Oak Harbor High School’s Class of 2016 is gearing up for graduation Monday, June 13. The class recognizes its top 10 seniors for their academic achievements. Here are the class’ top students:
CARLY HALL, 4.0: Carly is passionate about helping people. She plans to attend the University of Washington and eventually pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. “I’ve always really enjoyed people, especially little kids, and wasn’t sure how I would apply that to my career.” When she was 12, she visited Children’s Hospital in Seattle. The environment and the caring staff left an impression. She participates in 4-H and also shows her Australian Shepherd, Ebey. Her favorite teacher is Eric Peterson, who teaches marketing. She volunteers extensively and participated in sports throughout school. She’s also graduating from Skagit Valley College with an associate’s degree.
TAYLOR HALVERSON, 4.0: Taylor dreams of building things and she dreams of space. She hopes to combine those loves by becoming an aeronautical engineer. “My dream is to one day design spacecraft and help forge a path through our galaxy to be used for generations to come,” she said. Taylor describes herself as adventurous, especially when it comes to food. She loves carnival rides, the faster the better. Her favorite class in high school was physics because it combined her favorite two subjects, math and science. Outside of school, she enjoys building architectural models of famous buildings and collecting World Wrestling Entertainment cards. She’s a member of the Island County Astronomical Society.
JARED HUNT, 4.0: Jared plans to serve his country after graduation. He earned a full-ride Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship at the University of California San Diego. He said he chose this path because he knows it will be a challenge. He balanced advanced placement courses while participating in sports, including swimming, tennis and sailing. He served as commanding officer of the the school’s NJROTC battalion. For the past six years he’s been a certified SCUBA diver. His favorite teacher is Charlie Moser because “he taught me the importance of problem solving and never giving up.”
SUZANNE KALTENBACH, 4.0: Suzanne loves to write songs and sing with her indie rock band Last Sunday. She also played alto sax for the Oak Harbor High School jazz band. She’s also a talented soccer player, who served as team captain. She can’t settle on a favorite teacher — she liked them all. Her great loves are math and science. She will attend the University of Washington and is considering a career in medicine.
HELENA WEBSTER, 4.0: Like many Oak Harbor students, Helena’s military family moved frequently throughout her childhood. The experience challenged her to discover new facets of herself, she said. She’s interested in music, politics and the environment. “There’s some amazing science out there about the climate and alternative energy, and it’s not only fascinating but incredibly valuable,” she said. Her favorite teacher is Chuck Smotheron, who teaches drama and creative writing. “He was definitely kind and fun, and he helped me work through so many of the problems that popped up throughout high school.” She plans to attend St. Olaf College in Minnesota to study vocal performance and linguistics. She’s smitten by opera and wants to be a part of it. She’s a soloist at her church, the First Church of Christ in Mount Vernon.
BREANNA BELZ, 3.994: A career in engineering is in the future for Breanna. Her participation in the high school’s highly-regarded Robotics Club influenced her career choice. She also loves music. She’s a member of the Jazz Band and Symphonic Band. She plays both the alto saxophone and the flute. “Playing music is simply a part of my life, just like sleeping or eating,” she said. Breanna is an organized person, with a specific scheme for her backpack, which she said helps her most efficiently access her school materials and tell if her friend Lauren has been rummaging through it. Outside school, she enjoys watching horror movies and NOT watching romantic comedies. She plans to attend the University of Norte Dame in the fall to study engineering.
GAVIN TICHI, 3.993: Gavin is fascinated by technology, everything from simple systems to computer programs. “It reminds me of the miracle of technology which advanced human civilization to where it is today,” he said. He loves everything math and his favorite teacher is Matt Wilcox, “a very chill teacher who put up with my shenanigans.” He participated in Kiwanis Key Club, which is dedicated to community service. In his spare time, he loves gaming. He speaks Japanese fluently. He plans to attend the University of Washington to earn a degree in computer science. Someday, he wants to design the video games he loves or develop software.
ALEXA FINDLEY, 3.98: Alexa is a dedicated softball player who committed to play college ball for California Lutheran University. She loves not just playing but mentoring younger girls connected with the Oak Harbor Little League softball team. Her favorite teacher is one of herher coaches, Jessica Boswell. “She is the kindest, most charismatic teacher I’ve ever met.” Helping others brings Alexa joy. Her extensive volunteer work includes beach clean ups and helping at her church’s food bank. Academically, she’s drawn toward graphic arts. “I always find myself looking at advertisements and magazines and thinking, ‘My work could be featured on that someday.’” Eventually, she’d like to work in the entertainment business in computer-aided design, animation and graphic design.
LESSA CHIARALUCE, 3.973: Like several of the top 10 graduates, Lessa’s family is military and she described her greatest challenges as missing her father during deployments. She wants to help others and be of service. “Ultimately, we all have the chance to make a difference and an impact in this lifetime,” she said. “I’m planning on doing my fair share.” Not surprisingly, her resume includes a hefty amount of volunteer work, including as a donor monitor for a local blood center. She spent hours sorting, organizing and archiving historical records for the Island County Historical Society. She’d like to become a lawyer after attending the University of Washington on a full-ride scholarship. And she wants to become not just any lawyer, but eventually a federal judge. “My strong military background taught me that it’s a blessing to live in the United States,” she said. “I’d love to serve my country in any way I can and give back to the men and women who fought for our freedom.”
PATRICK MCCORNACK, 3.969: Patrick said he’s passionate about “pursuing my curiosity to better understand the world around me.” He plans to attend Washington State University to study engineering. He loves science, particularly physics. “I have always been interested in how things work and why,” he said. His favorite teacher is Charlie Moser “because of how blunt he is and how down to earth he can be.” Outside school, he loves skiing and mountain biking.
