DALTON, Mass. — Aidan Garcia and Sarah Thornton have been named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, for the 2024 graduating class at Wahconah Regional High School. 

 

Both students will speak at graduation ceremonies on Sunday, June 2, at 1 p.m. in the school gymnasium. The valedictory speech is titled,  "Forever" and the salutatory address is "Reflections".

 

Garcia is the son of Andrew and Susan Garcia of Dalton. During his high school career, he pursued an Honors and Advanced Placement curriculum. He is active in the many service projects sponsored by the National Honor Society and serves as the Wahconah chapter president. He is the secretary of the Student Council, the president of Green Umbrella, editor-in-chief of the school's newspaper, a class ambassador and more. Additionally, he is a member of the Boy Scouts as well as the school's Nordic ski, cross country and track and field teams. 

 

He was actively involved in a service project outside of school, volunteering his time at Holiday Brook Farm as a soil research assistant. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of peat moss on the crops and to search for an alternative. "This substance and its cultivation has been drastically harmful to wildlife by destroying peat bogs and forests in the Northern U.S. and Canada," he said. Garcia worked with the farm to find an alternative solution that will create better results for its crops.

 

Garcia has been recognized with district and schoolwide awards such as the Superintendent's Award, the School Committee Award, and an award in science. He has been recognized as an AP Scholar, is a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship recipient, and is a College Board National Recognition Program awardee. 

 

Garcia plans to attend Middlebury (Vt.) College in the fall and is majoring in biology.

 

Thornton is the daughter of James and Patricia Thornton of the town of Washington. While at Wahconah, her academic program included Honors and Advanced Placement coursework. She participated in a number of extracurricular activities, serving in multiple leadership roles including on Student Council for four years and as treasurer this year. She was inducted into the National Honor Society last year and was chapter treasurer this year. She was also president of the National Business Honor Society. She was involved in several clubs including No Place Hate, Tribe School Spirit Club, French Club and yearbook. 

 

Thornton competes in gymnastics at Gymfest, where she also teaches youth, and dances at the Dalton Ballet Studio. Outside of school, she participates in Girls Scouts and is working toward earning her Gold Award this summer.

 

Her scholarly portfolio capstone project took a critical look at Disney's representation of marginalized groups throughout history. This was part of her AP U.S. history and AP English language classes and she presented at the humanities fair last spring. She also participated in a number of community service activities.

 

She received the Cornell Book Award and has been recognized with several schoolwide awards in a variety of disciplines including business, English and French. She is also a John and Abigail Adams Scholarship recipient. 

 

Thornton plans to attend Bentley University in Waltham in the fall to study business.