On June 14, hundreds of Londonderry High School graduates will cross the stage at this year’s graduation.
This year’s top two students are Matt Doyle, who earned the distinction of Valedictorian, and Caitlyn Bailey, who earned the distinction of Salutatorian.
Matt Doyle
Valedictorian
When asked about earning the distinction, Doyle said “This distinction is a great honor.”
“Throughout my educational career, I have always strived to do my best but never focused on this distinction as a potential achievement,” Doyle said. “With that said, I feel this honor is a reflection of my dedication and hard work.”
Some of Doyle’s favorite moments during his career in Londonderry schools include playing soccer, basketball, and volleyball all four years at Londonderry High School land listening to outrageous stories from the late Mr. MacLellan at LMS.”
“Also, the time I got my finger stuck in a locker during seventh grade was pretty memorable,” he said.
In terms of advice, he would give students still in the schools Doyle said “get involved.”
“You can make the best of memories and form long-lasting friendships by participating in sports, joining clubs or honor societies, or attending school events. Do not take your time at LHS for granted,” Doyle said.
During his high school career, Doyle and his classmates faced challenges along the way.
One that stands out in particular for Doyle was taking Algebra II/Trig during his freshman year, during the pandemic.
“Let’s just say Algebra II on Google Meets did not make for an enjoyable experience,” Doyle said.
Next year, Doyle will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he is currently planning on double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Computer & Electrical Engineering.
Caitlyn Bailey
Salutatorian
For Bailey, she said earning the Salutatorian distinction means that “all my hard work over the last four years was worth it.”
During her time in the Londonderry school district, she pointed to a number of favorite moments, including all the “silly moments with my friends during special activities.”
“My absolute favorite memory of high school was going on a field trip with the Science National Honor Society to see the solar eclipse totality. It was incredible,” Bailey said.
During her time in high school, she also faced challenging times.
“The most challenging moments were definitely quarantining during my freshman year. It’s so hard to learn online only, and I missed my friends so much,” Bailey said. “I’m glad that the rest of my high school experience was more normal. I also had to take honors chemistry and driver’s ed at the same time, which was not fun.”
In the fall, Bailey will be attending the University of NH where she will be majoring in genetics with a focus on genomics.
“I will be a part of the UNH Honors College,” Bailey said. “I also plan to continue my studio art studies and explore marine biology. In the more distant future, I hope to work as a research scientist someday. I’m not sure exactly where or what I would research, but I have some time to figure that out.”
When asked what advice she would give incoming students, she said “This sounds hypocritical, but I would tell incoming students not to care about grades too much.”
“Of course, try your best, but sometimes your best is doing half of the assignment and going to bed early,” Bailey said. ” Or maybe you just need to go get dinner and have some social time. That’s okay. You’re worth more than a letter grade or a GPA.”