Above: Several of the profiles published by Algonquin’s student newspaper covered impressive students (and others). I’m spotlighting a few that I was struck by. (scroll down for photo credits)**
The fall issue of Algonquin’s newspaper, the Harbinger, featured “profile” articles on 13 members of the school’s community. I’m highlighting ones that revealed noteworthy student achievements.
The interviews by Harbinger student reporters included features on staff, faculty members and students. (There were also quick takes from six visiting students from France who spent two weeks at the school.)
Invested in investing: Juniors publish book on finance to educate others
This article was one of two from the group of profiles that was recognized for student journalism*. It focuses on two juniors, Justin Rotaru and Preston Cot, who researched, wrote, and published a book “empowering teens to take control of their financial futures”.
Their book, The Essential Investor: An Introduction Guide to Building a Strong Portfolio, is available to purchase in paperback online.
You can read more in the interview by Jax Jackson here.
The online version on The Harbinger’s website includes links to stories from prior school years that highlighted students who had success related to helping others with investing. Those students have since graduated, but I think it’s still worth calling out the alumni achievements:
Cole Jones, Class of 2023, became a “health and wealth influencer” on social media. He created an investment course that within a month “gained traction with 490 students all over the world”. One of his Tiktok videos went viral and was even “duetted by actor Will Smith”. (If you don’t mind profanity, you might enjoy watching that here.) You can read that article by Aiden Johnson here.
Elijah Khasabo, Class of 2022, created a business, Fusion Trading, to help subscribers learn to trade in the stock market. At the time of the article he had amassed 20,000 subscribers. You can read that article by James McBride here.
Senior starts non-profit to help impoverished areas of Ghana
This story covers senior Arielle Chin who started “the non-profit organization Worth a Life Ghana to aid those in need”.
Chin spent one month in Ghana’s capital, Accra, as well as the eastern region of the nation as a part of a global volunteer travel organization Projects Abroad, where she met and worked with high school students from all around the world on various projects to help the community.
After her return she realized that helping was her passion.
She started the organization by herself, but she has contacted other students that were a part of Project Abroad as well as some Ghanaians she had met there who she hopes will play a role in helping her organization down the road.
Her main focus at the moment is to bring in as many tangible donations as possible, which she plans to send to Ghana this summer.
You can read more in the article by Michael Cashel.
Champion powerlifter finds more value in life lessons than trophies
The interview with senior Tylor Doherty covers his interest in lifting which led to earning a champion title:
last March he won the New England State Powerlifting Championship in the 198 pound weight class by a landslide. In the process, he broke the state deadlift record that had stood for the last 20 years by lifting 529 pounds (the equivalent of a grand piano or an adult male grizzly bear).
Doherty cofounded a powerlifting club at the school that plans to compete at the St. John’s Classic in January. You can read more in the interview by Michael Cashel here.
Conway showcases Algonquin’s history through Eagle Scout project
When Algonquin’s administration recommended retiring the Tomahawk mascot, some members of the community publicly worried about the “erasure” of the history. School Principal Sean Bevan committed to showcasing the school’s history.
Thanks to a project by Senior Satoshi Conway, the history of the regional high school, including the old mascot and it’s change, is on permanent display in the school.
To represent the history:
Conway collected various types of artifacts from the Northborough and Southborough historical societies and from the communities of Northborough and Southborough. He collected yearbooks, jerseys, old newspapers and some recreated artifacts.
You can read more in the article by Mia Nicosia here.
For more Harbinger profiles, click here.
*SNO, the website host for over 450 school newspapers, publishes about 15% of submissions on its site Best of SNO, recognizing student journalism. This fall, they awarded the mantle to four Harbinger stories. (You can see those and Harbinger winners from past school years here.)
**(photos cropped from the Harbinger, L-R of Justin Rotaru and Preston Cote by Laura White, of Tylor Doherty by Jay Edwards, and of Satoshi Conway by Priya Maraliga; logo for Worth a Life Ghana from website)
