With multiple awards and honors between them, three hard working Brandywine High School students earned the title of valedictorian and will represent their graduating class of 2017.

The students who earned a top 10 spot in their class were announced earlier this month by school officials.

Co-valedictorians include:

Laura Flanigan, is the daughter of Mike and Julie Flanigan. Besides focusing on her grades, the senior has spent her high school career balancing curricular activities, schoolwork and serving her community.

Despite this, earning the honor of valedictorian was to still a surreal

“It is amazing to see how much my hard work has paid off.” Flanigan said. “To see it come to fruition is incredible.”

Helping to inspire some Bobcat spirit, Flanigan has been a cheerleader since her freshman year. Throughout the years, the squad has also helped to raise money for multiple fundraisers, Flanigan said.

Other accolades for Flanigan include being a member of the National Honor Society, French Honor Society and a recipient of the BCS Academic Scholar Award.

Among her accomplishments, Flanigan plays the bass clarinet and helped to compete with the Brandywine High School band, where they earned a division one ranking at the district band festival.

Looking back on four years, Flanigan said one of her greatest accomplishments was becoming a member of the National Honor Society. Through the organization, Flanigan said she enjoyed helping the Niles community and surrounding areas through volunteer work. 

As a volunteer, Flanigan has worked for Fernwood Botanical Gardens and track meets.

After high school, Flanigan will attend Hope College, where she will pursue a pre-medical degree. She hopes to one day become an anesthesiologist.

For incoming students, Flanigan said learning how to balance work and play is imperative.

“Work hard and try to prioritize your study time and your free time,” Flanigan said. “As much fun as it is to do stuff [outside of school], you also have to have time to get homework done.”

Like Flanigan, fellow senior Michael Stowe, who also earned the title of valedictorian, said it felt good to see hard work pay off.

Stowe is the son of Mike and Stephanie Stowe.

With a passion for both mechanics and art, Stowe has found ways to merge the two interests throughout his time as a high schooler.

Stowe received first place for the Eleanor and Mowitt Drew Gallery Art Award in 2016 and 2017 for his wood burning pieces.

This year, Stowe said his winning piece depicted a woman with her back to viewers. Inside the subject’s back are multiple gears and mechanical pieces.

When Stowe is not drawing machines, he is learning more about the principals that apply to his passion in higher-level math and physics courses. Stowe said he also enjoys experimenting with coding.

While Stowe said earning valedictorian is his greatest accomplishment of his high school career, he has also received several other notable awards and honors, including the Lamp Light Award, for receiving good grades, Outstanding Spanish Student, first place at the MITES regionals and state competition, where his project for creating a metal chess set was selected as winner.

Additionally, Stowe volunteers with the Niles Service League, tutors, helps at fundraisers and volunteers with Brandywine and Lake Michigan College.

After high school, he will attend University of Michigan, where he will pursue a degree in computer science and computer engineering.

“Along with the fact that I enjoy computers and I know there [are] a lot of jobs out there I realized that would be a good career choice for me,” Stowe said.

As he prepares to say goodbye to his classmates, Stowe said he would reflect in his graduation speech on the value of getting to know each of his classmates. While some of his classmates will go their separate ways, the senior said he expects great things from his fellow Bobcats.

“I will enjoy seeing where they are all going,” Stowe said.

Brandywine High School’s third valedictorian is Lukas Rollinger, son of Sheila and Marty Rollinger.

By studying and working hard, Rollinger said he was able to achieve his goal of becoming valedictorian. The senior was also recognized for his perfect attendance.

Outside of schoolwork, Rollinger enjoys singing hymnals in his church choir and helping his youth group perform service projects. Additionally, Rollinger was selected as the school flag handler. Each day of school, he leaves class early each day to put away the flag.

He was also selected for the American Citizenship Award.

Freshman year, Rollinger also played on the basketball team and was selected as conference academic athlete.

Additionally, Rollinger is in the Spanish Honor Society and was a blood donor this year.

Rollinger will pursue a degree in business at Manchester University. He said he hopes to one day have his own business and travel the world

Salutatorian

Kimberly Cantu, daughter of Griselda and Juan Cantu is a self-described “over achiever,” who has always sought to put school work and helping her community first.

“I liked learning and I still do,” Cantu said.  “I knew it was important and I worked hard for it.”

Enrolling in early college classes at Lake Michigan College to begin studying sonography helped to teach her necessary organization and prioritization skills, the senior said.

Outside of academics, Cantu is a volunteer Bible teacher for the Spanish community, a passion that brought her to continue her volunteer work in the Dominican Republic, where she helped to teach native Creole speakers the Bible.

“I love being able to help people acquire truths in the bible,” Cantu said.

Cantu also learned sign language and helps to teach the deaf the Bible.

Aspiring to help others has long been part of Cantu’s volunteer work and career pursuit.

“My goal has always been to try and help people,” Cantu said. “In the medical field you are always doing that.”

After high school, Cantu will finish the sonography program at Lake Michigan College.

Language has always been an interest for the senior. Now, with the ability to speak multiple languages, Cantu hopes it will also help her to communicate with a broad number of patients seeking care when she is a sonographer.

Rounding off the rest of the top 10 are:

5. Taylor Casey, son of Kira and Nathan Casey is the recipient of the Lamp of Knowledge, and all “A” honor roll student. Casey played varsity tennis team his junior and senior year and varsity baseball his freshman through senior year.

He will pursue a civil engineering degree at Michigan State University.

6. Lauren Ludwig, daughter of Walt and Fran Ludwig is a drum major, recipient of the Citizenship Award, member of the National Honor Society and French Honor Society and band member.

She is also a Berrien RESA Festival of Families volunteer and tutors younger children in music.

After high school, she will attend Calvin College to study pre-occupational therapy.

7. Courtney Meyers, daughter of Tonia and Travis Meyers, is a member of the French Honor Society and National Honor Society. She is also a Lamp of Knowledge Award winner.

Her volunteer work includes chaperoning middle school dances and elementary and middle school lock-ins.

After high school, she will attend Lake Michigan College to study magnetic resonance imaging.

8. Ingrid Anderson, daughter of Mark and Andrea Anderson, is an all “A” honor roll student, “A/B” honor roll, recipient of the Presidential Academic Award, Citizenship Award and member of the French Honor Society.

Throughout high school, she has completed multiple volunteering projects for school and work.

After high school, she will attend Lake Michigan College to study to be an MRI tech, before transferring to a four-year school to continue to medical training.

9. Shaylee Smith, daughter of Shane and Brook Smith, was an all-state academic for tennis from 2014 to 2016, conference and regional tennis champion in 2014 and 2015.  She is a recipient of the Lamp of Knowledge Award and a member of the French Honor Society and National Honor Society.

In addition to tennis, she has also played for the volleyball and basketball teams.

After high school, she will attend Lake Michigan College to study resonance imaging.

10. Cassandra Luczkowski, daughter of Amy and Douglass Luczkowski, is the recipient of the Academic Letter, Lamp of Knowledge Award and was selected as all district for soccer in 2015 and 2016 and all conference for soccer in 2016.

She is a member of Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society. 

She has volunteered for blood drives, youth soccer and basketball camps, Brandywine Christmas Bazaar and Golden Living Nursing Home to name a few.