These Class of 2019 Lake Region High School graduates earned Top 10 Percent status:

Name: Kennedy Brake

Town: Naples

Parent: Molly Brake

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: LRHS Drama Club, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Pep Band, ASTRA Club, Cross-Country, Indoor Track, Tennis.

Community or volunteer efforts: Putting on dinners at the Bridgton Community Center, various roadside cleanup projects, volunteering at Bridgton Health and Residential Care Center, reading to kindergarteners, a few Habitat for Humanity build days, etc.

What are your plans this fall? I plan to attend Bentley University next fall, and will be majoring in something business related. I’ve decided upon this path because of my goal for financial prosperity.

Favorite class and why? I really enjoyed AP language and composition. The rigor of the course was refreshing and the conversations were pretty entertaining.

Favorite LRHS memory? Getting to play at the Berklee Jazz Festival with our combo, Sweet Creams. 

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Don’t fall prey to procrastination, it will bite you in the behind.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? Having good character is far more important than receiving any accolades.

Name: Ethan P. Caulfield

Town: Naples

Parent(s): Alison and Steven Caulfield

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Lake Region High School Chorus and local Dungeons and Dragons Group attendee.

Community or volunteer efforts: Volunteering at the Naples Public Library.

What are you plans this fall? I plan on attending the University of Maine at Orono, pursuing Computer Science. I have always had an interest in the ways that computer systems and hardware function, and I would like to become proficient in the repair and design of these machines.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class would have to be Latin with Mr. William Glennon, chiefly due to the familiarity he forms with his students and the subjects we study.

Favorite LRHS memory? Overcoming hesitation with friends at my side, going on corkscrew roller coasters or trying new foods.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Do not procrastinate.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? Be who you want to be in life, but always leave time for what needs to be done.

Name: Emily Colson

Town: Casco

Parent(s): Nate Colson and Audrey Cannan

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Cross-Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, ASTRA, Project Planet, National Honor Society, Student Cabinet, Honors Band, Varsity Club president, Class president. 

Community or volunteer efforts: Church dinners, road cleanups, middle school meets, Habitat for Humanity house building.

What are your plans this fall? I will attend Saint Joseph’s College. Eventually, I would love to be a high school principal. I chose this because I find running a school interesting and hope to maybe make high school a little easier for those students who struggle!  

Favorite class and why? Chemistry, I loved how there was always one right answer! 

Favorite LRHS memory? Anytime I spent with my track team, on or off the track. They are my second family!

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Stay focused, but don’t forget to get involved. You always need a creative and athletic outlet! Find things that make you laugh! 

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? Don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s easy to always say ‘yes,’ but learn to delegate. Popularity is not important. My senior year, I became friends with so many people. You are all equal, don’t waste time being catty! 

Name: Paige Davis

Town: Casco

Parent(s): Scott and Stephanie Davis

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: ASTRA Club, Interact, National Honor Society, Math Team, Secretary of Class, Varsity Club, Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Alpine Skiing, Varsity Lacrosse.

Community or volunteer efforts: Habitat for Humanity.

What are your plans this fall? This fall, I will be attending Bryn Mawr College, where I plan to pursue pre-medicine studies with a biology concentration, as well as continue playing field hockey. My love and longtime passion for science, as well as my desire to help as many people as I can, is what prompted me to choose the pre-medicine path. 

Favorite class and why? My favorite class I have taken at Lake Region High School in my four years is most definitely Marine Biology. I am so fascinated by the ocean and truly wanted to cram in as much information I could store in my brain as possible in order to have a deeper understanding of the ocean. I truly loved and enjoyed that class, I would take it five more times if I could.

Favorite LRHS memory? My favorite memory at LRHS would undoubtedly be the Senior Awareness trip. It was so special to have the large majority of my class altogether, bonding and just enjoying each other’s company. It will be special moments and activities like that that I will remember forever and miss deeply.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Work hard. Only you can push yourself to your greatest potential. It will not come easy. 

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? The biggest lesson I learned was there are many different types of people in this world. Some you will love, and some you won’t, but each and every person has valuable lessons to teach you. Take in and enjoy the company of others and learn something. Acceptance is a trait, unfortunately, not many have, but here at Lake Region it is taught and instituted. This truly is a very special place.

Name: Shayla Dunn

Town: Naples

Parent(s): Jeff and Dena Dunn

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Field Hockey, Lacrosse, National Honors Society, Interact, ASTRA, Varsity Club.

Community or volunteer efforts: Habitat for Humanity, coaching rec sports, community cleanup day, Safe Passage Guatemala service trip, Interact, the Dominican Republic service trip.

What are your plans this fall? I will be attending the University of Tampa and plan to major in pre-physical therapy.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class was AP language and composition, because I learned many writing skills that will help me in the future and despite the challenge I could see my work improve throughout the year.

Favorite LRHS memory? Eating lunch in Ms. Kantro’s room.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Not to procrastinate because once you get behind it seems impossible to catch up.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? To not to be afraid to reach out for help academically, teachers are very willing to work with students.

Name: Andrew Gianattasio

Town: Naples

Parents: Gerod and Suzanne Gianattasio

Clubs: Cross-Country, WorldQuest, drama, Men’s Tennis.

Fall plans: St. Anselm College majoring in International Business. I want to see the world and run my own business someday.

Favorite class: WorldQuest because I was with like-minded people who could solve problems together and have fun doing it.

Favorite LRHS memory: Participating in the plays and musicals and watching my peers grow from role to role.

Academic advice: Do things as best you can the first time, it’ll save you time and effort later even if it takes time and effort now.

Biggest lesson: Attitude and motivation are the most powerful drivers or success, whatever one’s measure of success is.

Name: Emily Lake

Town: Naples

Parents: Beth and Jeff Lake

Clubs, organizations, sports teams: Varsity Club, Varsity Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse along with National Honor Society.

Volunteer: Volunteering through NHS and Naples Fire Station.

Future plans: I am attending Western New England University in Springfield, Mass., to study Mechanical Engineering and play lacrosse. I chose this school because it is a small school with engineering (which is uncommon) and I would have the opportunity to play lacrosse at the DIII level.

Favorite class: My favorite classes in high school were manual arts and science classes. This year’s favorite was the Windstorm Challenge class, which was a statewide competition at UMaine that our group won.

Favorite memory: My favorite memory was winning the state championship in lacrosse last year and then winning the Windstorm Challenge this year.

Advise to classmates regarding the key to academic success: My key to success is to stay committed and self-motivated. Sports help me do that because you need to have good grades to play and it brings out my competitiveness.

Biggest lesson during high school: The biggest lesson that I learned in high school was that you can’t have regrets. You don’t want to look back 15 years from now and say ‘oh I wish I…’ Life is too short to have regrets so take chances and remember that no one said it would be easy, they said it would be worth it.

Name: Mark Mayo

Town: Bridgton

Parent(s): John and Amy Mayo

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: National Honor Society, Baseball, Basketball, Football.

Community or volunteer efforts: Sports Camp counselors, Sports Clinics, Tots Shopping Day, Linus Project Blanket Making.

What are your plans this fall? This fall, I will be attending the University of Maine at Farmington, where I will study actuarial science. I decided to pursue this career path because I really enjoy mathematics and problem solving.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class was Chemistry because of how interesting everything was in that class and it had a large amount of problem solving that was related to math. I also got to have my mom as the teacher.

Favorite LRHS memory? My favorite LRHS memory is when I hit two free throws to put us ahead by three points against Fryeburg both my sophomore and senior year.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Plan ahead for assignments especially if you are involved in a lot of activities.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? The biggest lesson that I have learned while in high school is that character is more important than results. One could be the smartest person or the best athlete in the world, but if their character is poor, nobody will want to work with them or trust them to be part of the team.

Name: Matthew Mayo

Town: Bridgton

Parent(s): John and Amy Mayo

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Soccer, Basketball, Outdoor Track, Band, Chorus, Fall Drama, Spring Musical, Jazz Choir, Show Choir, Varsity Club.

Community or volunteer efforts: Camp Counselor for Soccer, Basketball and Track and Field Camps, Youth Basketball Clinics, Casco Days Clean Up, Trunk or Treat, Videographer for Varsity Boys’ Basketball Games, Jazz Festival Volunteer, Tots Shopping Day, Middle School Track Meets, and Project Graduation Holly Berry Craft Fair

What are your plans this fall? I will be attending the University of Maine Orono and majoring in music education. I decided to pursue music education because I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since elementary school and I really love music, so I decided to put the two together. I want to teach because I want to be a positive influence in students’ lives. I hope to inspire them to love music and to become good people and citizens by providing them opportunities to give back to their school and community through their music.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class would have to be music theory and composition. I find the class super interesting, while also giving me a challenge. The class tests my musical abilities while also teaching me new and interesting music concepts.

Favorite LRHS memory? My favorite LRHS memory was during my freshman year when the band went to New York City. It was not only my first time in New York, but also my first time in any big city so that was exciting. I saw my first Broadway show and my first opera. On top of all of this, I was with all my friends. It was an experience that I will never forget.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? I would say my biggest piece of advice to anyone going through life and school is to get involved. Being involved enables you to meet so many great people and it gives you opportunities that you might not have otherwise. Being involved also helps to keep you in line and usually makes you work harder because it gives you something to work for.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? The biggest lesson I learned during high school is that not everything in life is going to be easy. Sometimes, you are going to struggle in a class or do poorly on a test, but that does not mean you can just give up. You have to take what you are given and figure it out. That could mean spending every minute of your free time getting help from a teacher or figuring out new study strategies. In the end if you can figure it out and get through it, then you will be stronger and smarter because of it.

Name: Han Mei

Town: Bridgton

• Profile information was not provided by the student.

Name: Veronica Messina 

Town: Bridgton 

Parent(s): Pamela Messina-Whitney and Stephen Whitney 

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: National Honors Society, Questbridge Prep-Scholar, Tennis, Math Team, Book Club, Art Club, Envirothon, Windstorm, Maine Educational Talent Search 

Community or volunteer efforts: Naples Food Pantry, Naples Historical Society, class fundraisers, Bridgton Town Hall decorating, concession stand at Lake Region High School Talent Show. 

What are your plans this fall? I plan to attend Arizona State University this fall, majoring in financial management and air traffic control. I decided on this career path because I enjoy mathematics and I love planes. 

Favorite class and why? My favorite class would be either my Anatomy or Design and Engineering class because they challenged me to think differently. 

Favorite LRHS memory? My favorite memory is of my friends and I on our senior trip at Canobie Lake Park. 

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? I found my key to success was working hard and acting as if every assignment was the one that would allow me to graduate. 

Finally, what is the biggest lesson you learned during your doubt years at LRHS? The biggest lesson I learned in high school was that living with regret is worse than any pain or fear. Be spontaneous, have fun (responsibly) or you might regret missing out on one of the greatest times of your life. 

Name: Olivia Toole

Town: Naples

Parent(s): Vicki and Jeff Toole

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Cross-Country, Indoor & Outdoor Track, Tennis, Concert Band, Astra, National Honor Society. 

Community or volunteer efforts: Vice president of the ASTRA Club.

What are your plans this fall? I will be attending the University of New Hampshire with an undeclared major. 

Favorite class and why? My favorite class in high school was wood shop with Mr. Hilton. I loved the satisfaction of building things with my own two hands, and having the freedom to create anything I could dream of. 

Favorite LRHS memory? Dedicating the Dors Trail to the late Coach Dors.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? Even if there aren’t hard deadlines, set them for yourself. Don’t put off difficult assignments!

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? One of my most beloved teachers recently told me not to forget to have fun. LRHS taught me how to make strong friendships, and always enjoy myself, and I hope I continue to do so for the rest of my life. 

Name: Lucien Wallace

Town: Sebago

Parent(s): Jeff and Vanessa Wallace

Clubs, organizations, sports teams you belong to: Math Team, National Honor Society, Alpine Skiing (captain), Soccer, Tennis, Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, created Jazz Combo, Chorus, Jazz Choir, Play, Musical, Student Council, ASTRA Club.

Community or volunteer efforts: ASTRA Club and NHS volunteer efforts, additional volunteering at Preble Street Soup Kitchen.

What are your plans this fall? I am going to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. There, I will major in engineering to set myself up for a career working with the environment. Living in the Maine woods has given me firsthand experience with the effects of climate change and I believe it is incredibly important to protect our planet.

Favorite class and why? My favorite class this year was probably Calculus because I found it to be the most challenging.

Favorite LRHS memory? Going to the Berklee and State Jazz festivals with Jazz Band and Jazz Combo.

What advice would you give to classmates regarding what you found to be a key to your academic success? The two biggest qualities that have helped me achieve in school are love of learning and work ethic. Often, I was driven to work hard in my classes because I genuinely enjoyed them. That being said, there were many times when there was no better technique than just working hard to get through a tough lesson or section.

Finally, what was the biggest lesson you learned during your four years at LRHS? My greatest lesson was definitely that if you want to change yourself or achieve greater things, you need to hold yourself accountable and motivate yourself intrinsically. While having outside support may help, you can’t get better without putting in the effort yourself.