Bangor High School

BANGOR – Commencement exercises for the Class of 2002 were held at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at the Bangor Auditorium where Principal Norris Nickerson announced the recipients of the Charles E. French medals:

Matthew Ryan Ellis, son of Bruce and Deborah Ellis of Bangor, one of four top graduating seniors, will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he will study computer science. Ellis tied for first place with Bo Shi for the prestigious Charles E. French medal.

He has been a member of the math team for the past four years, placed second among all freshmen in the Eastern Maine Math League, placed first among all sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the last three years. He served as captain of the math team his senior year, placed in the top 10 in the state and has been the highest-scoring student from Bangor High School for the past two years. Ellis was a member of the Science Bowl team that placed first in this year’s regional competition, thus earning a trip to the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. A National Merit Finalist, he has received the Superintendent’s Award and the Principal’s Leadership Award.

Bo Shi, son of Dr. Quan Zhen Shi and Ge Ying Fang, one of four top graduating seniors, will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and will study electrical engineering and computer science. Shi tied for first place with Matthew Ryan Ellis for the prestigious Charles E. French medal.

He has been captain of the debate team for two years and has twice qualified for the national tournament in Lincoln-Douglas debate. He is co-captain of the Bangor High math team and a member of the school’s Science Bowl team, which qualified for the national tournament in Washington, D.C. Shi volunteers at the Family Learning Center where he tutors weekly. Aside from math and science, his academic interests include ancient history and philosophy. Shi is a National Merit Commended Scholar and a recipient of the Rensselaer Medal for mathematics and science.

Sarah Anne Vereault, daughter of Barbara and Donald Vereault of Bangor, one four top graduating seniors, will attend McGill University in Montreal, where she will study biology. She was the third place recipient of the Charles E. French medal.

Vereault has participated on the spring and indoor track teams. She has been on the National Honor Society and on the math team. She was on the top-ranked Bangor Ed math team this year and was the highest-placed female on the team. She was a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program and a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. She is a lector at Saint Mary’s Parish in Bangor for the Life Teen Mass.

James Jerome Sutcliffe, son of Nina and Robert Sutcliffe of Bangor, one of four top graduating seniors, will attend Dartmouth College to study English and the natural sciences. He is the fourth-place recipient of the Charles E. French medal.

Sutcliffe, a National Merit Finalist, was the secretary-treasurer of the National Honor Society. He was a member of the basketball team, math team and co-editor-in-chief of the Bangor High School literary magazine, Mosaic. A candidate for Presidential Scholar, he received the Superintendent’s Award and department awards in both French and science. He attended Simon’s Rock College of Bard Young Writer’s workshop.