Top 10 Red Raiders have sights set on medicine, politics, military service, and everything in between

BELMONT — Belmont High School students will receive their diplomas Friday night. Ahead of graduation, the Shaker Regional School District's top 10 students shared memories and plans for future endeavors.

Riley DeGange

DeGange is attending Emerson College, in Boston, after graduation to study marketing communication, and is deciding whether or not to minor in public relations or sports communication. She will also be running cross country next fall.

To say DeGange has earned accolades would be an understatement, as the class president and student council co-president is also salutatorian of the class of 2026.

She is also treasurer of the French Club, and vice president of both the National French Honor Society and National Honor Society. DeGange was also a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and National English Honor Society.

As the high school representative for the Belmont Heritage Commission, she works to preserve town history. She also waits tables at Dox on Winnisquam, and has high hopes to make extra cash this summer.

DeGange is also heavily involved in school sports, running cross country, and track and field, and competing in alpine skiing. She runs social media for New Hampshire Track and Field interviewing athletes, runs Instagram accounts for her class, and works with a baseball team her stepfather coaches.

“I knew going into college that I wanted to do something more artsy, a little creative, but also something where I could be a leader,” DeGange said. “Not an office job, but something with direction. So, I landed on marketing communication, and I’m thinking that public relations and sports communication could help me.”

DeGange’s advice to younger students is to work as hard as possible, but leave some room for fun.

“Try to enjoy what is happening around you, because it does fly by.”

Wyatt Divers

Divers will be heading to Colby-Sawyer College, in New London, to study business administration, and while he doesn’t know exactly where he wants to go with it, he knows it's a step in the right direction.

“It is applicable in most sectors, so I want to get a strong base there,” Divers said.

Divers is a three-sport athlete who ran cross country and played basketball, but baseball is his true love. It is also where he excels, and he plans to play collegiate ball at Colby-Sawyer. He is a pitcher, catcher and plays middle infield, showing his diversity on the diamond.

Athletics have been the best and most memorable part of his time at Belmont High. He said in such a small school, athletic teams are also extremely close.

“The connections I have made in sports is probably my favorite part,” Divers said.

Divers has played baseball ever since he could walk, and has always been encouraged by family, notably his grandfather, who has been a Red Raiders coach for decades.

“It’s awesome,” Divers said of his grandfather being a pitching coach for the squad. “I love it.”

Divers also enjoys studying history, and served on student council, National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

As far as advice, Divers said focus has been key.

“If you haven’t been focusing, either start or stay focused. You might not think it will matter, but it will. The earlier you recognize that, the better you’ll be.”

Brady Filteau

Filteau spent the first two years of high school on the Vex Robotics team, competing in the world championship in Dallas. He was a member of the French Club, and this year was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Honor Society.

For the past two years he competed on the math team, and received college credits in blueprint reading and solid modeling at the Huot Career and Technical Center, in Laconia. Filteau also took English 12, receiving college credit for the course.

Filteau is also an athlete, holding two school records in indoor shotput and outdoor discus, and excelling in outdoor shotput, as well.

Filteau will be entering the U.S. Air Force after graduating, shipping out for basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio, for 7.5 weeks in July.

“Since fourth grade, I’ve always thought about the military,” Filteau said. “I wasn’t sure what branch, but when it came up my junior year, when people were talking about colleges and careers, I looked at all the branches and thought Air Force was the best fit. Just because it is more technical than most of the other branches, and I am very hands on.”

He also plans to take online college course at ECPI University, in Virginia Beach, in mechanical engineering technology.

His advice to younger students is to do things they enjoy, saying you don’t want to leave high school and either not know what you’re doing, or get into something you simply don’t like.

“You get a lot of chances throughout your life, but you only really get one chance when it comes to really choosing your career out of high school.”

Samantha Johnson

Johnson is attending Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York, in the fall, where she will study political science and global studies. An avid violinist, Johnson is receiving a scholarship to take a minor in music.

“Since Marist doesn’t have a specific international relations course, I was like, 'Alright, I can do political science and global studies to combine it to make my own international relations-esque course,'” Johnson said.

Johnson has been playing violin since sixth grade, and said over her four years at BHS she has been particularly invested in music. She played in multiple orchestras, including Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra the past two years.

Johnson is a member of National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

Johnson was drawn to Marist after visiting the school, when her family brought her brother to a State University of New York campus about 30 minutes away. She loved it; it wasn’t too small, and wasn’t too big.

“The campus was gorgeous,” Johnson said. “Right on the river. They have a really strong study abroad program, and I know that is definitely something I’d like to do.”

Johnson advised younger students to plan ahead, figure out what they want and need, and organize goals.

“You may not have a lot of help getting that, but don’t let that stop you from going after what you want.”

Ava Lacasse

Lacasse is a three-sport athlete, known for running track as a two-time state champion in the 100-meter dash. She recently took the top Division III time in the 400-meter.

“I have four school records in track, so it’s definitely a big part of my life,” Lacasse said.

She is the school’s Future Business Leaders of America president, a member of the French Club, and during the summer works at an apple orchard and a marina.

Lacasse liked taking part in events at school that allowed her to be around a wide range of school community members. Many of her classmates have known each other for years, which makes it fun to reminisce.

What Lacasse will remember most is how close they've been leading up to graduation.

“We do have a really tight-knit community here, which is really nice,” Lacasse said. “It’s unlike a lot of other schools sometimes, even though we are in New Hampshire, and it’s small. We’ve all known each other since second grade.”

Lacasse said the small town comes with small-town excitement, and even small-town problems, so she’ll be heading to Wheaton College, in Norton, Massachusetts, for an experience in a bigger population. Lacasse has a good friend who attends the school, and loves it, and she also spoke highly of the track coach. She plans to study marketing.

“I want to use it as a tool into what I want to do in the future,” Lacasse said. “I want to be an entrepreneur.”

Lacasse’s advice to younger students is to always stay humble, appreciate the small things and the laughs.

“That time of being a senior will come, but the time being present will never stay.”

Anna McDonald

McDonald loves horses, and has an interest in engineering, following in her father’s footsteps. She will study dressage and engineering in the fall at the University of Connecticut.

“The campus is gorgeous,” McDonald said. “Horsebarn Hill is really why I picked it. They have a dressage team, and a polo team. Their barns are fantastic, and their space is amazing.”

A well-rounded student athlete, McDonald is on the Belmont High ski team, ran outdoor track, and is co-president of student council. She is a member of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and involved in 4-H.

She loves chemistry, which she said is difficult, but rewarding.

“I try to take an AP class in every subject, because I really like history. I like English, but math and science is kind of my thing,” she said.

McDonald will study multidisciplinary engineering, and hopes to tie it in with agriculture. She plans to take an equine business management class, and explore agriculture and farming classes, in hopes to combine the two majors.

McDonald owns four Scottish Highland calves, shown at 4-H fairs.

“I love being outside,” she said. “I work at a horse barn. I don’t mind academics, but I’d much rather be outside working, than in an office somewhere.”

McDonald’s advice to younger students is to avoid playing catchup, and work hard in those first two years of high school, because it will “pay off big time.”

“Get ahead while it’s easy.”

Ethan Rivera

Rivera will be following the lead of his father, and is heading to the University of New Hampshire, in Durham.

Rivera is part of National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. He also competed on the robotics team over his four years, winning a state title last year, and before that, a world title.

“Math is by far my favorite,” Rivera said about his top classes at Belmont High. “I’m on the math team, as well.”

With the math team, Rivera has been a state champion with the top score on three occasions. He also received a solid waste certification, and took blueprint reading, both at the Huot Career and Technical Center, where he was a student ambassador.

Rivera competed on the track and field team for each of the past four years, was class treasurer, and worked at Hackleboro Orchard.

Rivera has sound advice for young students: it's important to keep the positivity flowing.

“Do the right thing and you’ll be fine. You can do crazy stuff, but keep it more on the good side.”

Meg Soucie

Soucie will attend UNH in the fall to study nursing, saying it could open up a door to the healthcare world, and allow her to travel, without being bogged down with extended schooling.

“I always wanted to work in healthcare,” she said. “I wanted to be a pediatrician originally. It’s a lot of school, expensive school, and I want to travel. I feel like nursing is a good way for me to be in healthcare, being able to work one-on-one with people, which is what I enjoy.”

Soucie was heavily involved in athletics, from volleyball captain to competing on the softball and ski teams. Recovering from a knee injury put a hold on skiing, but she still incorporated the sport into a school project she just completed.

“In high school, I was involved in everything, literally everything,” she said. “I was at every home game, every away game, every school event there could have been, I had some role in it.”

Soucie loves staying busy, so much so her parents told her to slow down. But she thinks her dedication has been a constant driver for her. She took plenty of difficult classes, saying that anatomy and physiology was her favorite, and she also enjoyed advanced placement English, psychology, and sociology. This ties into her advice to students coming up behind her.

“Don’t be scared to take the harder classes,” she said. “Try new things to get involved. Get involved in everything.”

Avery Taylor

Taylor has plenty of interests, ranging from working with farm animals, to rock climbing, to computers. These have shaped him as a person over the years, and after graduation he is taking one of those interests to his higher education.

Taylor will attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts, in the fall to study cyber security, saying he's following in a long line of family members who attended the school. That includes his mother, grandfather and uncle.

“It’s kind of a family thing,” Taylor said. “Keeping the family tradition.”

Taylor has always been a computer whiz, and taught himself to code in fourth grade. He recognizes writing code is no easy task, but loves the challenge.

“I like to challenge myself.”

Taylor benefited from having an older brother who was in 12th grade when he entered high school, which helped him get used to the transition. He enjoyed rock climbing in ninth grade, and was a member of the math team and French Club his final two years at BHS.

Outside of school, Taylor created memories of which he's proud. He worked at a local farm, and started raising animals of his own.

“My biggest pride is my chickens and my farm, because I started from a dozen chickens and now, I’m over 100,” Taylor said.

Taylor raises chickens, ducks, pigs and has plans for rabbits. He also sells eggs, meat, chicks, and piglets.

“It’s not easy at all, the work it takes,” Taylor said. “You’ve got to get up early if it is raining or snowing. That is the thing I’m most proud about. It takes a lot of work.”

Taylor recalls teachers in elementary school talking about how his class would graduate in 2026, which felt so far away. Now it's here, and he knew exactly what to recommend to younger students.

“Enjoy it while you can, because it goes by faster than you think.”

Brayden Townsend

Townsend is class vice president, part of National Honor Society, and a three-sport athlete who played baseball, cross country, and basketball for all four years. He finished off with a bang, being named Division III baseball player of the year, and his athleticism ties directly into his plans for the future.

Townsend is attending Great Bay Community College, in Portsmouth, to study biology, and then plans to study physical therapy. His love of sports comes from being inspired by watching them throughout his life, and participating. His academic direction was inspired by trainers and doctors helping him bounce back after injuries.

“I am a big gym and athlete guy, so I like the whole aspect of knowing how to lift,” he said. “The whole science behind muscles and stuff like that, and also trying to help people if they get injured to get back to where they were.”

His advice to the younger class is enjoy time in high school, because it is something they’ll never get back.

“Enjoy the four years that you have here, because you’ll never have anything like this ever again,” he said. “Also, enjoy the people that you are around, because more likely you won’t see many of them again.”