Berwick Academy Announces 15 Cum Laude Seniors for the Class of 2020

Zachary Michael Boston
Zachary Michael Boston lives in Berwick, Maine, with his mother, Joyce Boston, and attended
Berwick Academy since eighth grade. During his five years at Berwick, Zach was awarded
multiple academic recognitions including the Clement Award, two physics department awards,
and three Cogswell Awards which recognize the top scholar in each grade. He was inducted
into both the Spanish National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society. Zach was also a
three-sport varsity athlete, playing soccer, basketball, and baseball for Berwick. In the past four
years, in addition to contributing to multiple league and tournament championships, Zach was
recognized as an Eastern Independent League (EIL) All-League Honorable Mention for soccer,
and two-time EIL All-League player for baseball. Zach was a part of many different
extracurricular clubs and groups, serving as a Head Tour Guide, Peer Tutor, Student Wellness
Advisory Team (SWAT) member, Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) member, and Honor
Committee member. He also completed an Innovation Pursuit studying how global warming and
climate change are affecting the lobster industry off the coast of Maine. Off-campus, Zach
volunteers time at his local House of Hope soup kitchen, and volunteers for the Berwick
Recreation Summer Camp. Next year, Zach will be attending Brown University in Providence,
Rhode Island, where he plans on studying applied and theoretical mathematics with perhaps a
hint of economics as well. Though life may take him away from the Hilltop, Zach wants Berwick
to know that he will forever and always be a bulldog at heart.

William Howells Boyd
William Howells Boyd lives in Kittery Point, Maine with his parents Rose-Marie Howells and
Duncan Boyd. Will is a Berwick Academy “lifer” having attended Berwick since Kindergarten. He
was a captain of both the Boys Varsity Cross Country team and JV Lacrosse teams. His
leadership and mentorship of younger players was recognized as he earned the Coaches
Award in Lacrosse his junior year for Lacrosse and Cross Country’s Most Valuable Player
Award as a senior. Will is a founding member of Berwick’s STEAM Pathway program, a
specialized academic track for students with distinguished excellence in math, science, and
engineering. Through his Innovation Pursuit, focused on the practicality of bone-conduction
hearing aids and other devices, he prototyped and developed a working pair of Bluetooth
bone-conduction headphones. Will is a member of the French National Honors Society as well as the Cum Laude Society. He will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall, where
he plans to pursue a major in Computer Science.

Grant Dashti-Gibson
Grant Dashti-Gibson of Eliot, Maine, is the son of Tris and Jaleh Dashti-Gibson. He attended
Berwick Academy since his freshman year and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a
junior. He earned departmental recognition in mathematics, music, physics, and biology, and
also received the Cogswell Award in his sophomore year and the Dartmouth Book Award his
junior year. He was inducted into the International Thespian Society and the Spanish National
Honor Society.

Outside of academics, Grant co-led coffeehouses at Berwick during his senior year, while being
an enthusiastic performer on the piano all four years. He acted in all eight Berwick Academy
theatrical productions, with a culminating performance as Wadsworth in the Fall 2019
production of Clue. He participated in The Berwick Hilltoppers and Celtic Storm, two singing
groups on campus, and was a member of the Drama Club and Chess Club. Grant is excited to
attend Vassar College in the fall, where he looks forward to exploring many fields of study
before deciding on a major.

Sophia Estes
Sophia Estes, of Dover, daughter of Carol and David Estes, came to Berwick Academy in first
grade and was an inaugural Pathways student in Music. She will be attending Marymount
Manhattan College to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre in the fall. The recent recipient of the
Music Honor Award and the Douglass Darah Hollis Memorial Award for theater, Sophia is most
known for her time in the performing arts department. She was inducted into the Spanish
National Honors Society, the Tri-M Music Honors Society, the National Dance Honors Society
and was recently honored with seven stars in Berwick’s International Thespian Society troupe.
Sophia has been in countless musicals and plays in the area, specifically with the Ogunquit
Playhouse, and was most recently seen as Morticia Addams in Berwick’s winter musical, “The
Addams Family.” She participated in Berwick Academy’s Chamber Chorus for four years as well
as nine consecutive years in the by-audition OAKE National Choir conference, and four years in
Maine’s District I Honor Choir. She has been a proud member, and co-captain, of Berwick’s
dance companies through Middle and Upper School, and loves performing with both New
England Dance Project and Sole City Dance. In her junior and senior years, she was the
co-leader of both the Drama and A-cappella clubs. Sophia spent her four years as a peer tutor
in Math and Spanish and received a departmental recognition award in History during her
freshman year. After twelve years on the Hilltop, it is hard for her to say goodbye, but she is so
thankful to everyone on campus for making the journey unforgettable.

Greta Lincoln
Greta Lincoln, daughter of KC and Becky Lincoln, of North Hampton, came to Berwick in ninth
grade. In addition to her Cum Laude induction, Greta has also been inducted into the National
Honors Society for Visual Arts and has been awarded the Parson Thompson Award for her
commitment to community service. During her time at Berwick Academy, Greta led the Outreach
Club for two years, represented Berwick at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in
Seattle, served as a student panelist for the movie LIKE at the New Hampshire Film Festival,
and graduated with a STEAM pathway designation. Greta also completed two Innovation
Pursuits: the first was designed to help people dealing with issues such as substance abuse,
domestic violence, and mental health crises; and the second focused on helping local families
suffering from food insecurity. Greta was a member of the crew team all four years of high
school, joining the varsity team in her sophomore year, and becoming a coxswain in her junior
year. Greta will be attending North Carolina State University in the fall, where she plans to major
in Human Biology and follow a Pre-Medical track.

John A. Luchsinger III
John A. Luchsinger III, son of Mr. John and Dr. Joanna Luchsinger of Durham, New Hampshire,
was inducted into the Cum Laude Society as a senior. He also earned a Departmental
Recognition Award in English. John was a member of the varsity soccer team for the past three
years, and a member of the varsity baseball team for five years while earning EIL All-League
honors in both his freshman and junior seasons. For community service, he enjoys helping
coach his younger brother’s sports teams and has volunteered with football, basketball, baseball
and soccer teams. John is an accomplished outdoorsman as well. In the fall, John will be
attending Norwich University to study criminal justice and be a member of the NROTC unit
(Marine Option), while also playing baseball.

Ashwin Mahadevan
Ashwin Mahadevan of Madbury, New Hampshire, is the son of Dr. Arul Mahadevan and Meera
Mahadevan. Ashwin has attended Berwick Academy since sixth grade and was inducted into
the Cum Laude Society as a senior. Ashwin is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and was
also nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholars program. His academic achievements include
earning the Class of 2020 Mathematics Honor Award and being inducted into the National Latin
Honor Society as a Junior. Ashwin was also awarded Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin
Exam. In addition, Ashwin earned the Advanced Placement Scholar Award for two consecutive
years in high school. The distinction recognizes college level achievement for scoring 5 or
higher in six AP exams.

Ashwin has been a member of several clubs at Berwick including the Chess Club, Mock Trial,
and served as co-chair of the Math Club during his senior year. Ashwin was also part of the
Peer Tutor program at Berwick and was a teaching assistant for the sophomore Integrated
Biology and Chemistry class. He also took part in several Innovation Pursuit projects during his
time at Berwick including an exploration of machine learning and chess. In athletics, Ashwin was a member of the varsity crew team in his sophomore and junior years and the varsity swim
team for two years. In tenth grade, Ashwin spent ten days volunteering in Bangladesh through
Partners for World Health in Portland, Maine. During this time, he collected data and helped
educate local healthcare workers about optimal hygiene within a hospital setting. He also
studied palliative care for cancer patients which led to a presentation at the Annual Assembly of
Hospice and Palliative Care in San Diego, California in March 2020. The title of the presentation
was “Establishing the First Palliative Care Service for Cancer Patients in Bangladesh at the
National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital.” Ashwin is heading to the University of
California, Berkeley, this fall and plans to study Computer Science and Mathematics.

Phoebe McGovern
Phoebe McGovern, daughter of Brian and Sharon McGovern, lives in Eliot, Maine, and will be
attending Colorado College next year. Phoebe started at Berwick Academy in sixth grade and
has loved all seven years on the Hilltop. She played field hockey at Berwick for four years and
received the Coaches Award in her freshman and junior years. Phoebe was also part of the JV
ice hockey team for two years and played varsity tennis in her junior year. She is a member of
the Student Wellness Advisory Team (SWAT), serving as a mentor for new students.
Off-campus, Phoebe volunteered and worked with White Pine Programs for many years as an
outdoor education mentor for young kids. For her senior project, Phoebe worked with Eiley
Mulkern and visited Eiley’s grandparents’ restaurant in Jackson, NH to learn about the process
of making pizza and how restaurants are staying safe during COVID-19.

Eiley Mulkern
Eiley Mulkern, daughter of Dan and Amy Mulkern, lives in Stratham, New Hampshire, and will
be attending Middlebury College in the fall. She is currently undecided on a major but is
interested in architecture and psychology. Eiley started at Berwick Academy in ninth grade and
during her four years enjoyed her studio art classes and her time on the Girls JV Ice Hockey
team. Eiley was a fantastic contributor to the drama program as a member of the set design
crew, bringing the sets to life in productions as diverse as “Bye-Bye Birdie” and “Evita.” Outside
of school, she excelled in Irish Dance, traveling internationally to compete at the World
Championship level. Eiley also teaches Irish Dance to younger students. For her senior project,
Eiley worked with Phoebe McGovern and traveled to her grandparents’ restaurant in Jackson,
New Hampshire. There they learned how to make pizza and documented what restaurants are
doing to stay safe during the pandemic.

Nicholas Marino
Nicholas Marino, son of Anthony and Tania Marino, he lives in Kittery, Maine, and will be
attending the University of Miami next year in Coral Gables, Florida, where he will be studying
Broadcast Journalism with a focus in sports communication. Nick was a student at Berwick Academy for twelve years, starting his journey on the Hilltop in first grade. Throughout his time
at Berwick, Nick was involved with the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. In the classroom,
Nick particularly enjoyed his English and History classes. He earned departmental recognition
awards in Geometry and Chemistry in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Nick
completed two Innovation Projects. In his sophomore year, Nick worked with a local non-profit
organization to collect bicycles and gear for teenagers in need. His second project centered
around his passion for sports media and involved establishing a sports news website. This
spring, Nick spent the last trimester of his senior year in Whitianga, New Zealand, where he
stayed for nine weeks. Nick is forever grateful for his time at Berwick Academy and promises to
stay connected to the community as a proud alum.

Nate Nigrin
Nate Nigrin, son of Dr. Daniel Nigrin and Ms. Christine Dumont, currently lives in Hampton Falls,
New Hampshire, and will be attending Brown University next year. Nate has been at Berwick
since Grade 5 and occupied his time by playing soccer and basketball and taking advanced
level classes in multiple disciplines. As a senior, Nate served as a Prefect, a senior leadership
position focused on student engagement in the Upper School. He has also worked with younger
students as a camp counselor at the Berwick Multisport day camp. Off campus Nate also
volunteers as a counselor at a summer camp for children with developmental needs. In his
junior year, Nate took part in the Innovation Pursuit program with a project to design, build, and
locate a Gaga Ball pit on campus to enhance student recreation options. Nate ended his time at
Berwick by making a video tribute to his class with his friend, Dylan, for their Senior Project. In
the coming years, Nate hopes to study topics in the STEM field, such as biology and
engineering, while also continuing to practice Spanish and learning about finance and
economics.

Gavin Smith
Gavin Smith, son of Margit and Peter Smith of Dover, New Hampshire, started attending
Berwick Academy in ninth grade. During his junior year, he was inducted into both the Cum
Laude Society and the National Latin Honors Society. He received departmental recognition
awards in art, history, and math during his freshman and sophomore years, as well as the
Brown Book Award junior year and the senior Latin Award. Gavin also completed a STEAM
Pathway, concentrating on science and math courses throughout his high school career. As a
junior Gavin completed an Innovation Pursuit on renewable energy, designing and constructing
a small scale wind turbine to examine various models and their efficiency as energy producers.
Outside of the classroom, Gavin was a peer tutor, a tour guide, the chess club leader, and a
leader of Celtic Storm, a men’s choral group. He also founded and led the cycling club and
participated in various varsity sports, including lacrosse, swimming, crew, and cross country. In
the fall, Gavin will be studying chemical engineering at the University of New Hampshire as an
Innovation Scholar and member of the University Honors Program. He also plans to race for the
cycling team and hopes to join the outing club.

Ryan Trotzky
Ryan Trotzky of Greenland, NH, is the son of Judith and Sam Trotzky. Ryan attended Berwick
Academy since Kindergarten and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society in his junior year.
He received a departmental recognition award in Chemistry his sophomore year and was the
recipient of the Yale Book Award in junior year. As a sophomore, he was inducted into the
National Spanish Honor Society. He has also earned recognition for his performances on the
National Spanish Exam, including placing first in the state of Maine freshman and junior years.
This year, Ryan received the Marie Donahue Award given to a senior for exceptional
commitment and contribution to Berwick Academy.
Outside of the classroom, Ryan played on the Varsity Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse teams.
In his senior year, he was a captain of the Varsity Soccer team and was selected to play in the
NEPSSA Senior All-Star game. Ryan was elected to student government all four years,
including Class President twice, Class Treasurer, and Student Leadership Council Head senior
year. Additionally, he was elected to serve on the Honor Committee junior and senior years.
During his time at Berwick, Ryan was also a Head Tour Guide and peer tutor and was a
member of the math team and Big and Little Buddies. He completed an Innovation Pursuit junior
year, focusing on CPR and AED awareness. As part of his project, Ryan became a certified
CPR instructor and taught CPR classes to his fellow students. Outside of school, Ryan is a local
Youth Soccer referee and works as a counselor at YMCA Camp Belknap. Ryan will be attending
the University of Pennsylvania, where he plans to pursue studies in math and possibly biology.

Theo Yassa
Theo Yassa is the son of Ms. Johanna Thomas and Mr. Sami Yassa from Kittery Point, Maine.
This fall, he will be attending Pomona College with an intended major in Chemistry. Since
entering Berwick Academy in third grade, Theo has made many artistic, athletic, and intellectual
achievements. He was a coffeehouse leader and organized and performed in a concert to raise
money for Parkinson’s research. He was also a founding member of his band Common
Application and recorded an album of original compositions with his band for his senior project.
Beyond the arts, he is a member of the varsity soccer team. In his Innovation Pursuit project, he
studied the science, economics, and design of solar photovoltaics for Berwick campus. He was
also the recipient of academic awards, including the Chemistry award, the Johns Hopkins Book
Award, and the National Merit Scholarship, as well as being a member of the Spanish Honor
Society. Theo spent the past two summers as a research assistant at the Lawrence Berkeley
National Lab at UC Berkeley, working with graduate students and professors on research
regarding the effects of atmospheric warming on microbial respiration.

Tianyu (Steven) Zhou
Tianyu ‘Steven’ Zhou, son of Mr. Mingshan Zhou, and Ms. Wenyan Wang, from Beijing, China,
will be attending Brown University, majoring in Classics and Comparative Literature. Tianyu’s
research during his time at Berwick included the transgenic cultivation of tobacco with the ImODC gene (which controls polyamine production) under Dr. Minocha at UNH. He spent much
of his time on the Hilltop learning modern and classical languages including Spanish, French,
German, Arabic, Classical Chinese, and Latin and reading papers and books concerning
historical classical antiquity, its literary traditions, and philology. Tianyu is an accomplished
guitar player who regularly performed at campus Coffeehouses. He was a member of the varsity
Cross Country team and a leader of the Math Club. Tianyu was also a stand out in the Peer
Tutor program, working with students at every grade level and in multiple subjects, helping them
find their confidence as learners and find the fun in the material.