Gilford High School's top ten seniors

The ten most academically successful graduating seniors from Gilford High School will attend colleges and universities as far away as Idaho next year. Shortly thereafter, they hope to be filling roles ranging from teacher to sports broadcaster, and photojournalist to interpreter.

Valedictorian Brittany Colbath will attend the University of Vermont, where she will continue to work with animals. Colbath is a sled dog enthusiast, participating in the Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby and traveling to Quebec nearly every weekend in the winter. At UVM, she'll be enrolled in the school's pre-veterinary program.

"I always wanted to be a vet, since I was really little," she said, noting that she's grown up around animals and been involved in dog sled racing since she was nine. She might have to take a little break from the sport for her college years, but she hopes to be mushing again soon. "I like the animals and the competition, the winter and the snow," she said.

Pursuing the same career will be Brienna Tomlinson of Gilford, the classes salutatorian, who will study biology at the University of New Hampshire, with the ultimate goal of becoming a veterinarian. "I love animals, I love working with them," she said, explaining that she'd rather work with animals than people because she will be able to study and help many more species as a vet. "It would be more interesting," she said.

In addition to her academics, Tomlinson is a competitive dancer and tap dancer, interests she hopes to further at university.

Monique Baron will study English and writing at Hampshire College, in Amherst, Mass., this fall. Her dream job, perhaps photojournalism, would involve travel. "I really would like to go to Egypt," she said. About the next step in her life, she said, "I'm excited to go to a small-school environment and be in a college town," she said.

Bristol Whitcher will matriculate to Elon University in North Carolina, a school she chose because of its strong communications school. Whitcher's ambition is to become a sports broadcaster. Her favorite sport is basketball and she'd like to try her hand as the sideline reporter for the Boston Celtics. "I like Boston sports," she said, but added that she'd take the best opportunity presented to her, in any major city.

Sarah Watson will be off to Bard College, in New York, this fall, and she hopes she'll travel much further after that. She'll study modern languages and anthropology, with the ultimate goal of interpreting for charitable organizations that serve children in the third world.

"I like to know a lot, if you don't know the language, you can't learn as much," she said. "I prefer to help other people, give them a better standard of living."

Patrick Donohue is looking forward to his time at Northeastern University in Boston, where he'll explore biochemistry and neuroscience, possibly leading into a career in medicine. He's excited to live in Boston and chose Northeastern because "I was really impressed by their co-op program. They're in touch with the real world."

Olivia Searle will travel the furthest of the bunch this fall, as she's enrolled at Brigham Young University-Idaho. She chose that school because it is consistent with her faith and "I think they have high standards." Searle will study English literature. "First and foremost, I want to be a mother and have a family, and I want to be writing from home." She hopes to transfer to the university's campus in Hawaii, but she thinks she'll return eventually. "I love New Hampshire, I want to live in Portsmouth or Gilford someday."

Megan Wernig is looking forward to attending Gordon College, in Wenham, Mass. She will major in Kinesiology. "I want to be a physical therapist or an occupational therapist and I want to work in elementary schools," she said. She played field hockey at Gilford but it was in Spanish class that she tore a tendon in her freshman year. It was during her recovery that she was introduced to therapy. "I thought it was so interesting."

Janelle Lavery will be studying math and science at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. She isn't yet sure what career she'll pursue but she'd like to do work that helps others and she knows she wants to travel more, an interest that was piqued when she traveled to France during her time at Gilford High. "I know I don't want to be stuck behind a desk," she said.

Endicott College, in Beverly, Mass., is where Shelby Howard will be next year. She's got her ambitions set on becoming an elementary school teacher. She will be following in the foot steps of her mother, who is a paraprofessional at Gilford Elementary. "I love working with little kids, I think it's an awesome job," she said.

The graduation ceremonies for the Gilford High School Class of 2010 will be held on June 12 at 11 a.m. at the Meadowbrook Performing Arts Center.