Exeter High School Top Ten Students - Class of 2002

Amanda (Mandi) Sungailis Baughman, the daughter of Eva and Paul Baughman of Exeter, is the class valedictorian. She is a second-year member of the National Honor Society. Mandi has been a member of the Latin Club for three years and Latin Honor Society for four, serving as its vice president her senior year. She has been involved in competitive gymnastics at Off the Wall Gymnastics in Plaistow, qualifying for Level 9 Junior Olympic Nationals in 1999 and Level 10 Regionals in 2002. She is the 2002 Level 10 New Hampshire champion in floor exercise. Mandi will attend Brown University to major in education and to be a member of the women's gymnastics team.

Ashanna Christine Belcher is the daughter of Robert M. and Catherine F. Belcher of East Kingston. She is a second-year member of the National Honor Society, the Social Studies Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, and the Tri-M Music Honor Society, serving as president of both the Spanish and Music Honor Societies during her senior year. Ashanna received the Bausch and Lomb Science Award, the Wellesley College Book Award, and the N.H.Teachers of Mathematics Award during her junior year. In addition, she placed among the top five Spanish students in the state on the National Spanish Exam, four of the five years she has taken the test. During her senior year, Ashanna was awarded the Senior Award in Spanish and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Award. She has been a member of the EHS music program all four years, singing in the Select Chorus and in the Honors Choir as a senior. Outside of school, Ashanna is a youth group leader at the United Methodist Church in East Kingston and has participated in summer mission trips to Madagascar (2000) and Mexico (2001). She will travel to Colorado in September to take part in a three-month Discipleship Training School with Youth With a Mission, after which she will spend two to four months on outreach in a country in the 10/40 window (the area between the 10th and 40th parallels north of the equator which spans from West Africa to Japan). Ashanna will enter into the freshman class at Gordon College during the fall of 2003.

Amber Schreiner Davis, the daughter of Robert and Terri Davis of Exeter, is the class salutatorian. She has been involved with the National Honor Society, the Social Studies Honor Society, and the Japanese Honor Society at Exeter High School for several years. Last year, Amber was awarded the Rensselaer Mathematics and Science Award, the N.H. Teachers of Mathematics Award, and second place in the school's Merrill Writing Contest. This year, she followed up with the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Excellence in Mathematics Award. Through Exeter's exchange program, Amber traveled to Japan last summer to study Japanese for a month. As well as taking hip-hop and ballroom dance classes, she teaches dance twice a week at the two local elementary schools. In her free time, she likes to go camping, read, and scuba dive. This fall, Amber will attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Amber would like to send her love and gratitude to her family and her well wishes to her friends.

James Fairbanks is the son of John and Susan Fairbanks of Stratham. He is a two-year member of the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, of which he is treasurer, the Social Studies Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, in which he is the secretary. He is also a National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholar. James is a four- year member of the Marching Band, the Concert Band, and the Stage Band, and is the president of the bands. He has been heavily involved in the theater program, acting in numerous productions as well as playing the trumpet for the spring musicals. This past year, he was elected treasurer of the theatre program. James is also tri-captain of the tennis team. He spent the past few summers teaching tennis and has attended the Summer Youth Music School at UNH. James will attend Purdue University in the fall, and will major in Aerospace Engineering.

Emily Friedrichs, daughter of Paul Friedrichs and the late Abigail Phillips, has been a resident of Exeter since the age of 2. A well-rounded student, Emily was the recipient of the Smith College Book Award in her junior year. As a senior, she was elected senator in the N.Y. Youth in Government Program, where she also won an award for model legislation of campaign finance reform. She is an avid African, hip-hop, and tap dancer and also played soccer for Exeter High School and the Seacoast Sounders. Additionally, she plays bass guitar for the EHS Stage Band. She is a Unitarian Universalist and a social activist, affirmed at the First Unitarian Society of Exeter. Currently, she is planning a Peace and Peer Mediation Assembly for EHS. Emily will attend Yale University in the fall.

Jill JeeAeKim Clapp-Hansen, daughter of Nancy Hansen and William Clapp, and sister of Lindsay Clapp-Hansen, all of Stratham, will attend Brandeis University in the fall to pursue a career in biology. A member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, she is also president of the Spanish Club. An accomplished flautist, Jill participated in the high school marching and concert bands for two years; this past year, she joined the EHS chorus. Also this year, she was inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society. During her junior and senior years, Jill participated in sports by being a member of the school's diving team and managing the girls' varsity field hockey team. A longtime member of Stratham Girl Scouts, Jill is in Senior Troop 115, serving this past year as the troop's president. She recently earned the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. Additionally, Jill received the Exeter Chapter DAR Good Citizen Award for her 10 years' service to the community in a variety of capacities. Jill's interests include marine biology, reading, and traveling.

Meghan Danielle Helliesen is the daughter of Walter and Lyn Helliesen of Exeter. She is a second-year member of the National Honor Society, the Tri-M Music Honor Society, the Social Studies Honor Society, and a four-year member of the National Latin Honor Society. Meghan has been a four-year member of the high school chorus and an Honors Choir member her senior year. She has played the piano for 10 years and frequently accompanied the chorus during several concerts. Meghan was a varsity athlete during all four years of high school, lettering in all four seasons of cross-country, basketball, and spring track. She was a three-year captain of the cross-country team, a two-year captain of the spring track team, and a captain of the basketball team her senior year. She has received several MVP awards in cross-country and track as well as a coaches' award in cross-country and basketball. Meghan holds the school record in the 1600 meter run and has consistently ranked as one of the top 800 meter runners in the Class L Division. She is also a recipient of the New Hampshire Women's Athletic/Academic Award. Meghan will attend Bates College, where she will possibly major in English and continue to run cross-country and track as well as participate in music.

Dara Elise Klein, the daughter of Harry I. Klein and Francine E. Berman of Exeter, is a second year member of the National Honor Society and is serving as treasurer her senior year. She is also a second year member of the Social Studies Honor Society as well as the Slavic Honor Society. In the summer of 2000, Dara participated in a community service trip to Israel through the Nesiya Institute. She has been very active in the Russian Club since she began taking Russian in 1996, and has been an officer of the club for the last four years, taking on the position of president her senior year. During April of 2001, Dara went on an exchange program to Peterhof, Russia. That summer, she studied World Religions and earned a superior ranking. Dara has been active in Exeter High School Theatre all four years, and this past fall, along with senior Hannah Bendroth (also from Exeter), she directed a children's theatre production, called Nana Danna's Favorite Stories, which was attended by area elementary school children. Dara will attend Brandeis University in the fall, and hopes to fall in love with the perfect major at a later point in time.

Alexis Anne Lenz, the daughter of Sandy and Fred Lenz of Stratham, is a second-year member of the National Honor Society and the Social Studies Honor Society. She was also inducted into the Spanish Honor Society in her sophomore year. Alexis has studied various forms of dance and performed in numerous performances and competitions since the age of 3. She is currently enrolled as both a company and competition team member at the Foot Notes Studio of Dance in Exeter. Her performances have included numerous appearances at the Firehouse Theatre in Newburyport, Mass., Market Square Day and the Prescott Park Arts Festivals in Portsmouth, as well as many other local benefits. In addition, she was an invited dancer at the half-time show of the 2001 Orange Bowl and has received top place awards in numerous dance competitions throughout New England. She will attend a National Dance Competition this summer. Alexis will attend Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., this fall and major in behavioral neuroscience.

Taylor Little, the daughter of Bradford E. Little and Margaret E. Driscoll of Stratham, is a second-year member of the National Honor Society, the Social Studies Honor Society, and the French Honor Society, of which she was vice president her senior year. A four-year starter for the Varsity Girl's Soccer Team, Taylor was tri-captain her senior year and received the Most Improved Player Award. Taylor is also a four-year Varsity Girls' Tennis player, and has been the No. 1 singles player on the team for the past two years. She also served as co-captain of the tennis team her senior year. In addition, she participated on the JV Girls' Basketball Team her freshman year. In the fall, Taylor will attend Penn State University, in University Park, Pa., to pursue an interest in educational psychology.

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