Best in the Class of 2017: Lakeland
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles about local valedictorians and salutatorians in the Class of 2017. On Thursday, read about the Best in the Class of 2017: Timberlake High School.
Lakeland High will have four valedictorians this year, with Heidi Boyer, Kenna Frantzich, Delaney Gorton and Erin Schwalbach finishing in a tie.
Anna Hetherington, John “JJ” Mackesy and Jared McDaniel are co-salutatorians.
Boyer, 18 years old, is a native of Rathdrum and carries a 4.24 grade point average.
After graduation, Boyer plans on attending Brigham Young University to study political science. Between semesters, she also plans to travel abroad and teach English.
“One of the biggest lessons I learned from school is that through hard work and dedication, you can achieve your goals,” Boyer said. “As I continue on, I will apply this lesson to my life by always remembering to put in time and effort.”
Frantzich, a 17-year-old from Athol, carries a 4.25 GPA.
She plans to take a year off from school to move to New Zealand in September. There she intends to live and work for a year. When she returns, she plans to pursue a degree in environmental geology at Portland State University.
“The most important lesson I’ve learned from high school is that life is unexpected,” Frantzich said. “But instead of moping, it’s better to make the absolute best of it. Whenever I’m given a lemon, I don’t just make lemonade. I aim for something better, like maybe gourmet lemon bars.”
Schwalbach, 18, a Rathdrum resident, carries a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend Lewis-Clark State College to pursue a degree in nursing. Following college, Schwalbach wants to work as a travel nurse, specifically in Latin America.
“The best lesson I’ve learned from my education is not to stress,” Schwalbach said. “Life will often surprise you, and you just have to go with it instead of trying to fight it. Moving forward from high school, I’ll just have to see where life takes me. And I don’t plan to fight it.”
Gorton, 18, has lived in Rathdrum for all but one year of her life, attaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. She will attend Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma in the fall, where she plans to major in English and minor in either publishing or communications.
“From my education so far, I’ve learned the value of hard work and dedication to a goal,” Gorton said. “Hard work and dedication will open as many doors as you set your mind to. Working to become a valedictorian has taught me these things, and with them, I can achieve virtually anything as I move forward from high school.”
Hetherington, 18, was born in Hagatna Heights, Guam, and carries a 3.97 GPA. She will attend Eastern Washington University in the fall to study psychology.
“I’ve had to learn many lessons in school, both from my education and from my personal life,” Hetherington said. “School can prove to be difficult, just like everything else in life because everything that is worth pursuing is going to provide some struggles at one point or another. I’ve learned how important it is to power through such struggles, especially with your own support.”
Mackesy, 18, from Post Falls, carries a 3.98 unweighted GPA, 4.21 in weighted classes. He plans to attend the University of Idaho to get his degree in mechanical engineering.
“The greatest lesson I learned was dealing with authority,” Mackesy said. “Throughout my schooling, I had teachers that I liked and teachers that I disliked. Learning how to deal with both spectrums and how to conform with each individual’s rules and teaching style has really helped me and I believe this will become a great tool to moving on with my life and when I get a job.”
McDaniel, 18, from Coeur d’Alene, carries a 4.23 GPA and plans to attend Whitworth University in Spokane in the fall to obtain a degree in electrical engineering.
“The greatest lesson I’ve learned from my education is to create good study habits,” McDaniel said. “These habits that I have developed will seriously help me throughout college to maintain my high grades and make me get the most out of my college education.”
Lakeland’s graduation is Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls.