Celebrating The Top 10 Students of
The Senior Class
Dr. Kristan Rodriguez
Dr. Katie Novak
Assistant Principal
Ben Navetta, I am Ben (I can’t remember the last time someone called me Benjamin). Although I like to think of myself
as a math and science person, I love Latin and history, which I guess makes sense since I like to know where things come
from. At the high school, I have been programming for our FRC robotics team, the Robotomies, since I was a freshman,
and as the only senior on the team, I’m sure it will be in capable hands next year. Through the National Honor Society, I’ve
become more involved in our school community. I have also been volunteering at the Groton Public Library since 8th grade
and working there since junior year, which is why I know more about the Dewey Decimal System than is strictly necessary.
After joining the math team for the cookies (and the math, Mr. Conlon), I also became involved in the Latin club, of which
my brother is co-consul. Speaking of family, I owe my younger brothers Mitch and Ari immensely for putting up with me
for the past 18 years. I’m grateful to them and my parents for all their support over the past several years. I also want to
thank all my teachers for the incredible effort they put into every class, in particular Mr. Siren, Mr. Conlon, and Mrs. Martin
for their flexibility and support in helping me pursue all my interests. Next year, I will be studying computer science at
Brown University. Regardless of what comes after that, I will miss the friends and memories I made at GD.
Nick Freiter, At GD I was a member of the Leadership Team, the Ping Pong Club, and last year I was one of five co-pres-
idents of the Student Activities Council. I played basketball for the high school my freshman and sophomore year, but after
that I left for the prestige and fierce competition of the Groton Dunstable Recreational Basketball League, in which I played
and coached alongside my fellow top ten student, Eric Yanchenko. Additionally, Eric and I were the authors of the GD Rec
Basketball blog. I felt it was important to point this out because, in his biography, Eric seems to have “forgotten” to mention
my involvement in the blog. In addition to basketball, I enjoy playing flag football and soccer with my friends. Like most
teenagers I love to watch television and Netflix, and like most nerds I love to read. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is a
personal favorite of mine. Recently, I’ve also spent time working at Pepperell Family Pharmacy where I sell drugs (legally).
My proudest moment at GD is when I beat Keith Woods in a game of one on one, and this could probably only be surpassed
if Mr. Mastrullo stops stalling and finally plays me. Speaking of teachers, thank you to all the great teachers who made high
school such a great experience at GD. Next year I will be using everything these teachers taught me at the University of
Minnesota, where I am majoring in chemical engineering, mathematics, and trying not to die of hypothermia.
Lucas Acaba, I would like to thank my family, friends, and all of the great teachers that have helped me during high
school. I could not have gotten here without them. Throughout my academic career, I have always been a good student. I
enjoyed being challenged intellectually and I have always had a knack for learning. However, I never really knew what true
dedication was until I became part of the high school track team. My track coaches, Ivanov, Coach Mac, and Ryad, have
taught me how to push myself to do well in races and in my favorite event, pole vaulting. Every meet, they would encourage me to dig deeper within myself to improve my personal records. This kind of mentality has directly applied to my
academics. I began to try harder and focus more in my classes and my grades got better as a result. I was chosen as a
captain of the track team my junior year and this made me realize that I could be a leader and have a positive influence on
others. I tried to bring those leadership qualities to other places in my life. This earned me a spot as one of the captains of
the cross country team this year. I have also learned that enjoying free time is very important. I participated in the math
team and ski club for fun and I like to play video games whenever I get the chance. I hope to bring all of these qualities to
college and throughout the rest of my life as I pursue degrees in either chemical or materials engineering.
Danielle Caefer, Throughout high school, my life has been a balancing act. I have learned to balance a wide variety of inter-
ests in school with demanding extracurricular activities. In school, math and science have always been my favorite subjects.
Although my schedule has always consisted of mainly math and science classes, I have had the ability to pursue other interests. Freshman year I accidentally signed up for digital imaging thinking it was a photography class. Instead it was a graphic
design course and I discovered that I enjoy graphic design. During my sophomore year I joined the yearbook staff as the lead
designer. As a result of my work on the school publications, I was offered a summer position with Herff Jones Yearbooks. For
the past two summers I have designed nearly forty yearbooks for high schools and middle schools throughout Massachusetts.
This year I was the one of the two Editors in Chief. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen, for all of his help
with the 2015 yearbook; it was quite an undertaking! Outside of school I am equally busy. I am a competitive figure skater. I
have competed as a member of both Gate City Figure Skating Club and NVO ISI Skating School. In addition to participating
individual events, I am also a synchronized skater; which is not to be confused with synchronized swimming which is often
the case when I first tell people about the sport. When I’m not on the ice, or studying, I participate in the per-professional ballet
program at Gate City Ballet. Through this ballet company, I have had the opportunity to participate in productions such as The
Nutcracker, The Titanic and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I look forward to attending the entire prom this year since I missed
half of last year’s prom performing in the spring ballet. I would like to thank everyone who has made these past four years so
memorable. I cannot thank all of my coaches, teachers, and dance instructors enough for guiding me through my high school
years. I would like to thank my family; especially my younger sister Jackie, for being so supportive throughout this past year.
I look forward to continuing these activities and pursuing my academic interests at the University of Connecticut where I will
be studying biomedical engineering.
Andrew Cartier, though I’m better known as Drew. The first thing I ought to do is thank all the people who helped me get
here. My parents have been incredibly supportive even though I frequently over-schedule myself and ask them for rides (the
downside of not owning a car). My sister Ali is very loving, but I know she can’t wait to turn my bedroom into her
walk-in closet. I am unable to recall having a bad teacher at GDRHS, but I’d like to thank a few who were particularly
good. To Magistra Martin, Latin class was awesome, and I’m sorry I couldn’t take Latin IV. To Mr. Conlon, thanks for
teaching me that Pearl Jam has poor annunciation, as well as for teaching three great math courses. And to Mr. Savoy, I
hope you appreciate that I wrecked my schedule to take your class seven times. I have had the privilege of participating in
many extracurricular activities, including cross-country, indoor track and field, tennis, math team, academic team, Music
Honors Society, and National Honors Society. When I have some free time I usually squander it playing video games. Next
year I plan on studying chemical engineering at Northeastern University. I’m sure that I will miss all the friends and teachers I’ve met over these four years at Groton-Dunstable.
Daniel Evans, I have made it to the top and looking back brings a world of nostalgia. From the awkward moments I wish
I could do-over to the incredible experiences I wish I could relive, high school has been an incredible time of growth for
me. Though I am sad to go, I am thankful for the time I spent at Groton-Dunstable and am ready to pursue my future. This
pursuit starts with me going to the University of Maryland next year for an intended major in Computer Science. My interest stemmed from being a computer guy since as long as I can remember and from excelling in math. I took multiple Virtual
High School courses for programming and have competed in the Fitchburg State programming competitions since I was a
freshman, so I had a pretty good idea on what I wanted to do when I applied for colleges. Besides having been a member
of the programming team, I have been the class Treasurer for all four years and a member of the math team for four years.
Outside of the academics, I ran varsity cross-country, played on the lacrosse team, competed in the GD Rec Basketball
League (winning one championship), and most recently, played on the ultimate Frisbee team. Alongside all my hard work in
school, I achieved Eagle rank as a Boy Scout and helped lead my robotics team to four appearances at the state competition.
In my free time, I enjoy playing games with friends and reading books. Finally, I have to thank my family for pushing me
to succeed and my teachers for guiding the way. I am honored to be among the top ten in my class and look forward to what
the future holds.
Jennifer Fells, I’m seventeen, and I’m a graduating senior this year. First of all, I want to give a shout out to my friends,
family, and my teachers for being so supportive of me. I couldn’t have done this without them. It is really an honor to be
named as one of the top 10 of the Class of 2015, and we should all be proud of ourselves. This is probably where my fellow
peers will start listing their extracurriculars, but to be honest, I haven’t had the opportunity to pursue clubs and activities
the last few years due to familial commitments. However, this is why I am looking forward to my future so much because I
know in college I am planning to get involved with as many things as possible. I have yet to decide where I will be attending in the fall (which is unfortunate because I definitely will know by the time this is printed), but I do know that I will be
majoring in Mathematics, possibly with a concentration in statistics. I have always loved solving things which is probably
why I love math so much. I would especially like to thank Mr. Conlon and Mr. Asadoorian for being great teachers throughout my four years here at GD and for fostering my excitement for math.
Sam Gavin, Hi, I’m Sam. I have had an amazing four years in high school, and I would like to thank my family,
friends, teachers, classmates, and teammates, as they have made these past few years incredible. In college, I plan to major
in Biology and possibly Chemistry. My plans for the future are largely unknown, but I hope that I can use my love for
science to help people. I cannot thank the teachers and faculty enough for the countless hours they have spent educating my
classmates and me. In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Reid, Mr. Fittz, and Mr. Asadoorian, who have all helped to foster my love for science and math. Beyond the classroom, I participate in a few extracurricular activities such as the Biology
Club, Crusader Pals, and the Strength and Conditioning Club. In addition, I have enjoyed many of the sports our school
offers, such as volleyball, field hockey, unified track and field, and the girl’s co-op ice hockey team with Leominster. I
would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to my coaches and teammates throughout the years, as they have helped to
cultivate the competitive edge. However, most importantly, I would like to thank my family for their constant love and
support. I would especially like to thank my parents, who have always encouraged me academically, by pushing me to excel
in school, and for the numerous hours they spent driving me to all of my activities and cheering me on at my games. I would
also like to give a shout out to Phil Unger, who has taught me so much in the past four years and has helped shape me into
the person I am today.
Fiona Henry, I am still trying to decide where I am going to college next year. The decision is a tough one as GD has set
the bar pretty high. I feel lucky to have had such a positive high school experience. After four years here, I have the utmost
respect for my teachers and peers and wish the other graduating seniors all the best as they transition into college. As for the
“biography” part of this blurb, this year I was honored to have been named a captain of both the lacrosse and field hockey
teams. I will miss high school athletics but hope to participate in club sports next year. When I am not on the sports field,
I like music and art. I have played the violin for ten years, which has taught me a ton about discipline and perseverance.
Finally, I would like to thank my parents and my brother Liam for being so supportive. Next fall, as I go to some unknown
college to study biochemistry, I know that they will continue to be just as amazing. This support paired with a rock solid education from GD, will be invaluable to me in the next several years as I pursue higher education; for that I am truly grateful.
Eric Yanchenko, Just as time can be warped at high speeds (credit Mr. Siren), high school has completely warped my
sense of time. While my time in high school has blurred, my experiences have not. I was a member of the football team
and captain of the tennis team. I participated in jazz and concert band for four years and was a section leader for three of
those, while also being a member of Music Honor Society and serving as treasurer this past year. I’ve spent my free moments listening to EDM or country music, enjoying Christopher Nolan films, playing FIFA14, and this past year I was the
proud author of the GD Rec Basketball blog. Perhaps my greatest achievement though was becoming the self-proclaimed
#1 GD Super-fan, traveling to soccer games as far as Algonquin to support my classmates. I hope to continue this kind of
involvement this fall when I attend The Ohio State University, where I plan on majoring in mathematics and data analytics.
I was drawn to pursue higher education in math because of the superb math department at GD. While each department has
treated me exceptionally, my math teachers have always pushed me for excellence. A thank you to mom, dad and Anna and
one final thought from Chris Nolan’s Interstellar: “We’ve always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments. These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to
make the unknown known.”
The Class of 2015 academic excellence members have been accepted to the following schools:
Boston College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Clark University
Clarkson University
Fordham University
Framingham State University
Hofstra University
Northeastern University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Syracuse University
The Ohio State University
Union College
University of Connecticut
University of Maine
University of Maryland
College Park
University of Massachusetts
Amherst
University of Massachusetts
Lowell
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of New Hampshire
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin
Madison
Virginia Tech
Worcester Polytechnic Institute