<p>A Few More Stories About Members of the Class of 12
</p>
<hr>
<p>Hacker Can Hack It (New York)</p>
<p>[Katrina</a> Hacker Can Hack It - Figure Skating News](<a href=“http://goldenskate.com/articles/2007/062208.shtml]Katrina”>http://goldenskate.com/articles/2007/062208.shtml)</p>
<p>Katrina Hacker [championship figure skater], who turned 18 in May, was one of the surprises at both U. S. Nationals and the Four Continents Championships in 2008. She placed sixth in her debut in senior ladies at nationals and followed that up by placing sixth again at Four Continents in Goyang City, South Korea - her first ISU championship and first ISU event in seniors.</p>
<p>“I want to continue to improve and progress,” Hacker said of her future goals. “This past season I have made a big effort to take skating one day and one competition at a time and not get ahead of myself. My goal at the beginning of the season was to improve my technique and mental strength.”
“Placing sixth at nationals, going to Four Continents, skating a clean Free Skate and placing sixth at Four Continents was thrilling and more than I had ever expected for this year,” Hacker added.</p>
<hr>
<p>Needham High School alum sees familiar face abroad (Massachusetts)</p>
<p>[Needham</a> High School alum sees familiar face abroad - Needham, MA - Needham Times](<a href=“http://www.wickedlocal.com/needham/fun/x1872704022/Needham-High-School-alum-sees-familiar-face-abroad]Needham”>http://www.wickedlocal.com/needham/fun/x1872704022/Needham-High-School-alum-sees-familiar-face-abroad)</p>
<p>May 15 seemed just like any other day for Needhams Oren Samet. For three months, the 19-year old had been volunteering, as part of the Hadassah sponsored Young Judaea program, on a dig at Masada in the South District of Israel. Masada, a site of 2,000-year-old palaces and forts perched on top of a rock plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, is a prominent Israeli tourist destination, so Samet had grown accustomed to sightseers. But the tourists that visited Masada last month were no ordinary bunch.</p>
<p>As part of a recent five-day Mideast tour that celebrated, among other things, Israels 60th year of existence, President George W. Bush spent an afternoon hiking the mountainous Masada fortress with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. </p>
<p>We had heard about it, but we didnt know we were going to meet him, said Samet of the presidents visit to the site.</p>
<p>What transpired was something that the Needham Class of 2007 graduate wont soon forget. As Samet and a few other volunteers performed their daily tasks, the commander-in-chief recognized the boys as Americans and signaled to them.</p>
<hr>
<p>Hard work rewarded: Matawan grad off to Princeton (New Jersey)</p>
<p>[Hard</a> work rewarded: Matawan grad off to Princeton | APP.com | Asbury Park Press](<a href=“http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080605/COMMUNITY/806050304]Hard”>http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080605/COMMUNITY/806050304)</p>
<p>Matawan Regional High School senior Stephen Turner has one dazzling future ahead of him.</p>
<p>What other justification is there for his accomplishments: a 4.7 grade-point average, Class of 2008 valedictorian, an outstanding athletic career and acceptance into the prestigious Princeton University?</p>
<p>Turner, 18, is graduating on June 18 and will head to college in the fall to study molecular biology. He wants to become a surgeon.</p>
<hr>
<p>Salutatorian Will Follow a Different Path Next Year (Connecticut)</p>
<p>[Salutatorian</a> Will Follow a Different Path Next Year - Westport News](<a href=“http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:YXQfWTA7xgEJ:www.westport-news.com/local/ci_9639504+Salutatorian+will+follow+a+different+path"&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us]Salutatorian”>http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:YXQfWTA7xgEJ:www.westport-news.com/local/ci_9639504+Salutatorian+will+follow+a+different+path"&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us)</p>
<p>Brandon Davis, the salutatorian of the Staples High School class of 2008, has a challenging year ahead of him. </p>
<p>After spending four years getting high enough grades to earn him the second highest GPA in his graduating class and being extremely involved in not only the Staples community, but his religious community as well, one might expect Davis to take a break. Perhaps he could spend a leisurely summer at home in Westport, and then head off with the rest of his peers to his freshman year of college. </p>
<p>Instead, after a summer filled with working the busy Westport Public Library and tutoring students for the SATs and college admissions, Davis plans to take on what will probably be one of the greatest challenges of his life.
He will defer his admission to Princeton University for a year to spend a fifth year in high school. The high school, though, will not be Staples – it will be a Spanish-speaking school in Argentina. </p>
<hr>
<p>When Zach Wyzgoski received his ACT score in an e-mail, he kept searching
(Michigan)</p>
<p>[Zach</a> Wyzgoski: Bloom. Hills Andover | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press](<a href=“http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080608/SPORTS09/806080710/1057/SPORTS09]Zach”>http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080608/SPORTS09/806080710/1057/SPORTS09)</p>
<p>When Zach Wyzgoski received his ACT score in an e-mail, he kept searching because the only number he could see on his screen was 36.</p>
<p>“When I first saw it, I wondered where my score was because I knew it was out of 36,” he said. “It was pretty crazy. I was kind of shocked and ecstatic, and my parents were, too. It was a cool night.”</p>
<p>Wyzgoski scored a perfect 36. He also earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average at Bloomfield Hills Andover. And Wyzgoski was a four-year starter and first-team all-stater on the Andover soccer team. He also advanced to the tennis state semifinals three times.</p>
<hr>
<p>Red Hood Valedictorian Chloe Bordewich has big plans for future (New York)</p>
<p>[Gazette</a> Advertiser - Red Hook Valedictorian Chloe Bordewich has big plans for future](<a href=“http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19802571&BRD=1702&PAG=461&dept_id=69079&rfi=6]Gazette”>http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19802571&BRD=1702&PAG=461&dept_id=69079&rfi=6)</p>
<p>The Red Hook Senior class graduates this Saturday at 1 p.m., on the Red Hook High School grounds. The valedictorian is Chloe Bordewich, daughter of Fergus and Jean Bordewich of Red Hook. Chloe will attend Princeton University where she intends to study Arabic and aims to enter the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton.</p>
<p>Chloe served as president of the National Honor Society and was involved in the Model United Nations Club. She has played trumpet in orchestra, band and pep band, and participated in Irish step dancing for the past 10 years.</p>
<p>Studying in the International Baccalaureate program at Red Hook High School “took an immense amount of time,” Chloe said. “But I feel that I am a much better thinker as a result and will do much better managing the college workload.”</p>
<hr>
<p>Salutatorian ready for Princeton (Connecticut)</p>
<p>[The</a> Brookfield Journal - Salutatorian ready for Princeton](<a href=“http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19809905&BRD=1656&PAG=461&dept_id=13278&rfi=6]The”>http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19809905&BRD=1656&PAG=461&dept_id=13278&rfi=6)</p>
<p>Salutatorian Joe Anaya, who will be headed to Princeton University in New Jersey this fall, said that through advanced placement (AP) classes, for example, he received a prep-school education at Brookfield High School.
He said that several of the classes emphasized higher-order thinking skills and independent projects, which should be good preparation as he embarks on an Ivy League school curriculum.</p>
<p>Joe, 18, said that, for example, the humanities class with Gene Newell, a veteran teacher at the school, focused on “philosophy.”</p>
<p>“It’s absolutely gorgeous at Princeton,” he said. “That was unmatched at any other campus that I was looking at.”</p>
<hr>
<p>Alexa BanfichGatorade Athlete of the Year (Indiana)</p>
<p>[RiseMag.com</a> > News > Gatorade Player of the Year > Girls’ Cross Country > INDIANA POY – ALEX BANFICH](<a href=“2024 Recruit College Football Class and Player Rankings - ESPN”>http://www.risemag.com/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=newsArticle&categoryKey=gatoradePOYgirlsXcountry&articleId=12461)</p>
<p>In its third decade of honoring the nations best high school athletes, Gatorade joined with RISE Magazine to name senior ALEX BANFICH of CULVER ACADEMIES in Culver as its 2007-08 Indiana Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.</p>
<p>The senior distance runner captured her third Indiana State Meet individual championship with a time of 18:21, outracing her next-fastest competitor by 18 seconds. Banfich finished sixth at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in 17:53. She placed 21st (18:07) at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in addition to recording an unbeaten season against state competition.</p>
<hr>
<p>Alissa Sasso sets sights on future (New Jersey)</p>
<p>[Meet</a> the 2008 HHS valedictorian - Hackensack Chronicle](<a href=“http://www.hackensackchronicle.com/NC/0/305.html]Meet”>http://www.hackensackchronicle.com/NC/0/305.html)</p>
<p>Alissa Sasso remembers how during her time as captain of the Hackensack High School academic decathlon team, each year had a theme: one year it was the Renaissance, the next year China, the following year the U.S. Civil War. But next year, she has a new theme: excitement, mixed with anticipation of the unknown.</p>
<p>“Im excited, and Im a little nervous to go to Princeton,” says Sasso, 18, who will attend the prestigious, nearby Ivy League university in the fall. “Im a little bit overwhelmed by the idea.”</p>
<p>Dont worry about Alissa. She may be apprehensive. But she is not unprepared. After all, she does have a plan. And she is about to execute it.</p>
<p>“I thought that Princeton had the most well-rounded education,” says Sasso, who maintained a 4.0 grade point average in high school. “As much as I like science and math, I didnt want to sacrifice learning about the humanities and everything else. Ever since middle school, Ive always done well in math. I guess its maybe because the answers are more clear-cut, but there is still room for interpretation.”</p>
<hr>
<p>Fong clinches spot on U.S. Olympic shooting team (New York)</p>
<p>[NBCOlympics.com</a> - Fong clinches spot on U.S. Olympic shooting team](<a href=“http://www.nbcolympics.com/wnbc/news/newsid=141627.html]NBCOlympics.com”>http://www.nbcolympics.com/wnbc/news/newsid=141627.html)</p>
<p>Sandra Fong, a New York City native, earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. </p>
<p>Fong, 18, finished second with 1937.6 in the women’s 3-Position Rifle event at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to clinch her first spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. </p>
<p>More than 170 rifle and pistol shooters from across the country battled for spots at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Ft. Benning’s International Shooting Complex in Columbus, Ga. </p>
<p>A national J3 record holder for 50 m prone and 3P air rifle, Fong was Smallbore Champion at the 2008 Junior Olympic Rifle Championships and Junior Silver Medali8st in smallbore 3P at the 2007 USAS National Championships. </p>
<hr>
<p>Fitzsimmons well-rounded and proud (New Jersey)</p>
<p>[Fitzsimmons</a> well-rounded and proud | mycentraljersey.com | MyCentralJersey.com](<a href=“http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/SPORTS/806280341/1172]Fitzsimmons”>http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/SPORTS/806280341/1172)</p>
<p>A phrase often linked to describing a great athlete is one Hunterdon Central High School’s Dan Fitzsimmons has always held close.</p>
<p>I’ve always loved the term "well-rounded athlete,’ " said Fitzsimmons recently. "A well-rounded athlete, a well-rounded student. When your name comes up in conversation and you hear that about yourself, it’s special.</p>
<hr>
<p>Briarwood tennis player Alex Epps headed for the Ivy League (Alabama)</p>
<p>[Briarwood</a> tennis player Alex Epps headed for the Ivy League- al.com](<a href=“http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212912915284070.xml&coll=2]Briarwood”>http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1212912915284070.xml&coll=2)</p>
<p>Alex Epps figured she would have plenty of time to improve her stellar academics after rotator cuff surgery last December kept her away from the tennis court a few months during her senior year at Briarwood Christian School. </p>
<p>As it turned out, the lack of court time had a different impact on Epps’ schoolwork. She had more time for homework, but the disruption in her daily schedule left her procrastinating. </p>
<p>“The more I played tennis, the better I was” at time management, Epps said. “Everything had a time spot. I had a harder time because of the injury. I knew I had plenty of time to do schoolwork so I would just sit on the couch. That is the worst thing for an athlete.” </p>
<p>Epps returned to the tennis court and resumed her busy schedule midway through the spring semester. Epps, who is headed to Princeton University in the fall, is a representative of The Birmingham News All-Metro Academic Team in 2008. </p>
<p>Epps excelled both academically and athletically at Briarwood. Her classroom credentials included a 4.78 grade-point average, which made her the valedictorian of her senior class. Epps also scored a 35 on the ACT - just one point away from a perfect score. </p>
<p>Epps’ athletic exploits included a runner-up finish in the Class 5A No. 2 singles bracket as a junior. She also advanced to the semifinals in the No. 4 singles bracket as a senior following her shoulder surgery.</p>