By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

As they each stood before a packed house at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds Sunday afternoon, they remembered the journey, the lessons learned and mistakes made along the way, and how they changed over the four-year adventure called high school.

Ultimately, Kathryn Rose, Rebecca Caron and Eleanor Cowan managed the ups and downs of teenage life, strived for academic excellence and thrived on big stages — theater and athletics.

How did they reach the Top 3 of the Lake Region High School Class of 2022? The Newsposed the following questions to valedictorian Kathryn Rose, salutatorian Rebecca Caron and Honor Essayist Eleanor Cowan:

BN.People often wonder, how does a student become the tops in their class? What has it taken for you to achieve this incredible honor?

Kathryn Rose: The past four years have been an endless “to do” list. Between sports, theater, school, and my personal life, I always had my hands full. It required meticulous planning, focus, drive, sacrifice, and most of all, support from family, friends, and all my teachers along the way, enabling me to accomplish everything I set out to gain from my educational experience. Every day was filled with something and there was never a dull moment. 

Rebecca Caron: Lots of late nights and missed outings with friends! In all seriousness (even though that was also true!), for me it was all about having a goal and sticking to it. Since elementary school, I had always wanted to go to an elite school after graduation. Knowing that they were hard to get into, I knew I would have to put in a ton of work to stand a chance in the admissions process. So, I always worked as hard as I could in school, going above and beyond to do extra assignments and taking harder classes, always holding myself accountable. Whenever it got difficult, I pictured holding an acceptance letter to one of those schools and I knew it would all be worth it in the end. It was also really important to have an outlet and to take care of myself too so everything wasn’t always about school. I loved playing lacrosse, reading fun books, spending the day with friends, or going to the lake. And all of the hard work definitely did pay off in the end!

Eleanor Cowan: Being in the Top 3 of the class has certainly taken a lot of hard work and focus. It is something you have to set your mind to at the beginning of high school and not really waver from. Looking back, I think I had a very different high school experience than most because I sacrificed a lot of other experiences for my studies. For most of my high school career, after school was dedicated to work and then homework late into the night, and the weekends were very similar. Burnout is something I think all of us experienced to one degree or another because after years of this you get really tired. For me, I had to prove to myself I could do it. In the end, I do think developing this type of strong work ethic will help me later in life. 

BN.Was there a situation or moment during your high school years that posed a major challenge to you, and ultimately changed you as a person/student (explain)?

Kathryn Rose: I feel like all my classmates could agree that we went through many ups and downs that had profound impacts on the people and students we wanted to grow to become. For me personally, the beginning of senior year really marked a turning point in my life. I realized that I wanted to spend more time living in the moment with my loved ones rather than prepping for the next big thing. Studying was still very important to me, but not at the expense of making memories with the ones who inspired me to work hard in the first place. 

Rebecca Caron: This is probably a popular answer, but definitely COVID-19 in the spring of my sophomore year. I was taking a rigorous course schedule, as well as my very first dual enrollment class and second ever AP class, and then everything was just shut down. I was left to navigate so many of these challenging things all by myself at home while feeling like there was no one there to help me. I ultimately learned that so many people are there to help if you only reach out a hand, and I quickly reversed an old way of thinking and found out that I really didn’t have to do everything by myself. I also learned during COVID that the little things in life really are the big things. Most of my early high school experience, I exclusively went to school, played sports, did homework, and repeated. I always told myself that after I reached the pinnacle of graduation, then I would have the time to have fun. But, as we all learned with the pandemic, you can’t push things off that far, because nothing beyond today is ever really promised. I began hanging out with friends more and went on more class-sponsored trips. I realized that even just sitting around a campfire surrounded by the people who I grew up with or playing speed trivia with my senior classmates at 2 in the morning was all that I really needed in that moment. 

Eleanor Cowan: Throughout high school, I struggled with some serious mental health challenges which often made getting the work done I needed to, to stay on track, more difficult. But, also in a way, having an academic focus was grounding throughout some tumultuous periods in my life. I struggled with anorexia throughout middle school and into high school and sophomore year I was hospitalized for a period which made keeping up with my school work very difficult. But, I did continue my studies and I realized if I could do that I could really do anything. Now, whenever I am going through a difficult time, I try to draw on that same strength I did at that point in my life. Struggling and recovering has made me a more resilient person. 

BN.Name three things from your high school days you are most proud of and why?

Kathryn Rose: I am proud of my classmates and myself for managing to adapt to all the changes Covid-19 threw our way, from online learning, to hybrid, back to full time learning during a time where there was so little certainty. I am proud of myself for taking each opportunity others have graciously given me and turning them into a future. Finally, I am proud of learning to be unapologetically me, because this helped me find lifelong friends. 

Rebecca Caron: The biggest is definitely being salutatorian! I could talk a lot about this, but in short, it’s a physical reminder of all of the work and late nights that I put in to get here. Another is, for sure, being a two-sport student-athlete. Sports became such a key part of my high school experience that it actually was hard for me to do well in school and manage my time if I wasn’t in a sports season. I’m also very proud of my athletic achievements and the athletic awards that I’ve earned, especially in lacrosse. My final one is vague but it’s the person who I became in high school. All of the little accomplishments, the personality traits I developed, the friendships I made, and the memories I gathered. I’m extremely proud of the person who I became during my high school experience and couldn’t imagine being anyone else.

Eleanor Cowan: As I said before, I am very proud of the work ethic I have developed. I know that I will always try my best and put in as much effort as I can with anything I do. I am proud of learning how to self-advocate and communicate with others better. I was always very shy and quiet and I have learned over the years the importance of having my voice and opinion heard. I am also proud of my curiosity to try new things. Though I was not always present in school throughout the years, I participated in theater, chorus, and senior year I tried a new sport. 

BN.What was the greatest lesson you learned during your high school days, and how will it help you in the future?

Kathryn Rose: Working alone might be more efficient, but sometimes it’s more fun to work with others. Group projects were always my worst nightmare, and when the option was presented, I would almost always work alone, but upon reflection I cannot recall any of these moments. While group projects sometimes ended up with me doing the bulk of the assignment, many more were filled with laughter, and those are the memories I will remember. Moving forward, not just in college but in all aspects of life, I hope that by being more open to these experiences I will not prevent myself from making these memories.

Rebecca Caron: High school taught me that success is what you make it, and it’s not all about your GPA (grade point average) or how much money you make at your job. It’s also being able to go to bed at night in peace or happiness that manifests itself in laughing so much with your friends that your cheeks actually hurt. This was kind of a hard lesson to learn, and I’m still working at it because changing my mindset is hard, but I know that this lesson will serve me well in my future, especially as my life grows even more crazy. As cliché as it sounds, I know that if I spend time chasing success found in my happiness and the happiness of the people I care about, success disguised as other elements will find me. 

Eleanor Cowan: The greatest lesson I learned in high school was, as cliché as it sounds, to believe in your abilities. When I began high school, I was very hesitant about everything I did. I would cry before turning in assignments because I was so worried I would not get a good enough grade. And to be honest, this was a complete waste of time. The hours I spent worried simply left me more sleep deprived and with nothing else to show for it. I had to slowly learn that I was smart and the work I did was in fact good. And in the end having that confidence improved what I did because it made me more focused. I can carry this confidence into my college career and beyond.

BN.What is next for you? Where are you headed; have you decided on a career path, and if so, what lead you in this direction?

Kathryn Rose: I plan to further my education at Bentley University on a full scholarship, where I will be majoring in Data Analytics. I have always been drawn toward numbers since I was a child, and I hope to combine this interest with my passion for the social sciences and drive toward the unknown in a research-based career after I graduate. 

Rebecca Caron: I am headed to Maine Maritime Academy to study Marine Transportation Operations and to continue to play lacrosse. I’ll graduate with a degree, as well as my US Coast Guard 3rd mate license. I plan to work aboard merchant marine vessels in conjunction with the US Navy as I gather sea time to earn my captain’s license as one of 150 women in the United States holding that certification. I’ve always loved the ocean and being on the water, but I had never heard of a career like this until my sophomore year of high school when my art teacher, Ms. Metcalf, told me about her sister who does this. At that point, I began researching and it sounded like something I would love to do in addition to being a ton of fun. Within just a few weeks of researching and talking to people, it quickly became my favorite future path, beating out two ideas that I had been working toward since elementary school. I decided to run with Maine Maritime and I couldn’t be more excited!

Eleanor Cowan: In the fall, I will be attending the University of Wyoming to study Pre-Veterinary Science with an equine focus. At the moment, I hope to later pursue a career as an Equine Veterinarian. I have chosen this path because I love working with horses and would like to have a career that keeps me involved in the horse world. I am also very excited to be joining the University of Wyoming Nordic ski team and continuing my ski racing journey.