Meet the valedictorian and salutatorians of the Atlantis Charter High School Class of 2021
Kelsey Mello secured the number one spot. Veyha Neth and Tyler Massey tied for the number two spot. Before graduation, we asked them to look back at their time at Atlantis and share some of their favorite memories and advice for underclassmen.
Kelsey Mello, Valedictorian
Looking back at your high school experience, what is the most valuable lesson you learned at Atlantis?
“When looking back at my high school experience, Atlantis taught me several lessons. The most valuable lesson, however, wasn’t learned in a classroom during instruction time. The most important lesson I learned in my time here was the importance of balancing many activities at once, while still understanding the importance of making sure I was having fun too. I did a lot of activities while in high school, I worked as well, and at times it could be a lot. I learned through advice from teachers to take time to look up and smell the flowers sometimes and have fun.”
How do you think the career academies prepared you for your future?
“The career academy track I was on set me up for absolute success in college. Being in the Medical Academy, and now going on to study nursing at Boston College, I feel surprisingly ready to take on my first semester. Mrs. Richard, the teacher I had for my two years of the academy, taught us using her own firsthand experience, and she always made us work for what we were doing and to think critically. She always emphasizes the importance of getting us ready for our first year of college and that is exactly what she has done perfectly. I cannot thank her enough.”
What is your favorite Atlantis memory?
“Being at Atlantis Charter since Pre-K (14 years) I have a lot of memories here, so picking a favorite is difficult. I would have to say one of my favorites was the football game that everyone watched in the pouring rain the night before Homecoming. It was one of our only football wins, and as the team played you could just feel the Triton pride in the atmosphere. Cheering them on that night will forever be in my memory. There are many other memories I could highlight too however like the pie-in-the-face contest, our senior prom, and really just any fun times spent with my friends.”
What advice do you have for the underclassmen?
“As for my advice to the underclassmen goes, I would tell them to enjoy the time here as much as possible. It may drag at times, and you really won’t want to be at school. Trust me, I have been there too. But there will be things in school that make it bearable. Find your safe haven here, and soak up every moment of it, whether it be spending time with a teacher/friend, a club, or a sports team. Four years seems like a long time, that’s what I thought when I was a freshman, and I can’t even tell you how fast those years went. Learn to accept things as they happen, everything gets better as there is sun after rain, and flowers come with it. Don’t blink, and don’t spend time stressing the stupid little things. I would do anything for even five more minutes as a high schooler. Don’t get me wrong I am excited for the future, but there is something special about Atlantis.”
Veyha Neth, Salutatorian
Looking back at your high school experience, what is the most valuable lesson you learned at Atlantis?
“The most valuable lesson I learned at Atlantis was to have work ethic. To think of some type of goal as a reason to keep working towards something. For me, that goal was always a person, someone who I wanted to surpass. In the end, it helped me get to where I am as one of the salutatorians.”
How do you think the career academies prepared you for your future?
“In the STEM Academy I learned many skills to help me on my path as an engineering major. Our teacher, Mr. McMillan, taught us valuable information about our careers in the future. In our academy, I gained experience creating 3D models with OnShape and through woodworking using tools in the classroom. Through group projects, I was able to learn how to work together with people to create something.”
What is your favorite Atlantis memory?
“In all my twelve years enrolled here at Atlantis Charter School, I’d say my favorite memory was when I got hit by a car in eighth grade after school. Not because I got hit, that would be crazy of me, but because of what came after. It was a life-changing moment for me as I felt like I was going to die at any time, and I started working harder towards a better life. I had received so much support from my friends and the community at Atlantis and it felt really cool to know that many people could be there for just one guy.”
What advice do you have for the underclassmen?
“My advice for my underclassmen is to make sure you have good friends to help you on your path. It’s hard to do everything on your own, so have people around you to pick you up once you fall. One of the many struggles I suspect you might face is imposter syndrome, making you doubt your accomplishments, but your friends will help you with that. You can vent to your friends and they can assure you that you deserve everything you receive. You’ll find that having support from others is the greatest motivation to keep moving towards your future. Shoutout to Tyler Massey, Kodee Bonalewicz, Elijah Facchiano, Logan Santos, Nathan Batista, Mark Batista, Trevor Mello, Cody Perry, James Jang, Zachary Dupre, Joshua Dubois, and Jesse Chabot, the best crew mates I’ll ever have.”
Tyler Massey, Salutatorian
Looking back at your high school experience, what is the most valuable lesson you learned at Atlantis?
“The most valuable lesson that I learned from my high school experience at Atlantis, is to always be ready for change, work hard, and surround yourself with people that will help you succeed. There will always be obstacles on your journey but if you utilize those three lessons you will be able to accomplish anything.”
How do you think the career academies prepared you for your future?
“As someone that wishes to work in the finance industry one day, I decided to go into the Business Academy. In this academy, I learned that just like in business, things will not always go perfectly. Despite many challenges, the biggest being remote learning, I was able to learn a variety of basic business knowledge that will be beneficial for my future studies and career.”
What is your favorite Atlantis memory?
“I have so many great memories from my time at Atlantis. For my favorite memory I would have to pick being a part of the Atlantis community. The people that helped me get to where I am today will be the memories that I never forget. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you are surrounded by people that will support you and want you to succeed. From my closest friends to members of the staff, the members of the Atlantis community have shaped me into the person that I have become today.”
What advice do you have for the underclassmen?
“I would tell the underclassmen that there will always be something to take away from everything that you do. When you feel overwhelmed with work, or bored in class, keep putting your best effort into your work and you will be surprised with how much you are actually able to take away. Another thing would be to live in the moment and enjoy your time in high school. There are so many opportunities in high school, and you should take them all because they can lead to some amazing things.”
Read more in the Herald News:
Meet the Top 10 students in Atlantis Charter School’s Class of 2021