Mynderse Academy has named top-honors for graduates of their 2018 class.
Nicole Elizabeth Siwarski, daughter of Colleen and Walter Siwarski has been named the Mynderse Academy Class of 2018 Valedictorian.
Nicole is a member of the National Honor Society, the French National Honor Society and RHO KAPPA Social Studies Honor Society. She has completed coursework in Honors English and is currently taking Advanced Placement English, Calculus and Physics. Nicole has also completed courses in FLCC Biology, US History, Music Theory and Music Appreciation, Health and Cayuga Community College Pre-Calculus. During her time at Mynderse Academy, Nicole has been very active in the music program participating in Chorus and Band, Vocal Jazz, Chamber Singers, Jazz Band and Marching Band. She has taken private piano lessons for the last eleven years and taken part in NYSSMA Solo Festivals. She also is well known for opening our athletic events by singing the National Anthem. Nicole also has been very involved in our Drama Club, serving as the Fundraising Chairman and performing in the fall play and spring musicals. She most recently had the lead in the musical Oklahoma. Nicole is also an athlete who competed as a member of the Varsity Volleyball team. Nicole has also been very active in our community as a Junior Kiwanian and has completed numerous service projects with the Seneca Falls United Methodist Church where she also serves as a Sunday school teacher. She has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award and was nominated for the Presidential Scholars Program. Nicole was also a Girls State Delegate and performed in the NYSSMA Conference All-State Women’s Choir. Nicole will be attending Roberts Wesleyan College for Pharmacy in a 3 + 4 agreement program with University at Buffalo. At Roberts, she will pursue a course of study in chemistry or biochemistry along with a minor in music, before transferring to UB for a guaranteed seat in the PharmD program. Nicole was also accepted into the Global Honors Program at Roberts and offered a teaching assistantship in the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences.
Benjamin Alfred McDonald, son of Kevin and Gretchen McDonald has been named the Mynderse Academy Class of 2018 Salutatorian.
Ben is a member of the National Honor Society, the RHO KAPPA Social Studies Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. He has completed coursework in Honors English and Advanced Placement Calculus, Physics and English as well as FLCC Biology, US History and Health. During his time here at Mynderse, Ben has participated in Band, Chorus Vocal Jazz, Chamber Singers, Jazz Band, Drama Club, Fall Play, Spring Musical, Marching Band, Yearbook Business Staff, Teen Institute and Interact Club. Ben also served as a Captain of the Varsity Boys Soccer team and is on the Indoor and Outdoor Track teams. Ben has served our community as a Junior Rotarian and by volunteering for local 5K races (the Wonderful Run and the Forever Young 5K), tutoring and coaching children in the Mighty Mites Soccer program. Ben has been awarded the Seneca Falls Police Union Award, the Finger Lakes Scholar Award, the George Eastman Young Leaders Award, the Junior Rotarian Award, The Clarkson University High School Achievement Award and the Rochester Chapter of NYCUA College Scholarship Award. He has also served as Section Leader for Concert Band, Jazz Band and the Drumline in Marching Band. He received the Outstanding Percussion award for 9th, 10th and 11th Grades. Ben was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actor Award from the Rochester Broadway Theater League for his performance in Footloose and Spamalot. He also was named to All-County Band and Orchestra during all of his years of high school and NYSSMA Senior High Area All-State Band or Orchestra as well as the NYSBDA Senior High Concert Band. Ben plans to attend SUNY Binghamton in the fall to pursue a course of study in Environmental Science and Law.
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