Top 10 Sachems showcase achievements beyond academics

LACONIA — Each year, 10 Laconia High School Sachems work hard to earn the top slots in their graduating class, and this year’s roster is no different. From wildly diverse achievements and ambitions, to messages of kindness for other students, these 12th graders are ready to make their mark on the world.

Emma Conlon

Ever since she was little, Conlon knew she wanted to be a teacher. Now, at 18, she’s ready to head to Endicott College, in Beverly, Massachusetts, where she’ll study education. Her goal? To teach English or art.

“I am one of very few, I feel, like that want to teach in a high school setting. But I feel like it's really great to kind of see students, and how they come into being who they're going to be for the rest of their lives,” Conlon said. “And especially with art, seeing their growth is really interesting. I want to have that kind of relationship with students, where we're always able to kind of work through art, and see their styles come to life.”

Her own artistic style covers many media, including clay, needle felting and watercolors, and she’s taken courses at the Huot Career and Technical Center and Lakes Region Community College.

She encourages people to practice self care by putting themselves first.

“You are a student first, but you're also a person,” Conlon said. “Work to do your best, but know what's good for you and your mental health.”

Abigail Hayward

Animals are Hayward’s life, which is why she’ll pursue a career in veterinary medicine, with a focus on biomedicine and veterinary sciences at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. Her two dogs and horse inspired her to pursue the field after graduation.

“I ride about five or six days a week, and I compete in eventing,” said Hayward, 18.

UNH was her top choice — so much so it’s the only school to which she applied — and has been for some time, due to their program.

Active as vice president of Key Club and an intern at Birch Bark Veterinary Clinic in Gilford, Hayward also participated in National History Day Club, varsity track and cross-country, and is a part of National Honor Society.

Hayward encourages kindness.

“Be the best person you can be, because there are so many times that it can switch in the blink of an eye. You never really know what some people’s home situations are. So, I feel like you should really never make enemies, and then that'll also just set you up for success in the long run.”

Ben Hogg

As the child of a military service member, Hogg, 18, moved to New Hampshire in eighth grade, and spent the rest of high school getting involved in athletics. He played football and lacrosse, and plans to study business at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, with a focus in accounting.

“My dad was in the Army, so we moved around a lot,” he said, adding he enjoys travel. The southern weather was one of the main attractions for him at Coastal. “I've always just enjoyed math classes.”

He enjoys challenging himself, and being involved in clubs like Interact, whose members volunteer in the community. He played midfield on the lacrosse team for the past three seasons, after starting out as the defensive deep hole, and enjoyed the camaraderie of sports.

“Try to be involved as much as you can, and just learn how to manage your time, because I feel like anyone can do any of these classes,” said Hogg. “You just have to know how to manage your time, and not feel rushed during it all.”

Carter Jones

A four-year athlete in baseball, basketball and football, Jones worked hard on and off the field.

His passion for athletics might be his future, as he looks to pursue a degree in business management, and possibly sports, at Lasell University, in Newton, Massachusetts.

“I had four good years of schooling,” said Jones, 19, who was also involved with Interact Club and student council. “I did some Hout courses and sports management, and I think it was a good decision for me, because I'm kind of open to the job field after college. Working in some sort of sports field would be nice.”

His key to success was organization, and he encourages younger students to get as organized as possible, as fast as possible.

“A big thing, just in general, is kind of getting an overall schedule and figuring out what you like to do,” Jones said. “Some people can be all over the place with getting work done, and when they're choosing to get stuff done. But I'd say, if you get it down to a science of your own methods of how you get stuff done, it's easier that way most of the time.”

Heidi Kristoffersen

Knowing she wanted to be a teacher, Kristoffersen set out to create opportunities to help better her future. Now, because of those opportunities — which include classroom internships where she got to teach using her own lessons — she’s off to UNH to study elementary education.

“I've worked with kids for my whole life, basically. I'm a ski instructor at Gunstock, and I've worked there for four years, so that really helped me understand that this is a field I really want to get into.”

Kristoffersen, 18, looks back at her experience at LHS fondly, recalling a time she won a student council election based on a write-in campaign. She also played on the soccer team, and coached a U15 team. She worked a lot more than she participated in extracurriculars, and believes students should be more involved earlier on than she was.

“Get involved as much as you can, because I didn't really start getting involved until my senior year. And I wish I did it earlier, because there's so many other opportunities that you can do here that I didn't,” Kristoffersen said. “And I feel like just say 'yes' to everything.”

Zander LeClerc

LeClerc’s time in high school shaped him into the 18-year-old he is today, and he couldn’t stop raving about how formative the time was.

“It really is so great, because I've met and connected with so many people who have helped guide and direct my life,” he said. “And I really wouldn't be where I am today, if it wasn't for all of the friends I made, and all of the coaches, teachers and mentors that I've had along the way, you know, helping me.”

After the summer, LeClerc will study mechanical engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology, in Massachusetts.

“Mechanical engineering is a principle that takes creativity and building these machines, designing them and also adding mathematics, science and physics into it, and I just think that it's super cool,” he said.

He was on the varsity track and field, and cross-country teams, as well as National Honor Society. He’ll give a speech at graduation.

“I'm really just excited to just be able to connect with everybody in my class for one last time, and just bring everyone together and spread positivity.”

Haily McCarty

McCarty wanted to become a teacher, then changed her mind. The pressure of deciding her future path became a lot, but thanks to a class at the Huot Center, she ended up deciding she wanted to teach, after all.

This fall, she will study elementary education at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.

“[The Huot class] really got me back into what I believe I'm truly meant to do, which is to be a teacher,” McCarty, 18, said. “Then, I got to really, almost immediately, go into the environment.”

She dove headfirst into internships for various ages, while also being heavily involved at school. She tried Archery Club, but that wasn’t “her forte.” She was Key Club president this year, and plays in every band available at the school, including jazz, pep, marching and symphonic, as a clarinetist.

McCarty stayed busy with student council and volunteering, as well as working two jobs. Keep busy, she says, and things will all work out.

“Just kind of do what you enjoy, do what your heart kind of goes toward, and that's where it'll lead you,” she said. “You'll kind of fall into that place.”

Holden Mousseau

The youngest graduate in the Top 10, Mousseau, 17, is heading to Keene State College this fall, to chase a dream in architecture. He’ll also continue his hobby of track and field, since he was offered a spot on the track team.

“I'm excited to move forward with my academic goals, and include some of my athletic goals, as well,” said Mousseau. “Growing up, I always enjoyed building, and I was always fascinated with structures. My parents had the building blocks, the Legos. I found myself drawn to those, and so it allowed me to kind of develop a strong interest and a passion for building and designing different structures and buildings.”

Helping his dad around the house, along with watching educational TV shows, helped inspire his love of architecture. Mousseau even took a hands-on construction class at the Huot to be better prepared.

“Doing that kind of hands-on experience, and being able to get that understanding of how structures actually relate to function, I was like, 'This is what I want to do.'”

As far as advice? Mousseau has two words.

“Savor it.”

Ava Noyes

Noyes didn’t follow a straight path in high school.

In fact, she studied engineering for years, before deciding to make a switch into healthcare, and after the summer, she’s following the sunny weather down south to pursue a degree at the University of Miami.

“I took an LNA class over the summer, my junior year summer, and I just loved the hands-on" aspect,” Noyes, 18, said. “There was no disconnect between what I was doing and the impact it was having. I think that's really what pushed me toward healthcare.”

Thanks to her LNA certification, Noyes works at Taylor Community, as well as Burrito Me.

Throughout her time at Laconia High, she was an athlete, playing soccer all four years. She also played basketball and dabbled in lacrosse. For extracurriculars, she was part of the Math Team and student council.

To younger students, she encourages them to get involved and try new experiences.

“Try everything. I made so many good connections through sports. Any club is a great way to meet people. We have so many clubs here, just finding those people that have those same interests as you is just so valuable,” Noyes said. “Just try everything.”

Samantha Wylie

Wylie is already a certified medical assistant, thanks to the offerings at the Huot Center, and now she’s taking the next step to earn her biology and biotechnology degree at Endicott College, so she can eventually work in pediatrics or dermatology.

She was inspired by her mother, who's a full-time nurse for her sister.

“I've always known that I wanted to go into healthcare, because my family is in healthcare,” said Wylie, 18. “My mom's a nurse. She's a nurse for my sister. So, she's always taking care of her 24/7. That's her job. So, it's really just inspired me, and I want to do more than what she's been able to do.”

Pursuing your passion and honing it early to better yourself is something she recommends to younger students.

“Work toward figuring out what you want to do afterward, so you can really just push yourself to start what you want to do after. I did that with the Hout program. I knew that I wanted to go into healthcare,” she said. “So by graduating with my medical assistant license, instead of taking a two-year course after high school, I think that really set myself up for success.”

Laconia High School will graduate at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5, at the high school stadium.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.