George Stevens Academy

BLUE HILL – George Stevens Academy has announced the honor parts for the Class of 2008. Earning top honors as this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian are Elizabeth Moran and Kate Orlofsky, respectively. Kathlynn Ahern and Marina Van der Eb tied as first honor essayists, and this year’s second honor essayist is Hannah Mendlowitz.

Moran is the daughter of Dennis Moran and Beatrice Blake of East Blue Hill. She has participated in numerous activities including soccer, sailing, theater and jazz combo. She is a member of the National Honor Society and spent her junior year in Brazil as part of the American Field Service Program. She will study at Smith College next year.

Orlofsky is the daughter of Steve and Carol Orlofsky of Surry. A saxophonist, she played in the band, jazz band and a jazz combo for all of her years at GSA, and took part in the Holiday Angels for two years. She has been a member of the math team, the civil rights team, and the swim team, and served as co-president of the National Honor Society. She was honored with the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award and the American History Award during her junior year, and is a 2007 AP Scholar and a commended student in the National Merit Program. She will study animal science next year at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Ahern, first honor essayist, is the daughter of Paul and Jill Ahern of Penobscot. She participated in varsity basketball all four years and also has taken part in softball, swimming, sailing and played alto sax in the band. She is the co-president of the National Honor Society and in her junior year received the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award and the Smith Book Award. Also during her junior year, she participated in the Hancock County Medical Mission and Medlife Mission to Ecuador, where she served as a Spanish translator. She will attend the University of Toronto in the fall and plans to earn a law degree in environmental policy and animal welfare.

Van der Eb, first honor essayist, is the daughter of Peter and Joanne Van der Eb of Brooksville. Her activities included basketball, soccer, track, softball, band, jazz band, jazz combo and the math team. She is a member of the National Honor Society and a 2007 recipient of the Society of Women Engineers Book Award. She will begin her studies in engineering at Northeastern University next fall.

Mendlowitz, second honor essayist, is the daughter of Benjamin Mendlowitz and Deborah Brewster of Brooklin. She has participated in band (vibes, piano and tenor sax), jazz combo, theater, soccer, a cappella and student council. She is also a member of the National Honor Society, was named a National Merit Commended Scholar in 2007, and was the recipient of the Williams Book Award her junior year. She participated in community theater productions with New Surry Theater. She spent her senior year in Spain through the School Year Abroad Program. She will attend Yale University in the fall.