They're scholars, performers, athletes and mentors: Meet Seacoast Students of the Week

A baseball captain and All-State trumpet player who recently made his theatrical debut in "Little Shop of Horrors." A top-10 student, competitive swimmer and "leader among leaders." A sophomore who has already written and illustrated a children's book and is earning college credits toward a future career in education. A class valedictorian and track team captain who also holds a part-time job at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. A star of the stage who "charms and transports audiences." An "Excellence in Engineering" award winner, three-season athlete who also earned Volunteer of the Year honors from Challenger Baseball.

Meet the Seacoast Students of the Week for April 1, 2024.

Seacoast Students of the Week are nominated by local principals, teachers and guidance counselors and, as you'll see below, they reflect a broad range of achievements. While their accomplishments are diverse, a common thread among all the nominees is their kindness, and the work they do helping others, serving as role models for other students in their schools. It is our pleasure to introduce you to these outstanding students and we look forward to sharing stories of so many more of our wonderful students in the weeks ahead.

This week's students represent Somersworth, Portsmouth, Oyster River, Dover, Marshwood and Exeter high schools. All Seacoast-area public high schools have been invited to submit nominations.

Here are the Seacoast Students of the Week for April 1, as described by the school leaders who nominated them:

Lukas Kelly, senior, Somersworth High School

Lukas Kelly, captain of the baseball team, leader on the football team, president of concert band, member of Tri-M music honors society, member of interact club, class treasurer and captain on the unified basketball team and All State trumpet player recently added musical theatre to his list of accolades. Lukas played the Voice of Audrey Two for Somersworth High School's production of Little Shop of Horrors. This was Lukas' first time performing theatrically and he was an absolute leader for the cast and blew audiences away. Not only did he provide the voice for the blood sucking plant but he played trumpet in the orchestra for the production as well.

Emily Stokel, senior, Portsmouth High School

Emily Stokel is, by far, one of the most academically talented student athletes we have ever encountered. She has consistently enrolled in an array of challenging AP/Honors and Dual Enrollment classes and is ranked in the top ten of her class. She is active with our school swim team and swims competitively year round with a club team. The time commitment necessary to successfully balance academics and this level of athletics is impressive and Emily makes the task seem effortless.

Emily is a leader among leaders here at PHS and often steps forward to assist as an S2S member (Student 2 Student Mentor). Emily recently helped to plan, organize and facilitate the 8th Grade Parent/Student Open House here at PHS where 8th graders and parents learned about course offerings, block scheduling and the ins and out of the high school. Additionally, Emily is involved with We Speak/Social Justice and ECO Club. She is passionate about generating long term change in her community through her work with Environmental/Eco Club and We Speak. Within We Speak she has served as the Co-President and has been instrumental in working towards equity and inclusion here at school and the community at large and has served on the District Equity Council.

Emily is also a dedicated member of the Educator Rising Group where she has competed on the state and national level and has been a presenter on important issues in education at a variety of conferences.

Emily can be counted on by peers and faculty alike to help in any situation. Her energy and leadership will be missed once she graduates in June.

Michaela Downs, sophomore, Oyster River High School

Michaela Downs, a sophomore at Oyster River High School, is on a journey that exemplifies the power of passion and dedication. As a high school student enrolled in a Foundations of Education CTE course, she not only earns college credits at Great Bay Community College, but also volunteers in a preschool classroom, demonstrating her commitment to education.

After school, she volunteers at an elementary school, providing child-care for a parent-support group, and during school hours, she supports students with special needs; both efforts showcasing Michaela’s empathy and compassion.

Michaela is bright and bubbly and a joy to have in the classroom. She has taken on leadership and teaching roles in her classes to help other students. She asks questions and will advocate for her own understanding of the material. Her humor and joy are infectious and help put other students at ease as well. She has been willing to talk to other students about her experience with the Foundation of Education CTE course and gave a presentation to the ORHS faculty on her CTE experience and work to become a teacher.

She has a kind heart and willingness to help that is very appreciated. She is never swayed by obstacles or adversity. If she doesn't understand a concept, she will meet with teachers until she does. If her writing does not meet her standards, she will revise it multiple times until she is satisfied. Her self-advocacy skills are advanced, and she truly takes responsibility for her learning, accessing all the resources she needs in order to be successful. Michaela’s leadership extends beyond school walls as she serves as both a state officer and local vice-president of Educators Rising, a testament to her dedication to the future of education. Her talent shines through in her written and illustrated children’s book “A Penguin Named Waddles,” which recently placed in the top 5 at a competitive event, earning her a spot at the National Competition in Washington, DC, this June. She already demonstrates the "soft skills" that we hope all students attain before they leave our building. With her kind heart and dedication, Michaela is poised to make a lasting impact on her community.

Madeline Bachrach, senior, Dover High School

Madeline Bachrach will graduate as the valedictorian of the Class of 2024. Her academic course has been incredibly rigorous, including almost exclusively honors and Advanced Placement classes. Her intellectual curiosity has inspired her to take VLACS Advanced Placement courses in areas of personal interest. Outside of the classroom, Madeline competes on and has been the captain of the cross country, indoor, and outdoor track teams. She is a member of the National Honor Society, has represented Dover High School as a member of the Granite State Challenge team, and is active in the Latin and Red Cross clubs. She manages to accomplish all of this while holding down a part-time job at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.

Josie D'Angelo, senior, Marshwood High School

Josie D’Angelo has captivated audiences at Marshwood High School for the past four years.

Her meticulous commitment to the craft have helped her embody a wide range of characters, including Olivia from “And Action,” Fiona from Shrek, Everybody from “Everybody,” Emily Hobbs from “Elf The Musical,” Aldolpho from “The Drowsy Chaperone,” Chiffon from “Little Shop of Horrors,” and Mrs. Phelps from “Matilda” as well as in her most recent performances, Judith Shakespeare from "Shakespeare's Sister," and Tanya in "Mamma Mia!"

Josie successfully portrayed these characters through a combination of innate talent and inexhaustible work ethic. To grow and develop her command of the arts, Josie has attended the Southern Maine Theater Academy, based out of the University of Southern Maine, in Gorham, ME, for the past three summers. Additionally, Josie takes private vocal lessons with Michael Scharff, who specializes in coaching singers and actors. Their work together has helped Josie develop her voice, an alto or mezzo soprano, which now ranges from soulful ballads to electrifying solos. Josie has passed on what she has learned through being the vocal coach for the most recent district musical.From a combination of this work and talent, Josie charms and transports audiences. She commands the stage with grace and poise, with emotional range and unwavering authenticity, with a special spark that’s hard to define. Wherever Josie lands next year, she will surely enthrall and move audiences at that college or university just as she has at Marshwood High School.

Noah Johnson, senior, Exeter High School

Noah Johnson won the Langdon J. Plummer Award for excellence in his engineering classes at our Seacoast School of Technology. His interest in engineering pushed him to design an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) with the NASA Project and a local engineering firm. Noah Johnson is a dynamic, caring and cheerful young man. Noah was named volunteer of the year with the Challenger Baseball Program where he has been a “buddy” with that program all throughout high school. An athlete himself, Noah has been a valuable member of our soccer team all four years and has been on our track and lacrosse teams, as well.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Meet the smart, talented, compassionate Seacoast Students of the Week