The Class of 2013 earned $57 million in scholarship offers. Pictured are the valedictorians and salutatorians. Pictured, back row from left, are: Steven Bode, Henry E. Lackey High School salutatorian; Alyssa Kepner, Westlake High School valedictorian; Henry Buntz, North Point High School valedictorian; Jake Bayer, La Plata High School co-salutatorian; Suzanne Cahn, La Plata co-salutatorian; Gaston Lopez, North Point salutatorian; and Paul Warren, Lackey valedictorian. Front row from the left are: Samantha Wood, Westlake salutatorian; Erin Albrecht, Maurice J. McDonough High School salutatorian; Rachel Jezek, McDonough valedictorian; Alexis Rossetti, Thomas Stone High School salutatorian; and Stacey Kramer, Stone valedictorian. Not pictured is La Plata High School Valedictorian Alexander Smith. [Click on the photo for a larger rendition]
LA PLATA, Md.—Charles County Public Schools honored 2,114 seniors on June 3 and June 4 during graduation ceremonies for six high schools. Students in the Class of 2013 were offered more than $57 million in scholarship offers, up almost $5 million from 2012.
Valedictorians and salutatorians were announced last week at awards ceremonies. These positions are determined by students’ grade point averages and represent the top academic achievers at each school.
Henry E. Lackey High School’s valedictorian is Paul Warren of White Plains and the salutatorian is Steven Bode of Nanjemoy. Warren plans to attend Stanford University to study computer science and mechanical engineering. Bode plans to study engineering at the University of Maryland College Park.
La Plata High School’s valedictorian is Alexander Smith of La Plata. La Plata has two co-salutatorians – John “Jake” Bayer of La Plata and Suzanne Cahn of Hughesville. Smith will attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the fall to study mathematics. Bayer plans to study political science at Clemson University in the fall, and Cahn is attending St. Mary’s College of Maryland to study Biology.
Rachel Jezek of Pomfret is Maurice J. McDonough High School’s valedictorian. She is attending the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the fall to study Biology on a pre-medical school track. Erin Albrecht is the salutatorian at McDonough and will attend the University of Maryland College Park in the fall to study environmental engineering.
North Point High School’s valedictorian is Henry Buntz of Waldorf. He will attend the University of Maryland College Park and plans to study mechanical engineering. North Point’s salutatorian is Alphonso “Gaston” Lopez of Waldorf. Lopez plans to attend Carleton College in the fall to study Physics.
Representing Thomas Stone High School are Stacey Kramer of Waldorf as valedictorian and Alexis Rossetti of Waldorf as salutatorian. Kramer has not declared a major, but will attend the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Rossetti plans to study international relations, but has not yet decided where she will enroll.
Westlake High School’s valedictorian is Alyssa Kepner of Waldorf and salutatorian is Samantha Wood, also of Waldorf. Kepner plans to major in mathematics at the University of Maryland College Park. Wood will also attend the University of Maryland College Park and plans to study biochemical bioengineering.
2013 graduation numbers by school
Henry E. Lackey High School
-- Total graduates: 282
-- Total scholarship money offered: $5,000,000
La Plata High School
-- Total graduates: 354
-- Total scholarship money offered: $9,972,130
La Plata’s scholarship offers increased by more than $3 million this year.
Maurice J. McDonough High School
-- Total graduates: 302
-- Total scholarship money offered: $13,212,076
McDonough’s scholarship offers is a record high for the school and more than doubled from last year’s $6.5 million.
North Point High School
-- Total graduates: 551
-- Total scholarship money offered: $15,078,274
Thomas Stone High School
-- Total graduates: 287
-- Total scholarship money offered: $6,060,000
Westlake High School
-- Total graduates: 338
-- Total scholarship money offered: $8,314,965
Charles County Public Schools Totals
Total graduates: 2,114
Total scholarship money offered: $57,637,445