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.
OVUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Otter Valley Union High School proudly names Colby Case as its Student of the Week. Colby lives in Brandon with his parents, Randall and Melissa Case. His older brother, Alic, graduated from Castleton.
Colby has been on the Honor Roll consistently during his entire Otter Valley career with only a few exceptions. He is currently taking AP Literature.
 Colby works at Keith’s Country Store in the deli. He has volunteered twice to be a server at the Lake Sunapee Bank-sponsored senior citizen dinner.
Outside of school Colby enjoys working on computers, and restoring two Datsun Z cars: a 1971 240z and a 1983 280zx.
When asked what he has learned from high school, Colby says, “I have learned that in the end challenging myself to take a difficult class pays off. Now I know that I can meet high expectations.”
After graduation Colby plans on going to college to ultimately get a degree in network security/administration.
Mr. Dwyer says, “The transforming high school experience for Colby has been through his serving as an Information Technology intern for OVUHS. Colby shines with his knowledge of network challenges and computer systems. He has rescued his teachers many times with his ability to fix glitches on their PCs. This internship has allowed Colby to demonstrate his reliability as well as his ability to diagnose and fix a number of computer problems. He is truly tech savvy!”
The Otter Valley community congratulates Colby on being named Student of the Week and wishes him great success in college and beyond.
 
MAUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Mount Abraham Union High School is happy to announce that Riley Forbes is its Student of the Week. Riley lives in Bristol with her parents, Kimberly and Michael Forbes, and her younger siblings, Sawyer and Sam.
Riley is an honor roll student. She attends the academic excellence banquets annually in the spring. She is a member of the National Honor Society, has attended Girls’ State, and takes advanced classes. She has been on the Class Council for two years. Over the past three years she has taken six online classes, one of which was a class through UVM. She has taken AP Music Theory and Composition, AP Biology, and AP Calculus AB.
Riley was on the track and field in ninth grade and the Nordic ski team in grades 11 and 12. She has volunteered at Lawrence Memorial Library since grade 10 and volunteers at the food shelf. She has studied piano since sixth grade, attended the Governor’s Institute of the Arts in ninth, and has participated in Mount Abe’s fall musicals since seventh.
Outside of school Riley enjoys running, reading novels (“Harry Potter” all the way!), listening to music, hiking, biking, swimming, hanging out with friends, and being in nature.
Riley says her philosophy is “to always put in your best effort and to take all of the opportunities that come your way.” Her advice to other students is “High school is short, and yes, I was a freshman once, but it goes by fast, so make sure that you put in all of the effort and take any opportunities, whether it be classes, scholarships, clubs or sports that come your way so that you too can make the most of your high school years.”
After high school Riley will go to college to continue studying science.
Riley’s AP Biology teacher, Samantha Kayhart, says “Riley is a motivated and self-sufficient student. She enjoys digging in deeply to a subject to understand subtle nuances. She especially loves tackling challenging projects where she can use her creativity.”
The Mount Abe community congratulates Riley on being named Student of the Week and wishes her great success in her future.
Otter Valley Students of the week receive a gift certificate from the Book & Leaf Bookstore. Mt. Abe Students of the Week receive a free pizza from Cubbers. 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
Cubbers
Champlain Valley Plumbing and Heating
Jackman’s Inc
JW DE Ryan
Martin’s Hardware
Paige and Campbell Insurance
United Way of Addison County
Vermont Army National Guard
Vermont Book Shop