Mt. Ararat High School valedictorians for 2022. Left to Right: Emma Hanna, Isadora Theberge, Anya Bachor, Gracia Leclerc, Lucy Nelson, Olivia Cox, Erik Richardson, Benjamin Humphrey. Photo contributed by Mt. Ararat High School

After spending the majority of their high school career under a disruptive pandemic, eight Mt. Ararat High School students have risen to the top of their class and tied for the title of valedictorian.

The eight valedictorians, Anya Bachor, Olivia Cox, Emma Hanna, Ben Humphrey, Gracia Leclerc, Lucy Nelson, Erik Richardson and Isadora Theberge told the Times Record they are excited to graduate and honored to be named valedictorians but said COVID-19 made it difficult to reach the finish line.

“I think that the greatest difficulty during the pandemic was losing regular contact with my classmates at such a formative time,” Valedictorian Olivia Cox said.

However, Cox said remote learning allowed her to experience her classmates and teachers in a different light.

“I do think that we found other ways to connect, and in some ways, we are stronger for it,” she said. “I remember introducing my dog to my AP European History class when we first switched to Zoom. Meeting each other’s pets was definitely a highlight of remote learning. And when we returned to school, I found that I appreciated the little interactions I had with faculty and peers so much more,” she said.

Why are so many graduating at the top of this class? Mt. Ararat High School uses an unweighted grading system that calculates a students’ overall average grade up to 4.0, no matter the course difficulty. Some students may take college prep, honors, or advanced placement courses, but as long as they maintain straight As throughout high school, they will be named valedictorian.

Valedictorian Isadora Theberge said there was some controversy amongst students over the grading system.

“Some students were upset about unweighted grades, as they took advanced placement classes and it hurt their GPA,” said Theberge.

As part of the Maine School Administrative District 75, Mt. Ararat High School educates students from Topsham, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham and Harpswell.

Each valedictorian has their plan for life after graduation. Some will study science, history, law, film, space, animals, or even take a gap year to travel the world.

Cox plans on attending Brown University in the fall to study biology.

Anya Bachor plans on attending Lesley University to major in film studies and minor in history.

“I have hopes of becoming a movie director or producer, and I can’t wait to travel and discover my place in this world,” said Bachor.

Maine State Ballet dancer and valedictorian Lucy Nelson said, “after high school I will be attending Cornell University with hopes of eventually going to law school and becoming a corporate lawyer or a criminal defense attorney.”

Robotics club member, animal enthusiast and valedictorian Benjamin Humphrey will attend the animal science and pre-veterinary program at the University of Maine at Orono, with the option to finish his fourth year in Glasgow, Scotland.

“I’ve been fostering pregnant cats and kittens for 9 years, amounting to over 160 kittens that have gone through my house and been adopted,” said Humphrey.

A member of both the jazz and concert band, the civil rights team, math team and national honors society, Grace Leclerc said she plans on continuing her many academic extracurriculars at Brown University, where she will study political science.

Science enthusiast and valedictorian Erik Richardson will attend UMass Amherst to study astronomy.

“A potential goal of mine is to end up working for NASA or Space X on space exploration,” said Richardson.

Varsity athlete and valedictorian Emma Hanna, will attend Springfield College next fall for occupational therapy in the accelerated masters program.

Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute member and valedictorian Isadora Theberge said she will take a gap year after graduation.

“I want to travel to every state in the U.S. and I also want to go to Greece, Spain, New Zealand, and many other places,” she said.

Of the eight valedictorians, only four have volunteered to give speeches. Lucy Nelson, Olivia Cox, Emma Hanna and Gracia Leclerc all have a different message to share with their fellow graduates.

Nelson said she hopes to convey her gratitude to those who made the last four years enjoyable, despite the difficulties of remote learning.

“Going to high school during a pandemic was very difficult because it felt extremely isolated. Remote learning was hard to adjust to, but the teachers did a really good job ensuring that all the students were getting the support they needed,” said Nelson.

Cox looks forward to graduation day and everyone gathering together to celebrate in their accomplishments.

“We all made it through four incredibly tough years that ended up dividing our class through quarantine and Covid-19 restrictions. I really look forward to an occasion where we can all be together again and reflect on this experience we’ve shared, while also being thoughtful about how we will start this new chapter of our lives,” said Cox.

Leclerc said in her speech, she will share her growth over the past four years and what she is prepared to tackle in the future.

“I’m not quite sure what I’m going to write about yet, but I hope to convey how much I’ve grown during my time at Mt. Ararat and how well my experiences here have prepared me for college and beyond,” said Leclerc.

Mt. Ararat High School 2022 valedictorians, having fun. Left to Right: Emma Hanna, Isadora Theberge, Anya Bachor, Gracia Leclerc, Lucy Nelson, Olivia Cox, Erik Richardson, Benjamin Humphrey. Photo contributed by Mt. Ararat High School