster River High School
Courtney is one of the most responsible, organized students who works extremely hard and asks great questions. She is a quiet leader in the school and immerses herself in community service. Courtney is on the Executive Board in the National Honor Society. She was inducted as a sophomore and has been the volunteer coordinator for two years. She is super organized and stays on top of all the volunteer events that members do. She participates in a large number of our volunteer events and loves to do tours for younger students and families at ORHS. She talks about her NHS experience as an amazing way to meet people through service. She is an amazing kid with a great sense of worth and responsibility.
Courtney is also co-president of Tri-M, the Music National Honor Society. In orchestra, she has always been someone that demonstrates kindness to her peers, older or younger. She is wise beyond her years and helps the directors plan music department events. She attended the first NHMEA Tri-M Student Summit a few weeks ago and came away from that meeting excited and energized, participated fully, gathering ideas from and working with music students from around the state. Courtney helps organize activities, shares with and helps fellow students, and brings a great attitude and can-do approach to any group she is a part of.
She is kind and intelligent, hardworking and engaged in her community. She has been a participant of Unified Sports for all three seasons for all four years of high school and is part of our Best Buddies program. Courtney has been a Girl Scout for 13 years! It is an incredible accomplishment, and she is very dedicated and works very hard as a Girl Scout. She helps plan and implement numerous community wide events, such as the Girl Scout Derby and World Thinking Day. She also helps volunteer with younger troops and assists with the sales and delivery of Girl Scout cookies to over six towns as the Troop Product Sales Coordinator. Additionally, Courtney also earned the Silver Award, which is the highest award a Cadette Girl Scout can earn. Courtney is a kind, respectful student, who has a wonderful sense of humor. She is self-reflective and uses that to motivate herself to be a better student daily. She wants her future to include business management or economics. We could say so many more wonderful things about her, but in all she is an all-around great human being!