The Spartan Times takes an inside look at the Class of 2025’s top graduates
On Thursday, May 8, The Sanford Elks held its Annual Youth Banquet that celebrates the academic successes of students in the Sanford School District.
The private event hosted and recognized Sanford High School’s top 50 academic performers in the Class of 2025. The Top 10 graduates for the Class were announced along with many other honors, awards and scholarships.
Below, we’ve asked the Top 10 about their future plans and favorite SHS memories:
Valedictorian: Rishi Patel
Rishi Patel will attend Boston College.
Salutatorian: Samone Gallagher
Samone Gallagher will be majoring in Environmental Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She hopes to become an environmental engineer somewhere in the New England area and help to counter climate change. She’s currently interested in specializing in air pollution control and green energy.
- Favorite SHS Class, who taught it, and why you liked it: My favorite SHS class was AP Research with Ms. Quarles because I was able to research my own personal interests and realize that I was interested in sustainability.
- Favorite SHS Memory: My favorite SHS memory is both my Junior and Senior proms.
- Advice for Underclassmen: Explore what you’re passionate about and to join as many extra curricular activities as you can while still balancing your personal life.
Rowan Winchell
Rowan Winchell will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute to study Environmental Engineering. His goals are to travel, learn as much as he can about the world, and to help make it a better place wherever he can.
- Favorite SHS Class: AP Calc AB & BC, Mrs. Colbeth. Mrs. Colbeth is an amazing and kind teacher who brought a positive attitude to the class. Calculus itself is such a fun and new way to look at math compared to what came before, despite its novelty, it felt very intuitive to me, and I felt that it helped me understand the world a little better.
- Favorite SHS memory: Going on the scavenger hunt in St. Malo, France with SHS Abroad. The ocean was such a beautiful teal and the ice cream somehow tasted exactly like how perfume smells!
- Advice for Underclassmen: Just be you and explore your own interests, you’ll find good friends along the way. Don’t let others’ lack of understanding get in the way of your hobbies. TTRPGs are fun, even if some people don’t believe me 🙂
- Involvement at SHS: Math Team Captain for 2025, attended the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Camden Conferences with Mrs. Averill.
Elsie Gendron
Elsie Gendron will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, Georgia) and receiving her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts with a focus in Painting.
Elsie hopes to be able to eventually make a full time career out of her art, travel, and live as unconventionally as possible.
- Favorite SHS Class: My favorite SHS class was AP Art taught by Ms. Warner. It’s become a small tight-knit community where we always have fun and support each other. Ms. Warner knows when to make class fun, but also when to push us as artists. High school wouldn’t have been nearly the same without it.
- Favorite SHS Memory: Anytime Ms. Warner made us snacks!!
- Advice for Underclassmen: Your time is your own, do with it what you want and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
- Clubs & Involvement: NAHS President, Math Team, Homecoming Committee, SHS Abroad, Student Rep on the School Committee. Participated in multiple exhibitions with Continuum Arts Collective and The Maine Capitol Complex.
Hannah Morgan
Hannah Morgan will be attending the University of Southern Maine (Gorham, Maine) to major in Media Studies with a concentration in Media Production & Design. She hopes to become a successful movie director and adopt many cats).
- Favorite SHS Class: Video Production taught by Mr. Harmon. There was always something to do in that class, and it was very hands on. I loved the broadness of our assignments so we could really make anything we wanted, he allowed us to really use our creativity.
- Favorite SHS Memory: Being part of the SHS Theater Company (more specifically, closing night of “Guys and Dolls”)
- Advice for Underclassmen: Life isn’t perfect but your outfit can be.
- Clubs & Involvement: Part of SHS Theater Company as the Set Painting leader, National Technical Honor Society, National Art Honor Society as the secretary one year and treasurer the other, and National Honor Society. Helped WSSR-TV livestream during last year’s graduation and SRTC recognition night. Spent time with the children when the asylum seekers came to Sanford.
Corinna Vitale
Corinna Vitale will be attending Meredith College (Raleigh, North Carolina) to major in Social Work and minor in Spanish. In the future, Vitale plans to pursue a career in Child and Family Social Work, buy a house and start a family.
- Favorite SHS Class: Early Childhood Education with Ms. Michelle. I had so much fun, learned valuable real-world skills, and made great friends.
- Favorite SHS Memory: Going to the Boston Aquarium with the National Art Honor Society.
- Advice for Underclassmen: Don’t take things too seriously, it’s not a big deal.
- Clubs & Involvement: NAHS, Theater, Math team, Winter guard, Sunday school volunteer
Tala Soule
Tala Soule will attend the University of Maine Farmington to major in education and minor in Art for the next four years. She hopes to become an elementary school teacher and travel around the world on her time off.
- Favorite SHS Class: My favorite high school class was my ceramics class taught by Ms. Monroe. She is a lovely teacher and made the class very enjoyable.
- Favorite SHS Memory: My favorite memories were the school dances, pep rallies, Friday night football games, and volunteering at Carl J. Lamb.
- Advice for Underclassmen: My advice for underclassmen is to take all the hard classes in your freshman, sophomore, and junior year so you have a relaxing senior year.
Jennifer Danis
Jennifer Danis will be attending the University of Maine (Orono, Maine) to major in Anthropology while pursuing dance. Her professional aspirations are to become a Forensic Anthropologist.
- Favorite SHS Class: Honors Algebra 2 with Mr. Soule. This class rekindled my lost love for math and gave me the foundational knowledge to pursue higher level thinking.
- Advice for Underclassmen: live in the moment, don’t spend so much time thinking on the future that you miss out in what’s right in-front of you
- Clubs & Involvement: Part of Collective Motions Arts Center’s Pre-Professional Company and have been dancing there for over 8 years.
Daviney Sar
Daviney Sar will be attending York County Community College, then transferring to a 4-year University. Her long term goals are to live a stable life and protect her peace.
- Favorite SHS Class, who taught it, and why you liked it: My favorite class at SHS was AP Art, taught by Ms. Warner. I loved this class because of the people and the art I made.
- Favorite SHS Memory: Getting stuck in Boston with NAHS after missing our train home.
- Advice for Underclassmen: Get involved!
- Clubs & Involvement: Vice President of NAHS, designed a Mural for MCS
Ariana Spiller
Ariana Spiller will be attending the University of New England (Biddeford, Maine) and majoring in Art Education. She plans to become an elementary school art teacher and share her love of art with the young children.
- Favorite SHS class: AP 2D Design with Ms. Warner because it taught me how to manage my time and challenge my artistic skills with unknown or difficult materials.
- Favorite SHS Memory: Ms. Warner always made us laugh and brought in yummy treats to celebrate our success.
- Advice for Underclassmen: Your mental health is more important than your rank and perfect grades, take care and push yourself knowing your limits. Enjoy being a teenager and explore your passions and live your life to the fullest.
- Clubs & Involvement: Varsity Theater: 11 and 12 with leads roles of Megan Jones in Puffs and Juror #4 in 12 Angry Jurors; Theater Club: 9, 10, 11, and 12; JV Soccer: 9 and 10; JV Lacrosse: 10 and 11; Mural at Margret Chase Smith 4 weekends in a row for 3 hours each weekend; Member of National Art Honors Society
