Counselor: CHS’s top of Class of ’24 are explorers, authentic

The top 13 of this year’s graduating class at Carson High School have built a community, the graduates said.

The top of this year’s class, which graduates Saturday morning, are all young ladies. They are all academically and socially active and are college-bound, a rare feet these days, according to counselor Bridget Gordon-Johnson.

The graduates themselves all agree they’ve made it to the finish line with the support of their families, their teachers and each other.

“I think the primary reason … is because we’re trying to do the best for ourselves and I don’t think a priority was ever competition,” Emily Tran said. “Rather, I think it’s been personal growth. Coming out of COVID, we have our own personal problems to deal with. We don’t have time to deal with other people’s problems, so we’d rather just support each other. Why would we take each other down? That just sounds like a lot of problems and unnecessary headaches.”

According to Carson High counselors Nicole Hendee and Gordon-Johnson, of the school’s 25 top students in this year’s graduating class, females represent about 90 percent. The 13 women are college-bound, most ready to travel to different institutions scattered across the country onto new adventures now that their foundational days are behind them. Some will stay in their home state and attend the University of Nevada, Reno. Wherever they land, they’re all “exceptional,” Gordon-Johnson said.

Jacqueline Estrada Diaz, Carson High senior, is among this year’s top of the class.

“This group is unique for several reasons, certainly the bulk of them being female and the fact that they’re so adventurous and going everywhere is also pretty rare,” Gordon-Johnson said. “In the last class, we had a lot of kids who went primarily to (the University of Nevada, Reno). That’s unique. And within the whole group, we have a lot of first-generation (college students) coming up.”

Most of the graduates this year took the most rigorous academic pathways with Advanced Placement classes, JumpStart, Career and Technical Education classes. They also were involved in sports or extracurricular activities. The 13 shared they found their success in high school by lifting each other up, mostly because they’d grown up with each other.

“I think it’s really cool having such a supportive group of girls,” said Anna Turner, making preparations to go the University of California, Los Angeles. “I feel like it can get competitive, but I feel like this group has used each other as tools to help succeed and that we’re not pivoted against each other, but we’re using each other to help each other with homework or understanding.”

Josie Verive-Cain, on her way to the Rochester Institute of Technology, said she was proud to achieve so many things.

Each student had her personal and academic struggles as well, and when Verive-Cain admitted she was having a hard time, that’s where her strengths and connections came out. The others agreed that overcoming challenges were key to their success. But they hope to use their own trials to encourage others and to acknowledge weaknesses.

Katarina Klatt, challenged by dyslexia, said it was useful to call upon teachers for help.

“I took AP chemistry last year, and Mr. (Ty) McMillen and I sat for hours,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing, and (asking for help) alone got me to pass my test.”

For Laura Bennett, who was on the tennis team, coming out of the pandemic taught her how to be responsible for herself. She learned about the importance of balance and organization.

“My freshman year, I was a mess — I still am a mess,” she said. “I remember I had papers everywhere. It was a COVID year, and I was like, ‘Am I going to school, am I staying home, am I only on my computer, am I bringing stuff to class, what day is it?’ And I had to figure out how to be able to take care of myself in a sense and recognize that while I had a support system … at the end of the day, I have to take care of myself as well.”

While most became outstanding students, they also were dedicated in their extracurricular activities as well. They discovered they were the best version of themselves when they were having fun outside the classroom.

“You bond with the people and get to experience high school how it’s supposed to be and not just classes,” Brynn Russell said, a member of the National Honor Society.

Among the group, this top of the class could also be known as the “Class of the Maddies.” There are four “Madelines,” or a variation of the name.

Madelyn Monson said she considers taking multiple AP classes its own club for the hours of effort students invest into exam preparation and the socialization they experience. She said it’s important for students to “find their people” during their high school years.

“The people taking these classes, as a club, these are your people, and if you don’t find your people that are going through that experience, it’s kind of isolating,” Monson said.

Taking every AP class together was a bonding experience, said Madeline Roberts, a varsity golf player.

“It’s been really interesting to see us become friends and create a community,” she said. “It’s special to share this really cool thing with everyone.”

Madeline Silsby, who will be attending the University of Notre Dame, said when she started as a freshman it took time to build the courage to take on a bigger academic load but gradually developed confidence in herself.

“It helps to not be afraid and push yourself out of your comfort zone,” she said.

It wasn’t lost on Madalyn Lind Smith, who soon will be attending Colorado Mesa University, that the time in school was winding down quickly.

“Growing up in this place was great, but I need something to grow and to find different things, and you guys are, like, really great,” she said to her friends.

Gordon-Johnson told the whole group she was proud of them for being brave to go out into the world.

“You’re going farther and wider than anyone before you and with one going to one coast and another going to the other coast,” she said. “It shows how smart and capable young ladies you are.”

For the past three years, Carson has opted to operate under the Latin honors system of recognizing rankings of students for their academic performance as they finish their high school careers. The Latin honors system offers three levels of distinction by cum laude (“with honor”), magna cum laude (“with great honor”) and summa cum laude (“with highest honor”), according to grade point average. Students with a 3.8 GPA receive the summa cum laude.

Gordon-Johnson said Latin honors is a good fit for Carson High because it helps to relieve pressure from students and encourages camaraderie and longterm academic outcomes that more universities like to see during their college application process.

“We see really good results from kids who can do exactly what the girls here are doing, which is bolstering each other rather than scrapping their way to number one,” she said. “And certainly the girls here know their ranking because we still report ranking, but there isn’t this pressure that, ‘If I take this class or I push this down a little bit, that I’ll do the (commencement) speech.’

“So I think for a lot of reasons, Latin honors is a good fit for high schools, and I think we’re seeing a lot of high schools move to that.”

CARSON HIGH’S 2024 EXCEPTIONAL SENATORS 

Laura Bennett

Attending: University of Arizona

CHS Activities: Varsity Tennis, FBLA, Four Years, Theater

Drea Cabral

Attending: Yale University

CHS Activities: Marching Band, Wind Ensemble

Jacqueline Estrada Diaz

Attending: Dominican University of California

CHS Activities: Leadership Officer, Blue Crew, Library Aide

Katarina Klatt

Attending: Northern Arizona University

CHS Activities: Varsity swimming, National Honor Society

Arene LeBlanc

Attending: Southern Utah University

CHS Activities: HOSA President/Treasurer, State Board 2022-23, Western Regional Vice President, Varsity Swimming two years

Madalyn Lind Smith

Attending: Colorado Mesa University

CHS Activities: Varsity Skiing, four years

Madelyn Monson

Attending: University of Nevada, Reno

CHS Activities: Varsity Basketball, Captain of Varsity Volleyball Team

Madeline Roberts

Attending: Clemson University

CHS Activities: Varsity girls golf, managed boys golf team, National Honors Society historian for two years

Brynn Russell

Attending: University of Vermont

CHS Activities: Varsity swimming, National Honor Society (Vice President 2023-24)

Madeline Silsby

Attending: University of Notre Dame

CHS Activities: Varsity girls golf, managed varsity wrestling team, National Honors Society, Blue Crew

Emily Tran

Attending: University of Nevada, Reno

CHS Activities: Speech and Debate, FBLA

Anna Turner

Attending: University of California, Los Angeles

CHS Activities: Varsity Swimming, Volleyball

Josie Verive-Cain

Attending: Rochester Institute of Technology

CHS Activities: Carson High School leadership, National Honors Society, Western Nevada College Games Club, Library Volunteer