SENIOR STANDOUTS

The Plain Dealer's Top High School Seniors

Helping other people stands central in the Hudson teen's daily life, whether she's acting as a student prefect at Western Reserve Academy, working on medical research studies or simply lending a sympathetic and caring ear to someone who crosses her path.  Full story »

His hardest-won accomplishment was perfecting his soccer and interpersonal skills when he traveled to Lebanon to meet his relatives and volunteer at a medical clinic run by one of his father's friends.  Full story »

Her class schedule has for years been loaded with honors and AP classes. And she has spent her time outside of classes fortifying her academic credentials. The summer before her ninth-grade year was spent in a Spanish immersion program so that she could take Honors Spanish III.  Full story »

Teguru has earned first honors each semester at St. Ignatius and is a National Merit Achievement finalist. He also posted the highest scores possible on his Advanced Placement exams in U.S. history and government -- suggesting he probably won't have much trouble with the test to move from permanent resident status to U.S. citizen.  Full story »

"I think sometimes people get so bogged down with outside influences saying 'you should go here' or 'you should take this class', I think when you can focus on what it is that you want and what makes you happiest, you're going to be more successful." Full story »

Connie plans to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees at Ohio State University. She figures that OSU is big, busy and varied enough to hold her interest. "I love the campus. It feels like Cleveland, kind of. I feel like I won't get bored of school if I'm there for eight years."  Full story »

Michael said he wants to learn and teach history that provides a context for students to appreciate eras and issues.  Full story »

"I've been working in education for 25 years. I will never forget this young woman -- she's that extraordinary," said Terry McCue, Hathaway Brown's director of college counseling. "Truly unforgettable in both the range and the depth of her talents."  Full story »

This is the second in a series of 10 profiles spotlighting the area high school seniors chosen as The Plain Dealer's Senior Standouts. A move from Pittsburgh to Cleveland was the catalyst for a change in Sheba Mathew. She was 13 and about to start high school when her family relocated. She became a new student in a new... Full story »

Gabrielle Haigh's "Symphony No. 1," tells the story of a despondent inventor, whose innovations are tangled in the red tape of bureaucracy. He wanders the town searching for inspiration and eventually finds it in a factory, where molten metal is poured, cooled and stamped -- a hopeful sign that industry will prevail despite hardship.  Full story »

Beginning today, The Plain Dealer will introduce readers to the 10 Northeast Ohio students chosen as this year's Senior Standouts. Area high schools nominated 146 smart, talented and community-minded young people for the honor. In-house judging panels from the newspaper narrowed the field before a panel of judges drawn from the community chose the winners. The panel looked for... Full story »

Gabrielle Haigh, Laurel School Sheba Mathew, Hudson High School Michael Becker, Normandy High School Connie Pho, John Marshall High School Samantha Fay, Lake Ridge Academy Elizabeth Coquillette, Hathaway Brown School Teguru Tembo, St. Ignatius High School Kelsey DeForest, Shaker Heights High School Nabil Darwich, Wadsworth High School Anne Song, Western Reserve Academy Full story »

Amber Alexis Adams, Kenmore High School Sarah Ahmed, Solon High School Sultan Ahmed, Wadsworth High School Erin Armao, Archbishop Hoban High School Jeremy Armbruster, Brecksville-Broadview Heights Georgette Asfoura, Walsh Jesuit High School Navroop Badyal, Nordonia High School Valerie Barr, FBCS High School Briana Bartel, Mentor High School Hannah Baughman, Roosevelt High School Rachel Baughman, Roosevelt High School Maria Beardsley-Holbert, Ledgemont... Full story »

The Selection Process Commitment, persistence, passion, character, courage, dedication. These are some of the words our Senior Standouts judges used to describe the students they selected as most remarkable from a group of extraordinary nominees. All the students' resumes tout exemplary academic records, demonstrated leadership in school and established commitments in their communities. Principals from 141 schools across eight... Full story »

Commitment, persistence, passion, character, courage, dedication. These are some of the words our Senior Standouts judges used to describe the students they selected as most remarkable from a group of extraordinary nominees. All 268 Senior Standouts nominees are recognized in one of four categories: Head of the Class, Honor Roll, Merit Roll and Honorable Mention. Click on the names... Full story »