Herald-Mail Student of the Week: See this week's winner

Isabel "Izzy" Lear has been chosen as The Herald-Mail Student of the Week.

Izzy, a junior at Grace Academy, was one of 12 nominees submitted by local high school administrators and received the most votes cast online.

Izzy's nomination stated she has a commitment to academic excellence that is evident in her high school courses and her dual-enrollment courses at Hagerstown Community College.

She has witnessed doing what is right in a Christ-like way each and every day.

Izzy is part of Grace Academy's student leadership and a member of the National Honors Society.

She is a positive role model for her classmates and teammates as she is always trying to be a light in this world.

Izzy also is on the varsity volleyball team.

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Next week's poll

Local school administrators have nominated students who have shown outstanding academic and school achievements for the next round of Student of the Week voting.

The next poll will publish on Monday, April 1, with a new list of nominees. Voting will be open through noon, Thursday, April 4, on our website.

We will announce the winner at heraldmailmedia.com on Friday, April 5, and in The Herald-Mail on Sunday, April 7.

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A look at the other nominees for The Herald-Mail Student of the Week

Shradha Bista, North Hagerstown High School: Shradha was recently elected the president of the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC). MASC is the state organization responsible for hosting seven major events throughout the school year and throughout the state to educate Maryland students on leadership, advocacy and civic responsibility. This is the first year that NHHS can boast of a MASC president, and it is only the third time in the history of MASC that any officer has come from our county. This is a significant achievement, as these students had to give speeches in front of a large mass of Maryland students, participate in active campaigning throughout the conference, issue campaign statements and participate in a question/answer session open to all the conference delegates. In addition to her accomplishments with MASC, Shradha is a great student. She challenges herself through the IB program. She is a leader in the classroom, asks highly reflective questions and is open-minded. She is an outstanding problem solver who reasons very well, and she is currently doing extremely well in all of her classes. She is a champion for other students; Shradha encourages her peers to grow as leaders by involving them in service and leadership opportunities at the school, county and state levels. Shradha Bista deserves recognition, and I am sure she has a bright future of success and service ahead of her. I look forward to hearing about what she achieves. She is everything we hope to see in our HUBS!

Dominic Sierra, Boyd J. Michael Technical High School: Dominic is a dedicated, compassionate senior in the Academy of Biomedical Sciences, which follows the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum. He has an outstanding 4.0+ GPA and he would like to become a trauma surgeon after college. He volunteers as a firefighter and is studying to become a licensed emergency medical technician. He was a finalist in the First Aid/CPR Maryland State Championship competition organized by the Health Occupations Students of America. Dominic studies music appreciation and plays violin in the orchestra.

Warner Harper, St. Maria Goretti High School: Warner has attended Goretti all four years of high school. He is on the Varsity Baseball team, and has been a starter since sophomore year. Warner also volunteers outside of school. Monday through Thursday he goes to St. Mary’s School to help teach different grade levels. Right now, he is helping kindergarteners with their reading. Warner has made the Distinguished Honor Roll every semester at Goretti and has a GPA of 3.84. He has taken three college classes: two were for Computer Science, and the other was Calculus 1. Following his Goretti graduation, Warner will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology, where he will be a part of the BS/MS program for Software Engineering/Cybersecurity, respectively.

Julianna Nelson-Gaudette, Williamsport High School: Julianna is a senior who is consistently challenging herself by taking all honors, Advanced Placement and dual credit courses here at WHS. She is an active and engaged member of the school community. She has been an active participant on the varsity tennis team, displaying excellent teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship. Her leadership skills have also been evident in her involvement in the French National Honors Society and the National Honor Society, where she has consistently demonstrated her dedication to academic excellence and community service. Outside of the school setting, Julianna is a member of the Job’s Daughters International.

Erin Kang, Global Vision Christian School Broadfording: Erin, a sophomore, is an honor roll student. She is a member of the DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) business club.  Erin also tutors and teaches other students in the school English club.  Erin is driven to do her best in every area, and is a great role model for other students.

Greenley Aleshire, Clear Spring High School: Greenley, a junior, is a student leader involved in a variety of different school functions. She is an active FFA member, a student artist and an active member of the Student Government Association. Greenley also balances her involvement with four Advanced Placement courses and dual-enrollment courses. She is hardworking and dedicated to success in all she does.

Cody Dan, Heritage Academy: Cody, a junior, plays soccer and basketball. He leads our worship team. Cody represents his class on the student council. He is a humble, hard-working student. Cody gives all the praise to the Lord for the talents he has. He is a leader in his class; he is always willing to jump in and help as needed.  He has a good attitude in school and is very respectful towards teachers and staff.

Hunter Exline, Hancock Middle Senior High School: Hunter, a senior, exemplifies the spirit of service and community engagement that we strive to instill in our students. His participation in the Mellott Apprenticeship Program, learning skills such as welding and using heavy machinery, is a testament to his ambition and determination to excel. Hunter will be earning over 100 work-related certificates through Mellott. Hunter volunteers at the school food pantry, where he helps unload carts of food from trucks and assists community members with their items. This underscores his compassionate spirit and willingness to lend a helping hand to those in need. Hunter's selflessness and generosity make him a valued asset to his community.

Leslie Holmes, South Hagerstown High School: Leslie, a senior, is highly involved in activities, clubs and sports. She is the president of the Rebel Buddies Club and she does a lot of volunteering with the Connections/special needs students. She is always helping others and taking pride in being a South High Rebel.

Kendryck Calvo, Boonsboro High School: Kendryck, a senior, is a varsity soccer player and the violin section leader. He is taking numerous Advanced Placement courses. Kendryck plans to attend college to study for a degree in computer science.

Elijah Thornsbury, Smithsburg High School: Elijah, a junior, is a bright and kind student. He enjoys sharing his perspective on class readings and is always eager to learn more. He does not shy away from difficult tasks. Instead, he seeks challenges so that he can better himself. He is an absolute joy to teach.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Herald-Mail Student of the Week poll for the week of March 25, 2024