Lee Academy

LEE – Headmaster Bruce Lindberg has announced the honor parts for the Class of 2008. Baccalaureate was held June 3; Class Night was held June 5 and the 163rd Commencement Exercises were held June 7.

Aarika Ritchie, daughter of Kevin and Kendra Ritchie of Lee, was valedictorian. She will attend Colby College in Waterville, where she plans to major in pre-law and minor in administrative services (business) while playing basketball for Coach Lori McBride.

She was the 2008 recipient of the Maine Principals’ Association Award, being named an Adidas National Soccer Coaches Association Academic All American (a first in school history shared with a classmate), a two-time Penobscot Valley Conference Academic All Star selection, a Wendy’s Heisman State Finalist, a 2008 Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year winner, a Maine McDonald’s Academic All State selection, a Williams Book Award recipient, and a Princeton Book Award nominee.

She has served as class president, vice president and secretary and was a two-year member of the National Honor Society and president of the French Club. She served as a peer counselor and on the Civil Rights Team and Student Council. She was a musical production participant as Frenchi in “Grease,” Rusti in “Footloose,” Peter in “Peter Pan” and most recently as Natalie-Ed in “All Shook Up.”

Her athletic accomplishments include being named a two-time All State basketball athlete by the Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald and a two-time Maine Soccer Coaches Association all star in soccer, receiving All State honors in 2007.

She excelled in softball, basketball, soccer and cross country. She was a Maine McDonald’s All Star and a Miss Maine Basketball Finalist in 2008. She became the first athlete to be named the Owen Osborne Player of the Year in two different classes.

Amanda Gifford, the daughter of Randy and Candace Gifford of Lee, will attend Bates College in Lewiston, where she plans to major in English while continuing her athletic career playing both soccer and basketball for Coach Jim Murphy.

She was the first recipient in school history of the Maine McDonald’s All State Academic Scholarship and was named an Adidas National Soccer Coaches Association Academic All American. She is a Maine McDonald’s Academic All State selection, a 2008 George J. Mitchell Scholar and the Daniel J. Frazier Citizenship recipient.

She is a two-time Penobscot Valley Conference academic all-star selection and a National Honor Society member. She served as vice president her junior year and is a Student Council, Civil Rights/Peer Counselor member and was a federal district court intern and volunteer for several area and school organizations.

A superior attendance recipient, she maintained highest honors throughout her academic career. She played the role of Sandy in the musical production of “Grease,” Ariel in “Footloose” and most recently the sultry Sondra in the remake of “All Shook Up.” She has served as a class officer throughout all four years and was selected as a Dirigo Girls State delegate where peers from all over Maine elected her to the senate. She is a member of the French Club and the Math Team and served as a youth foreign language mentor.

She was named a 2008 Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year National Finalist and was a 2008 National McDonald’s All American Nominee, a 2008 Miss Maine Basketball semifinalist and a 2008 Maine McDonald’s Senior All Star. She also excelled in soccer. In 2007 she became the fourth female leading goal scorer in Maine history and the first Lee Academy midfielder to surpass the 100-goal plateau and led the state two consecutive seasons in goals scored and captained her team for two years.

She is a four-time member of the cross-country team, including the 2004 Class D State Championship team and the two-time Eastern Maine Championship team.

In softball, she was a two-time Penobscot Valley Conference first team selection and was named the Most Outstanding Offensive player for 2007. She was the starting first baseman for the three-time Class D Eastern Maine Softball Championship team and the 2006 Class D State Champions and the two-time Class D Softball State Runners Up.