1. Kaelie Newell

Kaelie Newell is honored to be valedictorian of the Class of 2022.She would like to congratulate her fellow seniors for their perseverance and hardwork, as well as thank those who have helped us get to this point.

Over the past four years, Kaelie has taken many challenging classes, with her favorites being AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus, and AP US History. Outside of the classroom, she participates in a wide range of MHS clubs, including the National Honors Society, National Math Honors Society, Merrimack Cares, Garden Club, and Interact – where she has held an officer position for the last year.

Beyond the high school, Kaelie enjoys gardening, baking, reading, and traveling, as well as spending time with her family, friends, and multitude of pets.

Kaelie will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute as part of the Class of 2026 with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in DataScience. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in research and design. 

2. Ajay George

Ajay George is grateful to be considered a top 10 student and could not have done it without the love and support from his friends, parents, and twin brother.

Having enjoyed math from second grade, Ajay wants to carry his love for the subject into his secondary education. Enjoying Calculus his senior year, Ajay wants to continue to explore how mathematics is applied in the real world. In addition to his love of numbers, Ajay took various advanced science and art classes that have served as a good balance for his overall studies.

Ajay found that he enjoyed making pottery in his last two years at Merrimack High School. During his junior year Ajay used his study hall and class time to learn how to throw on a potter ‘s wheel. In his senior year he fused his passion for the mathematical subject topology with clay to create a portfolio of various topological objects for his AP Studio Art class.

Outside of the classroom Ajay served as the captain of the Math Team, ran Cross Country, performed with the Band, and helped his community by devoting his time to the National Art Honor Society.

3. Andrea Bartus

Andrea is delighted to be among the Top 10. She has spent her high school career taking advantage of every opportunity that has come her way, challenging herself with difficult coursework and involving herself in a plethora of clubs and sports.

Since her sophomore year, Andrea elected to double up on science classes, giving her the opportunity to develop a passion for chemistry and complete an Organic Chemistry independent study this past year.

While Chemistry is her favorite subject, she also enjoyed taking classes such as AP Calculus, AP Statistics, and AP Spanish during her senior year.

Andrea’s love for science and math has followed her outside of the classroom. She was a varsity member of both the Science Olympiad and Math teams for numerous years and was elected as the co­ President of Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society) her junior year. Aside from her involvement in STEM, she served as President of the National Honor Society her senior year and played with Merrimack band as first clarinet. Additionally, Andrea was a key member of the MHS ski and track and field teams throughout her high school career. She was the captain of the girls Varsity Ski Team her junior and senior seasons, and she would like to continue racing in college. She is also Merrimack’s only female pole vaulter, and she participated in the annual heptathlon in 2021.

In the fall, Andrea will be attending the University of New Hampshire as a Hamel scholar in the Honors College, pursuing a bioengineering major with a minor in chemistry.

Andrea would like to thank her parents, teachers, friends, and coaches for encouraging her to challenge herself and for helping her to succeed.

4. Jackson Nguyen

Jackson Nguyen is ranked 4th in Merrimack High School’s class of 2022. Throughout high school, he challenged himself by taking a variety of AP and honor courses. Ever since the pandemic started, he began taking courses online through the Virtual Learning Academy, simultaneously with his in-person courses. During his junior year, he was a full-time remote student. He has received several honors at MHS, including Academic Excellence awards in Mathematics and French. He is an AP Honor Scholar. Two of his favorite subjects are Chemistry and Biology.

Jackson ran on the cross-country team for three years. He competed as a varsity member in the Science Olympiad team for three years, with his favorite event being Anatomy & Physiology. As a remote student his junior year, he initiated MHS Math Tutor, an online tutoring service to help students with math. He teamed up with his friends to tutor students via email and Zoom.

That same year, he was inducted into the National Math Honor Society. Besides, he also competed in Math Team for two years. Outside of school, he loves to run around his neighborhood, play the piano, and hike mountains.

In the fall, he will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute as a biochemistry major, with plans to attend medical school in the future.

5. Gavin Kurdek

Gavin Kurdek is ranked 5th for Merrimack High School’s Class of 2022. He is the son of Cheryl Kurdek and Dennis Kurdek. Gavin has two brothers: Trevor, Class of 2018, and Christopher, Class of 2003.

Gavin took on a rigorous course load throughout high school, completing 13 AP courses and several more honors classes. Passionate about science and math, Gavin has leaned into taking upper-level STEM courses, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics among others. In addition, Gavin has continued to satisfy his interest in the humanities by taking classes like AP United States History and AP English Literature. Gavin would like to thank his many outstanding teachers, especially Dr. Campbell, Mr. Scott, and Mrs. Cunningham, who all markedly influenced Gavin.

Gavin has been interested in music throughout his childhood and high school years. Gavin was a clarinetist in Merrimack High’s concert and marching bands. In addition, Gavin was selected for New Hampshire All-State for all four high school years, including his participation in New Hampshire’s All-State Orchestra during his senior year. He was also a member of the University of New Hampshire Youth Band and participated in UNH’s Summer Youth Music School. Other than music, Gavin pursued other passions, including his membership in the National Honor Society and his participation in school and club ski racing. He also worked a part-time job in high school.

In the fall, Gavin will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, where he plans to earn a 4-year master’s degree in biochemistry as a member of Penn’s Vagelos Scholars Program in Molecular Life Sciences. After undergrad, Gavin hopes to earn an MD/PhD and conduct biomedical research.

6. Alyssa Velez

Alyssa Velez relocated from central Texas the summer before her freshman year. She enjoys music and volunteering with children, especially those with developmental disabilities. Although chronic health issues derailed her extra-curricular plans, she has reached her goal of graduating with her class. She received a Chancellor’s Scholarship at UMass Amherst where she plans to study neuroscience and pursue her dream of working in the medical field..

7. Meaghan Shepard

Meaghan is honored to be part of the class of 2022’s top ten. She would like to thank her family, friends, teachers, and coaches for their support throughout her education.

In high school, Meaghan especially enjoyed her classes in U.S. government and history, Spanish, and mathematics. Meaghan is very excited to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C. this fall and will major in statistics. She also plans to minor in Spanish and aspires to become fluent in the language. She looks forward to living in Washington D.C. and taking advantage of the opportunities that her college experience will offer.

Outside of the classroom, Meaghan enjoys participating in many extracurricular activities. She played field hockey from her sophomore to senior year and was recognized with the Scholars of Distinction by the NFHCA. For her junior and senior years, Meaghan has been a member of the Merrimack High School’s National Honor Society and the Math National Honor Society.

Meaghan is treasurer for Merrimack Cares, which raises money for charitable organizations, and is a member of the Interact Club, in which she volunteers at community events.

Additionally, she has been a Girl Scout for about 10 years and completed her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards. For her Gold Award, she worked with the Humane Society of Greater Nashua and created a children’s booklet with activities about how to care for and treat pets.

In her free time, Meaghan loves to bake and spend time with friends. She plans to continue giving back to her community and wants to do so in her future career as well.

8. Muriel Lubelczyk

I am so excited to be a part of the Class of 2022’s top ten at MHS. For the past four years I have continued to grow as a student and a community member, and I am excited to continue my academic journey. I am thankful for the educators who have helped me become both a strong writer and a creative thinker. Having teachers who are passionate about their subjects has cultivated my love for science and math and challenged me to push myself in directions I may not have gone without their guidance.

Outside of high school, I am an accomplished pianist. I started lessons when I was in first grade. I have dedicated many years to pursuing levels of distinction through ABRSM and will earn my classical diploma this summer. Accompanying the choruses in grades 6-10 has been a way for me to apply my learning of piano while supporting the arts at school. Sharing my music at school has been extremely rewarding, and I am again thankful for the music educators who have provided me with these opportunities.

While my learning at MHS has been very rich, it has been accompanied by a great deal of personal growth outside of school. As a competitive swimmer for the last ten years, I have had to learn how to balance my studies and piano with many hours in the pool. It was hard at times, but I found a way to make it work and I learned so much about myself along the way.

I am so grateful for my friends, family, and teachers who have helped me reach where I am today. I couldn’t have asked for a better support team throughout my high school years. I will be attending Wesleyan University this fall,and although I am undecided, I am looking forward to exploring many fascinating fields and discovering what I want to pursue and how I will give back.

9. Hannah DeKarski

Hannah DeKarski is honored to be a part of the Top 10 of the Merrimack High School graduating class of 2022. She would like to thank her family and friends for supporting her over these past eighteen years, and remind them that she could not have done this without them. Over the course of her high school career, Hannah has participated in a number of clubs, including the National Honors Society, Math National Honors Society, Merrimack Mathletes, and Merrimack Mentors. She has tutored classmates and teammates in English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Latin, and is always ready to lend a helping hand. The past four years have led to Hannah’s expanded interest in law, and she challenged herself in related subjects such as AP US Government and Politics, AP Statistics, and English 101 through Nashua Community College.

Hannah’s greatest passion is horseback riding, which she has been doing since she was eight years old. She has been awarded Varsity Letters for all four years of high school in horseback riding by the United States Equestrian Federation and was the 2018 AHHS Jr. Exhibitor Road Pony Under Saddle Regional Champion.

In the fall Hannah will attend the Honors Program at Merrimack College with a major in Political Science and a double-minor in Pre-Law and Philosophy.

10. Tzipora (Zippy) Yellin

Tzipora (Zippy) Yellin is thrilled to be in the top 10 of Merrimack’s class of 2022. Throughout high shool, she took a broad range of classes, with her favorites being AP Chemistry, AP Psychology, Honors Economics, and Latin, for which she was awarded the ‘Excellence in Latin’ award in 2021.

Outside of her academics, Zippy participated in and held leadership positions for a variety of extracurriculars at MHS. She was Varsity Captain of Cross Country and co­ President of the Interact Club, as well as a Track and Field athlete, Student Council representative, and National Honor Society and National Math Honor Society member. Zippy has also been dancing recreationally at the YMCA of Greater Nashua since she was four years old, and competitively since she was 13. With both her dance team and the interact club, Zippy has loved giving back to her community through numerous volunteer evets over the past four years. She particularly enjoyed dancing at nursing homes to spread holiday cheer and cutting and sewing dresses for dress-a-girl with the Rotary Club. In addition, Zippy enjoys skiing and hiking in the White Mountains. In 2020, she completed the Appalachian Mountain Club’s 48 4000-Footer list, which she had been working on with her mom since she was 8 years old.

In the fall, Zippy will be taking a gap semester, during which she will travel to Uruguay for Spanish immersion. Starting in February, she will be attending Middlebury College as a member of the class of 2026.5,·where she is looking forward to studying psychology while on the pre-professional track for medical school. She hopes to be a practicing physician in her future.

Zippy would like to thank her parents, sister, friends, and teachers for being her support system and helping her to achieve her goals.

11. Ariel DiVietro

Ariel DiVietro has been an enthusiastic pursuer of creativity and imagination throughout her four years at Merrimack High. She would like to give a whole-hearted ‘thank you’ to all of her teachers and loved ones who encouraged her creative writing and artistic endeavors, helping her to further develop and expound upon her numerous fictional stories.

Many of her chosen classes were subjects that she wanted to pursue to expand her knowledge and understanding of both the world around her and her ambitions. For many years, Ariel has wanted to work professionally in video game design, taking classes such as Computer Programming, 3D Modeling and Animation, and Graphic Design to jumpstart her journey through her planned career path.

During her time at MHS, Ariel could be found marching with the Tomahawks’ Color Guard, being a captain for two out of her four years with the flagline. She was also a part of the National Art Honors Society and was elected Secretary in her senior year, helping to organize and plan projects to serve her community through the arts. Every Friday, Ariel also took part in the Creative Writing Club to help further her skills in writing and worldbuilding. She was a member of the Spilt Ink literary publication team for a few years and helped to get her peers’ work printed in the school’s magazine.

In her free time, Ariel often practices drawing and painting, but if she finds herself in a creative roadblock, her favorite pastime is to play Kirby games on her Nintendo Switch. She also loves watching Marvel movies with her parents and will never pass up the opportunity to delve into a new fictional world.

In the fall of 2022, Ariel will be attending Liberty University to pursue her major in gaming design and expand upon her creativity.