By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — All are welcome to attend the 67th Commencement Exercises of North Reading High School on Friday, June 7 promptly at 6:15 p.m. at Arthur J. Kenney Field.

The graduating seniors will gather in the gymnasium for photographs with their classmates prior to the processional with faculty members down Jon Bernard Way. They will be led onto the turf field by Class Marshals Mia Benecke and James Dillon while the NRHS concert band plays the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” under the direction of Ben Owens.

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors with admittance by ticket only, which were distributed to class members in advance.

This year’s honor essayists are Isabelle Kim, Bhagyavi Bandara and Drew Mountain. The class essay will be delivered by Cassandra Fitts, whose essay was selected in a competition judged by the school’s faculty.

Honor Essayist Isabelle Kim

Isabelle Kim is the daughter of Tae-il Kim and Ji-eun Kim. She will attend Tufts University in the fall where she will major in biology in the pre-dental track. She hopes to pursue a career in pediatric dentistry.

A four-year member of the Hornet Marching Band, she served as drum major for the past two years. In the Concert Band, she played both flute and piccolo. As a member of the Jazz Band, she plays the trombone.

Kim is a member of the National Honor Society. She also served as president of the Academic Decathlon team and last summer she completed an internship at an MRI lab affiliated with MGH Boston.

ISABELLE KIM
Honor Essayist

 

Honor Essayist Bhagyavi Bandara

Bhagyavi Bandara is the daughter of Dhammika and Kalpanie Bandara. She will attend Northeastern University in the fall where she will pursue a double major in computer engineering and computer science.

At NRHS, she was inducted into the National Honor Society and was a member of the Hornets girls’ tennis team, serving as a team co-captain as a senior.

She also ran a computer science club for students attending North Reading Middle School for two years. Outside of school she has worked at the Bank of America and she enjoys cooking and baking.

BHAGYAVI BANDARA
Honor Essayist

 

 Honor essayist Drew Mountain

Drew Mountain is the son of Chris and Lorraine Mountain. A member of the National Honor Society, he will attend Northeastern University where he will major in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace. He hopes to pursue a career at an aerospace company such as Blue Origin or at NASA.

He was a member of the Hornet golf team, serving as a co-captain in his senior year. He also played saxophone in Concert Band and Jazz Band where he served as section leader for two years.

Outside of school, Mountain ran a fundraiser for Parkinson’s research for two years. The funds raised were donated toward the search for a cure for the disease as well as engineering equipment for use by people with Parkinson’s with the goal of helping them complete tasks that they once could do but no longer are able to do because of the progression of their disease.

DREW MOUNTAIN
Honor Essayist

 

Class Essayist Cassandra Fitts

Class essayist Cassandra Fitts is the daughter of Seth and Marlena Fitts. She will attend Boston University where she will major in political science in the pre-law track.

At NRHS she was inducted into the National Honor Society for which she also served as vice president. She served as an officer in both the Model UN and the Social Activism Club and was a Student Representative to the School Committee. Fitts was a member of DECA and the School Council.

A marimba player, she was a member of both the Marching and Concert Bands as well as the Winter Percussion group.

Outside of school Fitts volunteers at the MSPCA in Methuen.

 

CASSANDRA FITTS
Class Essayist