Students of the Month

Students of the Month are nominated by staff members for an outstanding academic achievement or a significant contribution to the school, community, or a noteworthy cause.

I’m Haley Ashburn, a sophomore at GD. I have been interested in the arts for as long as I can remember and once I got to high school I could really immerse myself in them. I am part of art club, National Art Honors Society (NAHS), and am frequently in or helping out with plays.  The high school has really opened up more opportunities for me as a learner and also an artist. Classes like design and photography gave me more experience and knowledge with subjects I probably wouldn’t have touched upon on my own. I hope to one day work as an artist whether it be as an art teacher or as a designer.

My name is Lauren Duhamel, and I’m a senior here at GD. Besides having a blast as captain of the Tyngsboro Groton Dunstable swim team (TGD), I chip in around the school as president of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club. I also enjoyed playing flute with the concert band during my years at GD. Looking towards next year, I’m excited to study chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philly. The TGD swim team has become an influential part of my time here at GD, and as a co-op team with Tyngsboro High School, it is a gratifyingly unique experience. Out of the 54 students that swim and/or dive, about half yield from each high school, fostering a great opportunity to make new friends. The differing school dynamics draw us closer together, as the team intermixes traditions, mascots and colors. Over the five years we’ve been a co-op with Tyngsboro, we have grown from around 20 to 54 members, consistently improving our league standings to culminate in our third Mid-Wach Championship win this season. It has been a hilarious, challenging, and fun four years, and I wish TGD many more successful seasons to come. 

My name is Eleanor Keydel and I’m a junior at GDRHS. I’ve lived in Groton with my parents for most of my life. This year I’ve become a lot more involved with the After 2 Club and Best Buddies. I have also been the co-manager of the girls varsity soccer team for the last couple of years. Outside of school, I dance and often work at a day care in a local church. I’ve had a lot of fun at GD so far, and I’ve made some great relationships with other students and teachers. I’m looking forward to my senior year and eventually going to college.

My name is Ian Livingston.  I am fourteen years old and I live in Dunstable.  I have three brothers, one older and two younger.  I want to graduate from high school and go to college.  When I go home I like to do my homework and later play video games.  My favorite class is Algebra.  My bucket list includes getting a good paying job and becoming a greeter at a department store when I retire.  People say that I have a great sense of humor. 

 My name is Leah Mitchell and I am a senior at Groton Dunstable. I live in Groton where I have all my life with my parents and my dog, Beaux. My sister Kelsey also went to GD and is currently studying at Seton Hall University. Outside of school I play piano, dance, work at the local Moisons Ace Hardware, and participate in GD’s Young Republicans Club. For the last few months I have also been working to create TEDxYouth@GDRHS, an independently run TED conference that will be held at the High School next month. The event will feature live speakers, including current GD students, alumni, and other speakers from the area as well as other pre-recorded TED Talks. Our theme is “The Little Things” and we hope to inspire the students of GD with “ideas worth spreading”. Next year I plan to study engineering, however I do not know where yet. I have loved my time at GD and value the education I received here however I am also excited to leave this fall and have new experiences.

My name is Katie Schlepphorst. I am 17 years old and a junior here at Groton Dunstable. I have lived in Groton my entire life with my mom, dad, and sister, Olivia. Olivia is currently attending Northeastern University and she is my biggest role model. I play volleyball and I plan to start tennis this spring! Currently, I love the classes I am taking. Science interests me a lot, and I am taking chemistry and I plan to take biology as a senior. I also love Spanish and I hope to be fluent in the language one day. I plan to pursue medicine and possibly minor in Spanish in college. I hope to travel the world one day, and hopefully my Spanish skills will allow me to interact with many different types of people!

My name is Jordan Sheffield and I am currently a senior at GDRHS. My family moved here to America when I was seven years old from Australia and it has been the best decision of our lives. Along with being one of the four captains of the swim team (TGD) I am also vice president of Music Honors Society (MHS) and a part of many different clubs at GD. I am currently undecided with my major for college and I am still deciding on which college I would like to attend but I do know that I want to continue swimming in college. Being a part of TGD has inspired me to help others achieve their goals through hard work and great team support. As much as swimming is an individual sport (you swim your race, and get a time that is for you) it is equally a team sport, with each member supporting and cheering each other on at every meet. I am proud of where our team has come over the last couple of years and the unity it brings between the two schools (Tyngsboro and GD). Our coaches, Dan Shanahan and Jen McGlauflin put an incredible amount of effort into this team so that we can get the best results, and ultimately win each swim meet. They push us to be the best we can be and achieve success.

My name is Steven Tully and being named Student of the Month was quite a surprise for me. Those of you who know me must be pretty surprised too. I have lived in Dunstable my entire life with a very large family and a couple hundred cows on a dairy farm that has been run for well over a hundred years. Last year I was named Youth Ambassador of the Massachusetts State Grange and will be traveling to Washington DC for the annual National Grange meeting in November. I am a frequent donor for the American Red Cross, having already donated a gallon of whole blood and platelets 5 times. Although the platelet donation process requires two needles and two hours it helps me do what I love; help others. This is why I will be attending Fitchburg State University in the fall to study Criminal Justice. 

Hi! My name is Celeste Vandermillen and I am a sophomore at GDRHS. I live in Groton with my parents, my younger brother Henry, who is in seventh grade, and my dog. Some of my favorite school subjects are English, biology, and music. Since I first started school here, I have been involved with Drama Guild and the music program, both of which are huge parts of my life. I most recently acted in Drama Guild’s Festival of One Act Plays, and I hope to be a part of many more productions throughout my high school career. In addition, I play the oboe in the school’s concert band. This year, I have started playing the school’s electronic wind instrument in the jazz band, which has been both a challenge and a lot of fun! I also love to sing and am teaching myself to play guitar. In the winter, I like to downhill and cross-country ski. At this point, I am not really sure what I want to study in college, but I will definitely continue with theater and music no matter what I decide to major in. I am happy to be chosen as a student of the month!