Top 10 Laconia High seniors celebrated by teachers, coaches

LACONIA — The top-performing students in the class of 2024 at Laconia High School were honored at a dinner Thursday at the Huot Career and Technical Center.

Principal Lisa Hinds, in her first year heading the school, led top students and their favorite teachers in the longstanding tradition.

Nerma Krupic

Nerma Krupic invited Elyse Pert to speak on her behalf. Pert described Krupic as a quiet and intelligent student.

“She never ceases to amaze me between all the things that she has going on, between dance, her tough school schedule, work and sports,” Pert said. “She is incredibly bright but not always confident enough to speak her answers out loud. If you’ve ever taught Nerma, you’ll know she’s often seen mouthing the correct answers silently in your class.”

Pert said Krupic always maintains a good attitude.

“You would never know her plate is as full as it is if you didn’t ask. She never complains, and always puts her full effort into everything she does,” she said. “Her positivity is infectious to all of those around her.”

Krupic said Pert helped her realize she desires a career in the health care field.

“In this class, I’ve learned so many different things and had so many great hands-on experiences. Ms. Pert is really kind and understanding. She makes class interesting and teaches in a way that is easy to comprehend,” she said. “Ms. Pert will work with you if you don’t understand something right away. She always connects with her students and makes them feel important. I will really miss having Ms. Pert as a teacher.”

Audrey Dunleavy

Teacher Courtney Leighton spoke to the achievements of Audrey Dunleavy.

“This is my 19th year working in Laconia School District and I was Audrey’s third grade teacher. About 10 years ago, Audrey began her academic career with me at Pleasant Street School, and she’s finishing her career with me because she interns in my second grade classroom every Thursday and Friday, so we’ve come full circle,” Leighton said. “Audrey is the type of person that immediately makes you a better person when she’s around you. She adds laughter, she’s encouraging, she’s sunshine. Human sunshine.”

Dunleavy said Leighton inspired her to achieve success.

“Ms. Leighton, my third grade teacher, has not only helped shape my academic abilities but also has helped influence who I am as a person. I remember always liking school but it wasn’t until I had her as my teacher that I found a love for learning,” Dunleavy said. “And under her guidance, I was able to discover the joy of exploring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of my intellect. Every day I stepped into her classroom, I always felt supported and encouraged.”

Working with Leighton means a lot to her, Dunleavy explained. 

“It’s like a full-circle moment, I’m back interning in the same class where I found my love for learning, in hopes to learn more about being a teacher,” she said.

Lacey Linkkila

Stephanie Atherton had Lacey Linkkila for two classes in middle school.

“I had Lacey Linkkila as a sixth grade language arts and social studies student. It’s no surprise to me that Lacey landed herself on this elite list of students,” Atherton explained. “High achieving, hard working, resilient, persistent — just plain amazing are a few words that come to mind when I reflect on the student that Lacey was.”

Atherton encouraged Linkkila to achieve success in nursing.

“I wish you all the best as you finish up your time here at Laconia High School, Lacey, and as you continue your journey at Merrimack College pursuing your nursing degree,” she said. “There’s no doubt in my mind you will be an asset to any organization lucky enough to have you.”

Linkkila said Atherton’s support was paramount to her success.

“Without the support of so many people, I know I would not be standing here today. More importantly, without the guidance and wise words of Ms. Atherton, I know I would be in a much very different academic standing than I am today,” she said. “Ms. Atherton is the one who helped me realize that I am smart, and how every paper had an A on it for that to have to be consistent.”

Rowan Jones

Varsity football coach Nick Ford was invited by Rowan Jones to attend the dinner.

“Over the last four years, I've had the privilege to watch Rowan grow into one of the most outstanding young men I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach,” Ford said. “He came out for the football team his freshman year, a quiet, shy kid. By the time he stepped off the field his senior season, Rowan had turned into one of the best leaders on our team.”

Jones said Ford was an influential mentor to him. 

“I think one of the important compliments in life is having someone who truly believes in you, and sees your potential. When I was a freshman on the football team, I was nervous and I didn’t know what to expect. That’s when I met Coach Ford,” Jones said. “Throughout that year, at practice and in the games, I had fun with Coach Ford and I felt like we had a good, fun relationship and he trusted me with the ball in my hands and that’s all I could really ask for.”

Marko Mlinar

Soccer coach Pan Pradachith spoke about Marko Mlinar at the event.

“I got to coach Marko for all three years of high school,” Pradachith said. “Marko has always trusted me and the vision of the game of soccer here in Laconia. We constructed our bowling club that has been running for two years now, that is something that has been brought up since my time in high school which was 10 years ago.”

Pradachith said he and Mlinar can both relate to growing up in a household of immigrants and that the experience bonded them together. 

“I’ve lived with circumstances that have proven very difficult to live with. Nevertheless, I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, teachers, and friends. Without you I would probably be in seventh place right now, not sixth,” Mlinar said. “Before coming to high school, I wasn't part of any school activities, no sports teams, no clubs, nothing. Not until sophomore year that is — I decided to join the soccer team where I met Panda Man. He was my first real high school coach, he is the sole reason why I stayed with the program. He pushed me to be a better person, not just towards others but also towards myself.”

Mlinar said Pradachith was more of a friend or family member than he was a coach.

Carson Tucker

Lacrosse coach Stephen McDonough spoke to the accomplishments of Carson Tucker.

“Bill Russell once said that, ‘If a man pays you $5, you give him $7 worth of work.' That quote epitomizes what Carson is to me, and I think it epitomizes what Carson is to any of his teachers, coaches and in the community of Laconia. Anything that Carson’s ever been asked to do, he returns on that investment with interest,” McDonough said. “Carson rarely celebrates his own successes but celebrates the success of others as if it was his own. In fact, I wish Carson would celebrate some of his successes a little bit more.”

Tucker said McDonough helped him through difficult times while in high school.

“Throughout my time at LHS, Mr. McDonough has stood out to me,” Tucker said. “In between work, I would listen to him go on about aliens, the matrix and various conspiracy theories and think, 'This guy’s nuts.'”

McDonough believed in him when nobody else did, Tucker said. 

“Fast forward to homecoming week of my sophomore year. I was out of commission, yet again, with another season-ending injury. Mentally, I was in a terrible place. I felt like a failure to my team and to the city of Laconia. I was being made fun of and doubted pretty frequently for my inability to stay healthy,” he said. “With the mindset that he instilled in me, I was able to rehab and return for basketball season the following season and our championship lacrosse season after that.”

Alex Richardson

Middle school football coach Rod Roy accompanied Alex Richardson to the event.

“I’ve known Alex since the middle school days and started coaching him during football season his eighth grade year. I knew back then that he was a special type of athlete, one who made athletics just a small part of what he was, and not defined him,” Roy said. “That’s what made Alex special — a complete, total commitment to be the absolute best at whatever he did, all while balancing the ability to not disappoint anyone.”

Richardson said Roy pushed him to achieve success. 

“Coach Roy has a very interesting reputation, he’s often seen as harsh or cruel. But it pushed me to go above and beyond all expectations,” Richardson said. “I owe my dedication to pushing myself as far as I could go to Mr. Roy.”

James Horan

Class “essayist” James Horan invited math teacher Susan Finch to dinner.

“This student has not only demonstrated exceptional academic prowess, but has also exhibited personal growth that’s truly commendable,” Finch said. “Right away I could see that he was an exceptionally talented student, but I was more impressed with his patient ability to work with his classmates.

"What sets James apart is not just his academic excellence, personal growth or sense of humor, but his unwavering integrity, kindness and humility.”

“In all honesty, saying that she’s seen how much I've grown is probably the wrong choice of words. While she certainly has witnessed growth, she wasn’t just an onlooker of the process, she was a huge part of all of it,” Horan noted. “I attribute a lot of my academic drive and determination to her classes, algebra II, pre-calc, and now AP stats, because unlike most of the classes I’ve taken, they’ve pushed me and challenged me.”

Horan said he developed a personal relationship with Finch and would ask her for advice. 

“I think part of the reason I’m so comfortable talking with her is because she gets how my mind works,” he said.

Perrin Drolet

Salutatorian Perrin “P-Rain” Drolet invited social studies and social justice teacher Rick Crockford to the award dinner.

“He looks cool as a cucumber, he looks unruffled, he looks calm and serene — he’s not. Underneath that calm exterior is a social warrior, it’s someone who thinks that kindness and empathy should be the hallmarks of how we conduct our civil life,” Crockford said. “Within a matter of days, he was knocking my socks off with incisive comments that drove to the heart of whatever issue we were talking about that day. He was careful and moderate in his arguments, he did not fly his freak flag and get all [excited] about issues that he believed strongly in.”

“Mr. Crockford, whom I was lucky enough to have for history and social justice, has shaped my understanding of the past through his own passion for history,” Drolet said. “In doing so, he has also provided me with the tools to better understand where I am right now, and what I wish to pursue in the future.”

Drolet said Crockford cultivated his appreciation of philosophy. 

“As I wrap up, I would like to finish with a quote from Kirkegaard, an important Danish philosopher that Mr. Crockford had hung up in the front of class. It reads: 'Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards,'” Drolet said.

Brody Rollins

Valedictorian Brody Rollins invited science teacher Bonnie Ashworth to speak on his behalf. 

“A true scholar who has challenged himself with the hardest classes we offer at LHS. Multiple academic awards and recognitions earned during their tenure here, team captain and varsity athlete,” Ashworth said. “A true Sachem exhibiting pride and school spirit in all that they do.”

Ashworth said Rollins is ambitious.

“You would think that after having me as a teacher for chemistry, physics I and physics II, he’d had enough of me. But Brody asked me to help him generate one final independent ELO in the area of interest for him,” she said. “After much research, he finally decided on a biophysics project to create a portable EEG machine that could record the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes fixed to the scalp that could collect and analyze data using an app on his phone.”

Rollins said he enjoyed his time at LHS.

“Looking back, freshman year seems so far away, but at the same time, like it was just yesterday. Although I am excited to move on to the next chapter of my life, I will definitely miss many aspects of high school that have made me who I am today, especially the people,” he said. “Ms. Ashworth has helped me love science. My favorite thing about science is that no matter how much you know about a certain concept, you can always get a deeper understanding of it — you can always be a better scientist."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Nick Ford's and Rod Roy's coaching roles. Ford is the varsity football coach, andRoy is the middle school football coach.