BOURNE — Superintendent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou and Principal Lisa Maguire are pleased to recognize five Bourne High School seniors who were honored as South Coast Conference Academic All-Stars yesterday.
On Thursday, April 25, Bourne High School seniors Zoey Cardinal, Kristin Collyer, Jadyn Morrell, Heer Patel and Jacob Semple were recognized as South Coast Conference Academic All-Stars during the Academic All-Star Ceremony and Luncheon at Independence Harbor in Assonet.
During the ceremony, South Coast Conference Principal’s Group President and Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Michael Devoll served as the emcee.
Keynote speaker ORRHS Class of 2022 graduate Edward Gonet spoke to students about his experiences since graduating. The former Academic All-Star quoted Mahatma Gandhi telling those in attendance “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Each year, South Coast Conference Schools recognize the top five students of the graduating class with the South Coast Conference Academic All-Star Award. The chosen students reflect each of the National Honor Society’s four pillars — Service, Character, Scholarship and Citizenship — and have also made a positive impact on their schools and community.
The South Coast Conference includes Apponequet Regional High School, Bourne High School, Joseph Case High School, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, Fairhaven High School, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Old Rochester Regional High School, Seekonk High School, Somerset Berkley Regional High School and West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School.
‘”We often acknowledge student accomplishments or achievements in the moment, such as participation in an event or the results of a competition,” said Principal Maguire. “What is so special about the Academic All-Star Ceremony is that it is a culminating event marking the achievement of these scholars over their four years of high school.”
Heer Patel
Bourne High School’s valedictorian is a young woman with many goals and academic accomplishments. She has demonstrated leadership in various positions such as vice president of the National Honors Society and the math team. Heer has been involved with her school community through active participation in the Key Club, the BHS Student Council and the Environmental Club. Additionally, Heer has been recognized for her academic achievements through receipt of the Wellesley Book Award and the AP Scholar Award. She has also sought work-based learning experiences through participation in a senior internship with Cape Cod Healthcare. In pursuit of a career in nursing, Heer is attending Northeastern University in the fall with the future career goal of helping low-income communities gain access to affordable healthcare.
Jacob Semple
Semple is the BHS 2024 class salutatorian. In every year of high school, he has earned the highest honor recognition every quarter of every year. Last year he scored a 5 on both his AP Psychology and AP Literature exams, as well as a 4 on the AP US History exam. After high school, he plans to attend Bridgewater State University to receive a bachelor’s degree in psychology, after which he intends to pursue graduate and post-graduate education to become a professional in the field, gearing his focus toward research.
Zoey Cardinal
Cardinal is an active member of the Bourne High School Student Council, National Honors Society, Key Club, Environmental Club and Drama Club, as well as a goalie on the field hockey team and president of the Math Team. Cardinal has shown her dedication to academic and extracurricular excellence through her attendance at girls state, as well as earning multiple awards from the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild and the Dartmouth Book Award. With hopes of working abroad as a translator, Cardinal will be attending Brandeis University in the fall studying East Asian Studies.
Kristin Collyer
Collyer is a dedicated member of the National Art Honors Society and holds the position of supplies manager. She finds importance in connecting artistic ability, and hospitality to others in her community. She is also an active member of the Environmental Club, working towards making a difference both inside and outside school grounds, and hopes to incorporate this into her future plans. Additionally, she has received the Saint Michael’s Book Award, for her academic achievements. She plans to attend Wentworth Institute of Technology in the fall, with a major in Interior Design.
Jadyn Morrell
Morrell invests in the school community by participating in a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities. She is the president of Bourne High’s National Honor Society as well as Vice President of the Key Club and Secretary of the Student Council. She is the captain of the varsity softball team where she has helped her team make it to the state tournament the past three years as a starting pitcher. Morrell has been recognized as a DAR Good Citizen and an AP Scholar. She was also awarded the Notre Dame Book Award this past fall. She is also an active member of the Environmental Club, Best Buddies and the Principal Advisory Council. Morrell works three different jobs throughout the year and has obtained over 50 volunteer hours. Next fall, she plans to attend Northeastern University where she will have a combined major in criminal justice and psychology.
“Each student represented has a unique and varied set of passions, hopes and experiences, but what unites them all is their drive and commitment to pursue their academic and personal goals wholeheartedly to perform at the highest level,” said Principal Maguire. “We are so impressed and proud of each of the Academic All-Stars and wish them much success as they embark on a new chapter after high school. We know they will continue to excel and go on to do great things.”
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