READFIELD — Maranacook Community High School has announced its top 10 scholars for the class of 2021. The students are listed by academic standing.

Lily Cannell of Readfield, daughter of John and Gwen Cannell and sister of Wyatt Cannell, is valedictorian. She is a varsity member of the cross country and nordic ski teams where she earned a spot on the Fall 2020 KVAC first team and Winter 2021 KVAC second team, respectively.

As secretary of the Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, she has helped organize events to educate the community about the importance of civic engagement through connection with influential speakers, such as Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. Cannell has been a member of the Student Senate Sustainability Committee for three years, where she helped revive the school gardens. She has volunteered at PALS no-kill cat shelter and the Common Ground Fair.

During her time at the high school, she has also had the opportunity to peer mentor a middle school student. When she’s not in school, she can be found outside. She loves to run, hike, bike, swim, and camp. She has been a dancer for 13 years and an assistant dance teacher for younger students in recent years.

Cannell plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering.

Thomas Trafton of Hallowell, son of Stephen and Jennifer Trafton, is salutatorian. He has been a member of the varsity baseball team for three years and the varsity golf team for four years, serving as captain of both teams his senior year.

Trafton was the co-head and head of Student Voice in the Student Senate, where he helped organize various events around the school. He has also been a member of Model UN, Rho Kappa, and middle school mentoring. He held the position of vice president in the Interact Club and the National Honor Society. He volunteered at the Capital Area Baseball Clinic and the Vaughan Woods/Historic Homestead.

In the fall, Trafton plans to attend Boston College and major in finance.

Cashman McClure of Readfield, is the son of Aaron and Sara McClure, and brother to Keagan McClure. McClure has been a varsity basketball player for four years, winning some notable awards along the way. He was named the MVP of the Class B Southern Maine Championship, 2020 and 2021 KVAC Player of the Year, and 2021 Mr. Basketball.

He was a member of the National Honor Society his senior year, and maintained high honors throughout high school. He has spent time volunteering at the town’s rec basketball program in order to keep the future of Maranacook basketball strong. He and his friends, Joey and Eljas, have also begun their own small yard work/odd job business, which they run during the summer months.

McClure plans to attend Kimball Union Academy as a post grad next fall to further his academics and love of basketball.

Michael J. Tamborini of Readfield, brother of Olivia and Anthony Tamborini, son of George and Christine Tamborini, is fourth in his class. He has been a member of the Maranacook Alpine Ski team, cross country team, and track & field team. He served as a captain for both the Alpine and cross country teams his senior year. In his junior year, Tamborini helped lead the ski team to a state championship.

He has been an active member of the Maranacook community; he is a member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, math team, Model United Nations, and is the current student body president of the Senate and Council. He recently earned his Seal of Biliteracy for his proficiency in the German language.

He was recently named an Elks Most Valuable Student for his community service efforts and academic excellence. Outside of school, sports, and volunteering, he enjoys the outdoors and running.

He plans to attend Rochester Institute of Technology and study aerospace engineering.

Brad Russell lives in Readfield. Moving from southern Maine to Readfield his eighth-grade year changed his life with new freedoms and friendships likely to follow him into college. As he spent these last five years at Maranacook, his relationships and interests have only grown stronger. From his interest in law enforcement to psychology to political science, Maranacook’s teachers and students have helped him discover who he is.

With an interest and major in political science, Russell plans to leave next fall to attend the University of Maine at Orono. With hopes of entrepreneurship and a life in Maine after college he will go on for a graduate degree in business administration through UMaine’s 4+1 program.

Paige Rice is from Mount Vernon. She has been an active member of National Honor Society for three years, serving as secretary this year. She is also president of the Interact club, whose biggest project this year has been a hope garden, by a sign that displays hopeful messages surrounding mental health.

Rice has been a member of the girls’ tennis team all four years, and served as co-captain junior and senior year. In addition, she has played indoor tennis at ACOPI in Augusta including a combination of private lessons, mixers, and being selected for an elite clinic.

She has always had a passion for music and theater. She has been a four-year member of chamber singers and participated in every musical and stage production at Maranacook.

Outside of school she has taken private vocal and guitar lessons for seven years. She has also taken Spanish all four years and participated in a trip to Spain her junior year where she enjoyed being immersed in the language and culture. She will never forget the flamenco which was by far her favorite part of the trip.

This fall Rice plans to attend the University of Rhode Island to study nursing.

Katherine Gasper of Mount Vernon, is the daughter of Jon and Bonnie Gasper and the older sister of Wesley. In her freshman year she participated in cross country, but stopped after the season concluded because of a back injury. Despite the setback, she still enjoys running and goes out on her own to run whenever possible.

Her junior year of high school, she was a student at Maine Virtual Academy, but returned to Maranacook for her senior year so that she could graduate with her friends. She’s always been passionate about writing, and plans on attending a liberal arts college in New England this fall to major in English.

Eljas Bergdahl of Manchester is son of Miska Jarvinen-Bergdahl, Aaron Bergdahl, and the brother of Elsa and Celia Bergdahl. He has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years and joined the Interact Club as a senior where he was elected vice president. He is playing his first-ever season of lacrosse, and tested out his musical abilities in Maranacook’s production of “Mama Mia” in 2019.

Bergdahl  has played varsity soccer all four years of high school and was a team captain his junior and senior years after winning a state championship his freshman year. He also played varsity basketball all four years, and helped his team win the central Maine class A/B championship as a senior after being runner up at the state championship the year prior. Now he is coaching a ninth and 10th grade basketball team, and has coached at numerous youth sports camps.

He is thankful to the Maranacook community for the opportunities they have given him after transferring his eighth grade year from Fargo, North Dakota (and before that, Oulu, Finland). Bergdahl plans to attend college and focus on baseline classes so he can decide on his major.

Marie Brosey of Wayne, is the daughter of Peter and Jennifer Brosey. She played on the tennis team for four years and has remained an honors and high honors student.

She plans to attend the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Maine at Augusta in the fall.

Thomas Poling is the youngest son of Phil and Elisabeth Poling, and youngest brother to Sam, Zach, and Elisabeth Anne. For the past four years, he has been an active part of the community, pursuing music, theater and athletics.

He is a member of student government, having been student body president his sophomore year. He is one of the founding members, and current president, of Maranacook’s branch of Rho Kappa, the national social studies honor society. He has been involved in five theatrical productions, landing a lead role in two his junior year and a writing/directing role this year. He is a three-sport athlete, and captain of the Nordic ski team.

Poling plans to attend the University of Maine at Orono in the fall, where he will study engineering.

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