Stearns High School valedictorians named

MILLINOCKET – Paul MacDonald, principal of Stearns High School, has announced four valedictorians for the Class of 2005.

Lisa Kranich, daughter of Debbie and Douglas Kranich, will attend the University of Maine in Orono to study cellular and molecular biology.

She has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years. She performed marine biology research at UMaine as an intern in the MERITS program last summer. She is vice president of programming of Medical Explorers’ Post 200 and has been the vice president of her junior and senior classes. She contributes her time to the Katahdin Area Partnership/OneME Grant Committee Strategy Team.

Kranich has been involved in field hockey and track and field for four years. In 2004, she was awarded the all-academic award for field hockey from the Maine Field Hockey Association. She has been a basketball and competition cheerleader for two years and participated in Dance Studio One for several years.

She has been an active member in student council, math team and French club for four years. She was a mentor for the National Center of Student Aspirations this year through which she will partake in an exchange program in Scotland in June. She enjoys being a peer counselor at Stearns.

Trisha MacDonald, daughter of Robert and Hope MacDonald, will attend the University of Southern Maine where she will study sports medicine and play basketball.

She has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years. She performed research in the plant soil and microbial science department at UMaine last summer as an intern in the MERITS program and was selected to participate in the MedStart Camp at Husson College the previous summer. She has been a member of the Stearns civil rights team, student council, AP peer mentoring, math team, prom committee and senior awareness committee. She has been awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution good citizen award.

MacDonald played field hockey for three years and basketball for four years. She was chosen co-captain of the varsity basketball team her junior and senior years, MVP two years and named a Penobscot Valley Conference first team all-star for three years. This past season, she scored her 1000th point and made the all-tourney team, the McDonald’s all-star and all-academic teams and the honorable mention all-state team.

She participated in the performing arts department, played trumpet in the concert and jazz bands for four years, and for three years, she accompanied the fall musical in the pit band. This year, she was first chair and lead trumpet in the District V honors band. She was awarded the outstanding trumpet award at the jazz band state competition and was cast as Little Red Riding Hood in the fall musical “Into the Woods” her sophomore year. She was selected as an all-state member all four years and took dance and gymnastics classes at Studio One for many years.

Janessa Nason, daughter of Julie and Drew Nason, will attend the University of Connecticut to study pre-physical therapy.

She has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years, chosen as a delegate to Dirigo Girls State and has been awarded the Maine Principals’ Award for the Class of 2005. She has been active in the student council as a class officer for four years.

She has been a member of the math team for four years and a peer counselor since she was a sophomore. She participated in field hockey, basketball and tennis for four years and has volunteered as a tobacco-free athlete. She has been involved in dance at Studio One since a young age and has taught dance classes there for the past three years.

Samuel Stahl, son of Friedrich and Sandra Stahl, will attend UMaine to study civil engineering.

He has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years and was chosen as a Dirigo Boys State delegate. He is involved with the local Medical Explorers Post as vice president of administration. He participated in football, ice hockey and track. He is a member of the jazz band, math team and French club.

He works part time at a local grocery store.