MUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Middlebury Union High School introduces Emma Pope McCright, the daughter of John McCright and Sarah Pope, as its featured Student of the Week. Emma has a younger sister, Sophie, who is a sophomore at MUHS, and the family resides in Middlebury.
Emma is a talented student and she has challenged herself with a demanding course load at the high school. Last fall, she enrolled in an Anthropology course at Middlebury College and she loved the subject matter. She is currently taking three Advanced Placement classes and enjoys the content, saying that if she had to choose, AP World History would probably be her favorite. She is a voracious reader, adding that Jane Austen is one of her favorite authors. Emma’s dedication to her studies has paid off as her name has consistently appeared on the school’s honor roll every year.
As a junior, Emma participated in a Rotary exchange, and she lived with a host family in Borgarnes, Iceland. She said Iceland’s landscape was devastatingly beautiful but the limited daylight in the winter took some getting used to. She attended school, met students and experienced life in a completely new and different environment for a semester. Emma said the experience encouraged her interest in further cultural studies. During the winter of her senior year, she spent three weeks in France as part of a school exchange. She and five peers attended Lycée Marlioz and furthered her love of the French language. Emma had the chance to reciprocate when she and her family hosted a student from the same school who came to MUHS this spring.
Emma actively participates in the MUHS Scholars Bowl and enjoys sharing her knowledge of trivia, especially in the history and literature categories — ask her to name all the kings and queens of England. She has played the violin for eight years and has been a member of the Vermont Youth Orchestra’s Philharmonia. She has attended the New England Young Writers’ Conference at Bread Loaf twice. The New England Newspaper and Press Association awarded her a prize for her essay featuring Middlebury’s March for Our Lives after the school shootings in Parkland, Florida. The article was published last year in the Addison Independent.
Emma looks forward to enrolling at Mount Holyoke College in the fall and she is considering majors in either history or literature. Everyone at MUHS wishes Emma well as she embarks on her journey toward higher education.
 
VUHS STUDENT OF THE WEEK
Vergennes Union High School is pleased to recognize Jack Halpin as its Student of the Week. Jack lives in Vergennes with his dad and mom, Peter and Janet Halpin.
While captain of two sport teams, Jack was able to achieve either high honors or honor roll all four years of high school. Jack took AP Calculus his junior year and received a 5 on the AP test. He also earned an Outstanding Achievement in Social Studies award his freshman year. Jack challenged himself by taking Humanities his junior year, and he was inducted into the National Honor Society that same year.
Jack is an active member of our school community. He participates in many sports: Lacrosse, Soccer and Track & Field. A vital part of our musical program, is in the school band, jazz band and high school chorus. He has also been a part of the VUHS musicals since his sophomore year.
Outside of school Jack has spent three summers and one winter working as either a dishwasher or prep-cook at Middlebury College. Last summer Jack was a camp counselor at Basin Harbor, and this summer he will be a dockhand at the Basin Harbor Waterfront. As a service trip, Jack traveled to Cape Three Points, Ghana, to teach at a school for two weeks.
“When it all comes down to it, the purpose of education is to build a foundation of knowledge that prepares you to succeed in the real world,” Jack says. “Many people have varying perceptions of the term ‘success.’ For me, success is being able to maintain a sustainable life while following your passions. If you aren’t studying or pursuing something that you aren’t deeply passionate about, then you can never give it your full dedication. As long as you are doing something that you love, you will eventually attain the success that we all deeply desire.”
VUHS English teacher Karl Steen congratulates Jack for being student of the week. “Jack is a leader here at VUHS, energizing our learning community with continual optimism and enthusiasm for learning and for new experiences,” he says. “Thanks, Jack, for everything you’ve done for your classmates and for our community.”
Following graduation from VUHS Jack plans to attend the University of Vermont and major in Music Business and Technology. The faculty, staff and students of VUHS wish Jack Halpin the very best in the 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 gift card from Route 7 South Sandwich Company. Students of the Week from all area high schools will receive a gift certificate from Vermont Book Shop.
With support from:
Bourdon Insurance Agency
Business Telephone Systems
Champlain Valley Plumbing & Heating
Countryside Carpet & Paint
J.W. & D.E. Ryan
Jackman Fuels Inc.
NFP Insurance, Benefits & Wealth Management
Peak View Eye Care
Route 7 South Sandwich Company
United Way of Addison County
Vermont Book Shop