PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic High School has named Nathaniel Beaupre and Anthony Arace as the top students for the Class of 2018.

 

Both students will speak at graduation exercises on Sunday, June 10, at 1 p.m. at the school, according to Principal John Vosburgh.

 

Beaupre, son of Joanne Brown and David Beaupre, is the class valedictorian with a grade average of 101.9.

 

He is a member of the Latin Club and the track and field team and participated in "Save Our Shakespeare" at Taconic. A talented actor and singer, he was cast in lead roles in many of the school's musicals. He has received many awards including Superintendents Awards for Academic Excellence and achieved magna cum laude on the National Latin Exam and Academic Excellence in AP European history, United States history, biology and Latin Advanced level.

 

In the community, he participates in Fall Festival of Shakespeare, Berkshire Youth Leadership Program, and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.

 

Beaupre plans to attend Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y., in the fall to study mechanical engineering.

 

Arace, son of Michael and Christine Arace, is the salutatorian with a grade average of 101.8.

 

He is a member of the National Honor Society, Taconic Braves United and Class Council. He also is a Student Ambassador and a peer tutor. He plays on the Taconic soccer team and is the captain of the Alpine skiing team. He has received many awards, including Superintendent Award for Excellence, Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award, Air Force Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Engineering Fair Project, and Academic Excellence in honors chemistry, honors geometry, and pre-calculus.

 

In the community, he is a member of Berkshire Youth United, the Robotics Club and Assemblies of God Royal Rangers Program, a participant in the American Legion's Boys State and a Hugh O'Brien (HOBY) Youth Leadership Ambassador. Through HOBY, he earned the Presidents Service Award for reaching more than 100 volunteer hours in one year and received a letter from the President of the United States thanking him for his commitment to his community.

 

Arace plans to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the fall, also to study mechanical engineering.