Amanda d’Almeida
Amanda d’Almeida is heading to Minnesota this fall to attend Carleton College where she plans to study pre-med, major in biology and compete on the varsity women’s soccer team. She hopes to someday attend medical school and become a pediatrician or surgeon.
She said her dream is to participate in Doctors Without Borders or Mercy Ships.
She is graduating from Coupeville High School where she earned a 4.0 grade point average. d’Almeida is one of two valedictorians for the Class of 2013. Of the numerous awards she has earned through her time at Coupeville High School, she was the Lions Club Student of the Quarter, recevied American Association of University Women recognition in math and science, and numerous excellence awards in her academic subjects.
D’Almeida is also a member of National Honor Society, jazz band and she has served as ASB treasurer.
She has participated in National History Day and the Science Olympiad.
In athletics, d’Almeida has been named first team and second team all conference on the soccer team, where she has also earned most valuable player, best defensive player and best offensive player.
She also competes on the tennis team where she has been named most valuable player and was a district champion in her freshman, sophomore and junior years.
She is planning to work this summer picking raspberries along with helping her family prepare for a move to Austria.
Tommy Lile
Tommy Lile is graduating from Coupeville High School with a 4.0 grade point average. He is one of two valedictorians for the class of 2013. He also attended Skagit Valley College through the Running Start program. He is graduating with an associates degree in biology and science, physics and engineering.
At Coupeville High School, he was class president in his sophomore and junior years, a member of National Honor Society and has competed in the Science Olympiad.
Lile is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa at Skagit Valley College where he also participated in student government at the college.
Outside of school, he volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club.
He is planning to attend the University of Washington in the fall.
“It’s close to home and it has a great engineering program,” Lile said.
He hopes to major in bio-engineering. He wants to attend a five-year program that will earn him his bachelor and masters degrees. Because he has completed two years of college, he hope to finish the program in three years.
Once he is done with college, he hopes to research stem cells that could lead to cures for alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes. Those are afflictions that have affected his family.
Prior to hitting the books in Seattle, he plans to travel to Disneyland this summer.
Cole Weinstein
Cole Weinstein has been a competitive swimmer for more than 10 years. He swims year-round for the North Whidbey Aquatic Club, which is accredited with USA Swimming. During his years of competition, he has medaled at various competitions.
Weinstein is graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.9 grade point average and he is the salutatorian for the Class of 2013. He is a member of National Honor Society and National Society of High School Scholars. He has received five Coupeville High School Lamp of Knowledge Awards for Academic Excellence.
He also mentors an elementary school student for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County. He is planning to work as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Camp Casey Pool near Coupeville and as a lifeguard for the John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool in Oak Harbor.
Weinstein is planning to attend Whitman College in the fall where he will also compete on the swim team.
Anna Bailey
In addition to graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.9 grade point average, Anna Bailey has been busy training and showing her yellow labrador retrievers in obedience and showmanship. Bailey has been a member of the All American Puppy Paws Four-H Club for 13 years where she has held various positions as president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.
At Coupeville High School, she is a member of National Honor Society where she was a group leader during her senior year. She has earned the Lamp of Knowledge each year through high school.
In athletics Bailey competed in track and soccer for four years. She was the soccer team captain during her senior year, and has lettered for four years. She also earned top defender for three years. Bailey lettered in track for three years.
She is planning to work this summer at a variety of jobs including Serendipity Catering and possibly Rosehip Farm & Garden.
Bailey is planning to attend Washington State University Honors College in the fall where she hopes to major in nutrition and exercise physiology. She hopes to earn her master’s degree and become a registered dietician.
Kathryn Reid
Kathyryn Reid has earned awards for her efforts in drama along with earning a 3.9 grade point average during her four years attending Coupeville High School.
While in the drama program, she earned the club’s best newcomer award (on stage) during her sophomore year, she earned drama student of the year in her junior year and she has also lettered in drama. Reid also participated in ballet at the Ballet Slipper.
Reid academically has been on the honor roll all four years and she participated in National Honor Society, and she earned recognition for academic achievement in U.S. History.
She participates in the youth group at St. Augustine’s In-the-Woods Episcopal Church in Freeland, where she is also a lector and nursery volunteer. In addition to visiting relatives this summer, her youth group will undertake a pilgrimage to England.
Reid plans to attend Western Washington University in the fall. She said she is still exploring options for a major and a career.
Nathan Lamb
Among the honors Nathan Lamb has earned over the years, he is an Eagle Scout. He earned the rank participating through Boy Scout Troop 4065, of which he has been a member since he was 12.
Lamb is also graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.9 grade point average. He spent two years as a member of National Honor Society, participated in the Science Olympiad during his junior year and National History Day during his sophomore year. His performance project on Native American fishing rights earned Lamb and his partner ninth place honors at the National History Day competition.
In athletics, Lamb competed in soccer and tennis at the high school. Lamb has earned rookie of the year, most valuable player, and second team all conference in soccer. He has earned most improved player and he is a two-year MVP in tennis.
Outside of school, Lamb is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he held a number of leadership positions. Lamb also volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters where he has met with his “little brother” almost every week.
He is continuing a family trend once he graduates from high school. He is attending Brigham Young University, a school where all of his siblings have attended. He starts summer semester in late-June.
Following summer semester, he heads off on a two-year church mission.
Katy Verble
After Katy Verble graduates from high school, she is planning to enlist in the Air Force. Once in the service, Verble wants to become a cryptologic linguist. Verble said she loves languages and the military is always in need of translators.
In the Air Force, she said she can learn a new language, earn money, go to school and see the world at the same time.
She is graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.9 grade point average. She has been on the honor roll for four years and she has earned a Lamp of Knowledge.
Verble is a member of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, which is an organization for girls that teaches leadership, character building through charity work. She is the “worthy advisor” which means she is a leader for the group.
She also organizes charity events for the Oak Harbor Pregnancy Care Clinic and Verble is a member of the Oak Harbor Southern Baptist Church.
She plans to spend the summer enjoying Rainbow along with getting in shape, learning to cook, studying the Bible and avoiding calculus.
Ben Wehrman
Ben Wehrman, along with several of his friends, will be spending the summer in Europe before heading off to college. The group of friends will fly to Spain and then travel through Italy, France and the Netherlands before returning home in time for orientation. Prior to heading off to college, he also hopes to squeeze in a camping and whitewater rafting trip to Eastern Washington.
Wehrman is graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.8 grade point average. He has served on the executive board and reached a goal by becoming co-president in National Honor Society.
In athletics, Wehrman competed in tennis for four years. During his years on the tennis team, he has earned the Coaches Award twice, he was team captain in his junior and senior years and he was named “most inspirational” during his senior year. He would’ve played basketball, but he said the games would have interfered with snowboarding season.
Outside of school he volunteers at various town festivals that take place through the year and he has helped area homeowners through Central Whidbey Hearts and Hammers.
He is planning to attend the University of Washington in the fall. He is already planning his outfit to wear at football games.
Danielle Rickard
For Danielle Rickard, she is enlisting in the military once she graduates from Coupeville High School. She is heading into the Navy and will go to boot camp Aug. 1.
Rickard said she decided to enlist because she is the type of person who helps people and joining the Navy also gives her the opportunity to travel.
The future seaman is graduating from Coupeville High School with a 3.8 grade point average. She has spent two years in National Honor Society and she has been on the honor roll. She has also been awarded chemistry student of the year, math student of the year, and foreign language student of the years.
Outside of the classroom, Rickard has competed in softball during her sophomore year and track and field in her junior and senior years. She volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters and holds down a part-time job at Kmart.
She is planning to enjoy time with family and friends this summer before going to boot camp.
Bethany Walstad
Bethany Walstad has been a three-sport athlete at Coupeville High School. She competes in varsity volleyball, basketball and softball. She received volleyball honorable mention during her junior year and volleyball second team during her senior year. She also received honorable mention honors in basketball and softball.
She is graduating with a 3.7 grade point average and she has been a member of National Honor Society and Class ASB.
Outside of school she teaches 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds at her church in Oak Harbor on the first Sunday of every month. She is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters through school and she coaches basketball for the Boys and Girls Club.
She is spending the summer on Whidbey Island and making some money by scooping ice cream at Kapaw’s Iskreme Shop in Coupeville. She is planning to attend George Fox University in Oregon this fall.
Luke Pelant
Soccer appears to be a part of Luke Pelant’s future. He is considering whether to walk-on at Western Washington University in the fall or compete on a club team in the Bellingham area.
At Coupeville High School, he has lettered for four years in soccer, lettered in football in his sophomore and junior years, and he was most improved in football during his freshman year and he earned the Cascade Conference Sportsmanship award.
He is graduating with a 3.7 grade point average. He is a member of National Honor Society and participates on the Executive Board. He has earned Lamp of Knowledge awards and he has been spotlighted in local newspapers.
Outside of school, he works one day a week at Windermere and his is looking for work at a restaurant in Coupeville.
Pelant volunteers at his church creating PowerPoint slides and recording sermons. He also completes community service through National Honor Society.
He is planning to major in computer science or engineering when he attends Western Washington University in the fall.
