2019 Rising Stars Thanks to some pretty amazing Cape and Islands high school seniors The future looks bright 2 | RISING STARS 2019 2019 DEAR READERS, Rising Stars ow! America is in GREAT hands!” CONTENTS That’s what Yarmouth Police Deputy Chief Steven Xiarhos “Wwrote at the top of his list of 20 Rising Stars. He was one of our three distinguished and generous judges this year. And he echoes the enthu- 3 ......... ALEC ABRAMSON, Sandwich High School siasm that judges throughout the years have all expressed. It’s a daunting task that we ask of our judges. They must 4 ......... SOPHIA ADELSTEIN, Falmouth High School read all of the nomination letters (139 this year) sent in by 5 ......... TREVOR BLAZE, Barnstable High School teachers and counselors, neighbors and family members, and narrow down an impressive field of high school seniors — 6 ......... CAROLINE DAVOCK, Monomoy Regional High School young citizens who are already making a positive difference in the world — to 20 finalists. There are so many amazing 7 ......... KAELLY FARRELL, Nauset Regional High School kids, and it can be excruciating to choose one over another. 8 ......... EMILY FRANKS, Mashpee Middle-High School But they do it. And then they thank us for the opportunity. Everyone involved in Rising Stars expresses a deep sense of gratitude 9 ......... FRANCESCA GALAZZI, Nauset Regional High School because what we all gain is a renewed sense of hope. And what a gift that is! Of course, our judges are always super busy people. That expression, “if 10 ......... SHAEZ GOMES, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School you want something done, ask a busy person” — it’s true. And they are ded- 11 ......... KARI GOULD, Sandwich High School icated, compassionate community leaders — wonderful examples of service to others that we can all aspire to. 12 ......... CECELIA KANE, Sturgis Charter Public School East Deputy Chief Xiarhos, a Gold Star father who lost his son Nicholas at age 21 on the battlefield in Afghanistan, is a tireless community organizer, a 13 ......... RENEE LEVESQUE, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School highly decorated officer and a fierce patriot. He jumped at the chance to contribute to Rising Stars. 14 ......... JULIA MILCZANOWSKI, St. John Paul II High School Lysetta Hurge-Putnam, executive director of Independence House in 15 ......... AVERY NARDONE, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Hyannis, said “yes” to the task, and we are so grateful. She’s an innovative mover and shaker in our community and beyond. Independence House is a 16 ......... BENTEN NIGGEL, Nauset Regional High School nonprofit counseling and advocacy center that serves thousands of domes- tic violence and sexual assault survivors every year, and reaches thousands 17 ......... LUCY POLLOCK, Nauset Regional High School of other individuals through outreach and educational programs such as the 18 ......... TORIANA RICHARDS, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Mentors in Violence Prevention program in many of our high schools. Bill Mills, our editorial editor at the Cape Cod Times, is a very humble 19 ......... LAYLA SASTRY, Sandwich High School man who lives a life of quiet service. Everyone who knows Bill holds him in the highest esteem. “Bill has the most difficult job at the newspaper, serv- 20 ......... ELIZABETH SCOTT, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School ing as the institutional voice and the arbiter of the community conversation 21 ......... JILLIAN TAYLOR, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School that occurs daily on his pages,” says executive editor Paul Pronovost. I think Bill might say that choosing 20 Rising Stars out of all the amazing 22 ......... CARLY WHITESIDE, Barnstable High School nominees was one of the most difficult tasks he’s taken on. In addition to reading the impressive stories about our 20 wonderful 23 .........2019 Rising Star Nominees finalists, you should make sure to spend some time on Page 23, acknowl- edging the other 89 students who were nominated, and who are rising stars ON THE COVER themselves. And we know there are plenty of unsung rising stars out there. Barnstable senior Trevor Blaze plans to study economics and hopes (You know who you are!) to become a naval aviator. Finally, I wish our readers could see the enthusiasm with which our reporters, editors and photographers dive into this project. What am I Editor: Patti Bangert, Cape Cod Times Designer: Katherine Silvia, Center for News & Design saying? You’ll see it plain as day in the following pages. Enjoy! 319 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601 • 508-775-1200 Patti Bangert www.capecodtimes.com • www.capecodonline.com Special sections editor, Cape Cod Times RISING STARS 2019 | 3 Alec Abramson Sandwich High School Every limitation can be combated by an adaptation. It’s all about perspective. [RON SCHLOERB/CAPE COD TIMES] By Mary Weatherby motion. Sports at Nickerson State Park Chicago, where he plans to study [email protected] “It doesn’t matter how well you in Brewster, which runs adaptive engineering/applied sciences with play or what the score is, it matters cycling and kayaking programs. an eye toward a career in adaptive or scholar-athlete Alec that you have a smile on your face,” “Every limitation can be combated technology. Abramson, it’s about keeping Alec said. by an adaptation. It’s all about per- “To understand the cognitive people in the game. In their sophomore year of high spective,” he said. disabilities that people face pushes F The top golfer and captain of school, Alec and his twin brother, Alec’s talents are academic as me to create technology to combat the Sandwich High School golf team, Evan, started an Adaptive Sports well; he’s in the top 10 of his class, those disabilities,” he said. Alec has a passion for the game he Club at Sandwich High School, has been named to the Superin- There’s also the Back to Swing has played since he was 6. It has led mainly to supply volunteers for tendent’s Council and has taken Charity Golf Tournament, of which to his vocation of adaptive sports. Spaulding’s adaptive sports pro- Advanced Placement classes in Alec and Evan were lead organizers The Sandwich High School senior grams and events, including statistics, physics, calculus, U.S. for two years and received the Phi- has spent the past five years as a wheelchair basketball and a summer history and world history, to name lanthropy Partners of the Cape and volunteer creating opportunities for golf program. a few. Islands' Outstanding Youth Award. those in rehabilitation to continue The club connects high school He and his brother started a STEM The nine-hole tournament raised participating in the games they love and middle school students with Initiative mentoring program for over $7,500 for Spaulding’s adaptive through adaptive sports programs. athletes at Spaulding, with the goal seventh-grade students enter- programs with the two events. Alec has been involved in the BITS of bringing together able-bodied ing Sandwich’s STEM Academy to “I love to be a leader on the golf – Back in the Swing – program at and adaptive individuals in one help them navigate middle school. course, but I want my biggest Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in community. The peer-matching, life skills and impact on the community to be Sandwich. He has worked with golf- “With the right equipment and guidance program has expanded to off the course,” Alec said. “I want ers of all ages affected by strokes, support, anybody can excel at any- include students in eighth grade as to give leadership experiences to accidents or birth defects to help thing,” Alec said. well as high school freshmen. my peers and bring awareness to them get on the course, and improve Alec also interned last summer Alec’s work will continue next everyone in our Cape Cod and global their mobility, balance and range of at the McGraw Center for Adaptive year at Northwestern University in community.” 4 | RISING STARS 2019 Sophia Adelstein Falmouth High School I think being good at what you’re interested in and being true to yourself and true to you own interests is really important, because as soon as you let other people infl uence you too much, you’re going to be unhappy. [RON SCHLOERB/CAPE COD TIMES] Jason Savio High School. Not only did she created an AP 3-D design class – a The coffee table, along with her [email protected] have to make up half of her junior course that is not typically offered other 3-D works, will be included year because the years were offset at Falmouth High – as an indepen- in her AP 3-D design portfolio, the ophia Adelstein not only had between here and Australia, she also dent study for Sophia after seeing first portfolio of its type anyone has to move to a different school had to integrate herself into a whole what she describes as “amazing” ever submitted at Falmouth High. during the summer between new culture and make new friends. creations the student was making on She’ll also be putting together an S her sophomore and junior “You have to start over, but it her own outside of school. Jewelry, AP drawing portfolio to go with it, years, she had to move to a new was fine,” says Sophia, who was scrap books and birds made of cloth totaling 48 pieces of art. country. nominated to be a Rising Star by her are just some of the intricate works When she’s not busy creating and Since coming to the Cape from guidance counselor, Kurt Lawson. of art Sophia was creating, and tinkering, Sophia helps others in the land down under, the Australian “The move with school was hard at Baker thought she deserved credit class and spreads her love of art.