By Cindy Zomar, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – Having Marlborough High School on full remote learning did not stop Superintendent Michael Bergeron from recognizing two top seniors, Amy Shanahan and Allyson Trinh, with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Academic Excellence awards. The group celebrates top students in the fall of their senior year instead of with the usual spring award ceremonies so that the distinguished honor is in time to be included on college applications.
Bergeron invited both students, with their parents, to join him recently outside of the high school lobby for a brief press event with Mayor Arthur Vigeant, Principal Dan Riley, and Marlborough School Committee Vice Chair Michelle Bodin-Hettinger.
As Riley noted, “You both have distinguished yourselves in your pursuit of excellence. The criteria for these awards are your three-year cumulative average and your rank in the class.”
Shanahan and Trinh rank numbers one and two, respectively, at this time.
Bergeron congratulated the students on their outstanding academic achievements and expanded upon their accomplishments. He described Shanahan as “passionate, intelligent and self-motivated and a natural born leader.” Filling in details on her career at Marlborough High School, he said, “Amy has challenged herself with a rigorous course load of honors and AP (Advanced Placement) classes, having earned all A’s with an overall GPA of 4.88. Amy has excelled in every aspect of her academic career here at Marlborough High School. Amy has also earned the recognition of AP Scholar with Distinction for earning a 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams. Amy’s innate ability to grasp concepts quickly and unbelievable work ethic will make her a worthy addition to any college or university she chooses to attend. As if Amy’s academic accolades weren’t impressive enough, Amy has been a three-sport varsity athlete playing field hockey, basketball and lacrosse and currently serves as captain of the field hockey team. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, president of the trivia club, a peer mentor and a member of the student leadership committee. On top of all of that, Amy also holds two part-time jobs!”
Similarly, he described Trinh as “intelligent, inquisitive and talented” and explained that she has earned all A’s with an overall Grade Point Average of 4.85. “Allyson has earned the recognition of an AP Scholar with Honor having earned a 3 or higher on four or more AP exams throughout her high school career. Allyson has her sights set on the top schools in the country and there is no doubt that she will be wildly successful no matter where she ends up. Along with her academic achievements, Allyson has also been a four-year member of the Marlborough High School string ensemble (violin), a member of the National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society and is involved with our yearbook committee.”
Both young ladies will have taken a total of eleven AP classes each during their four years at the high school. Shanahan is looking forward to eventually attending med school and becoming a physician, while Trinh is considering a career in the field of computer engineering.
Mayor Arthur Vigeant commended the students, saying, “You are an example of the type of education that happens here in Marlborough and you have taken advantage of every opportunity you could. On behalf of the city of Marlborough and the School Committee, congratulations and best wishes to both of you.”
Photos/submitted
