The Addison Independent is proud to publish the Students of the Week from area High Schools each week. The students are chosen by teachers and administration from each school who would like to recognize their exceptional engagement in the high schools they attend.
MUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Middlebury Union High School proudly recognizes Marcelo Hanta-Davis of Middlebury as its Student of the Week. Marcelo is the son of Karin Hanta and Darien Davis. His brother, Caetano, attends college in Massachusetts.
Marcelo explains that he follows the words of jazz piano great Bill Evans: “Intuition must be led by knowledge.” For Marcelo, the search for knowledge goes “through many different lenses.”
Marcelo is fluent in English, German and French; conversationally so in Portuguese and Spanish. He has lived in Vienna and Rio, and he spent last year in Paris. During that year, he attended a highly respected international school where he took most courses in French and achieved the highest overall grades in his class.
In the year before he headed to Paris, Marcelo was our Student Senate President. He also participated in Model UN and tutored. Marcelo resumed tutoring this year and is a Peer Leader. He combines his passions for languages and social justice as a volunteer at the Open Door Clinic. Marcelo also worked with his mother to translate a German-English children’s book about a boy and his dog during the Holocaust.
In Marcelo’s three years at MUHS, he has been recognized for academic achievement in each of the four core academic departments. He has been enrolled in a full range of AP courses and has also taken a French literature course at Middlebury College, Multivariable Calculus online through Johns Hopkins and Constitutional Law at Georgetown.
No etude of Marcelo would be complete without mention of music. He has formed his own jazz quartet, plays a smooth lead alto sax in our Jazz Band and is the very worthy recipient of the 2016 All State Jazz Performance Scholarship.
Marcelo would like to attend a college in the Northeast, and he is exploring options. It seems to us those options should be vying for the gifts he has to share. Given what we know of you, Marcelo, our intuition says you are destined to make the world a better place wherever you go. We wish you the very best along the way!
VUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Vergennes Union High School is pleased to recognize Kyra Duggento as its Student of the Week. Kyra lives in Vergennes and is the daughter of Nina and Andrew Duggento. Her brother, Brayden, is a third-grader at VUES.
Kyra’s achievements at VUHS include being named Most Outstanding Sophomore in Chorus. She was voted the chorus secretary in the following two years. Kyra has participated in three District music festivals and two All State music festivals. As a junior she was enrolled in the Design and Illustration program at the Hannaford Career Center and was inducted into the National Art Honor Society in May 2015. Clarkson University gave her their High School Achievement Award, which is accompanied by a significant scholarship. Kyra has consistently been on the honor roll. This year she is taking take AP Literature and Composition.
Since her seventh-grade year, Kyra has been heavily involved in the Vergennes music program and has participated in six musicals, three Black and White Cabaret fundraisers, and one open mic. She has been part of the Commodore Singers since last year. She joined math team this year. Along with these groups, she has also been a part of multiple planning committees for the senior class, including prom committee and the group who organized the annual senior Walk-a-Thon.
Last year, while enrolled in the Career Center, Kyra participated in the United Way Day of Caring. Recently Kyra has begun tutoring middle school students. She has also started volunteering at a local dog kennel.
Kyra’s advice to current and upcoming high schoolers is this: “When they say ‘you get out of it what you put in,’ they are 100 percent correct. Perseverance and hard work really are the keys to success, so if you are willing to put in the effort you will go far.” Chris Clark, a science teacher, says, “Kyra is a conscientious, enthusiastic, disciplined student who is intrinsically motivated to learn, continually striving for academic excellence. Her laughter, enthusiasm and lively engagement in the classroom has been a pleasure.”
Following graduation Kyra plans on studying biochemistry and then continuing on to veterinary school. The faculty, staff and students of VUHS wish Kyra the very best in the future.
Vergennes Students of the Week receive a free sandwich and drink from 3 Squares Cafe. Middlebury Students of the Week receive a free pizza from Green Peppers. Students of the Week from all area high schools will receive a gift certificate from Vermont Book Shop.
With support from:
Barash Mediation
Business Telephone Systems
Champlain Valley Plumbing and Heating
Jackman Fuels
JW DE Ryan
Martin’s Hardware
United Way of Addison County
Vermont Army National Guard
Vermont Book Shop