Asnes and Steinhilber named Tolland High Valedictorian, Salutatorian

An announcement Friday from Tolland High School:

Ms. Dominique Fox, Principal of Tolland High School, is pleased to announce that Dallon Asnes has been named the Valedictorian of the Class of 2014 and Megan Steinhilber has been named the Salutatorian of the Class of 2014.

Let’s start with the Class Salutatorian, Megan Steinhilber. 

Megan exhibits the intense motivation, drive and commitment to achieving lofty personal goals that has resulted in her outstanding academic record. 

Her achievement is consistent across subject areas, with her teachers unanimous in their descriptions of her as exceptionally motivated, intellectually curious, and intent on understanding both depth and breadth of material. 

She is one of a handful of students over the last few years who have been invited to be an assistant in our science department.  As an assistant in chemistry, she has many responsibilities that she carries out independently.

This experience, which she set as a personal goal early in her high school career, will be invaluable to her as she pursues a degree in veterinary science. 

She has been involved in a wide range of activities.  From playing piano to working at an animal shelter, to running cross-country and playing lacrosse to leading a Venture Crew unit, she has found positive ways to contribute to our school and community. 

All who have worked with her have found her to be meticulous and extremely responsible.  Anything she does is done well, on-time, and with pride.  Most importantly, she genuinely cares about others, both her peers and adults.

The recipient of the prestigious Presidential Scholars Award, Megan will be attending the University of Connecticut in the fall, pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine.  

Valedictorian

Finally, I am pleased to announce the Class of 2014 Class Valedictorian, Dallon Asnes.

Dallon is an intensely academically driven student.  He has consistently excelled in the most rigorous coursework that Tolland High School has to offer and he has performed exceptionally well throughout his high school career. 

He is naturally gifted in all areas that he has been exposed to, but he really has a love for math and world language. 

This student took AP Calculus as a junior and then, given that he had exhausted the available math courses at THS, he took a Calculus seminar class as a senior where he learned Calculus 2 concepts.

During his sophomore year, he received an award for earning the highest average in French and during his junior year, he received an award for earning the highest average in Spanish. 

This student is an independent learner and while he flourishes in the classroom, he also has the discipline, desire, and ability to learn on his own as well.  He taught himself psychology and earned the highest possible score of “5” on the AP exam as an incoming junior.

In addition to his top-notch academics, he has a passion for baseball that he will continue at the collegiate level. 

His long hours spent practicing and competing on the varsity team can attest to his dedication and commitment to the sport. 

In his spare time, he has tutored some of his teammates when they need some additional assistance with their academic work.

He is involved in National Honor Society, volunteers at the local library, and volunteers his time at the Emergency Operations Center during times of need.  He has proven that he is more than just the valedictorian or just an athlete, but that he is also a person who wants to make a difference to those within his reach.

His strong and steady work ethic, positive attitude, and commitment to success will serve him in college and beyond.   Dallon is attending Pomona College in the fall where he is majoring in computer science and electrical engineering. 

Please take an opportunity to congratulate both Dallon and Megan on their outstanding accomplishment!