Meet 8 Exceptional Graduates From Leelanau County's Class Of 2026

Leelanau County’s high school graduating class of 2026 includes aspiring businesspeople, engineers, healthcare professionals, veterinarians, filmmakers, and maritime captains. Below, the Leelanau Ticker introduces you to just eight of the county’s impressive graduates.

Jesus Alcala, Suttons Bay
Profile: Through the early college program at NMC, Alcala racked up around 40 college credits, in everything from accounting to English. “I think a lot of people would see me as an overachiever, because I’ve really tried to work on my future,” he says. Alcala also played tenor saxophone as part of Suttons Bay’s budding band program (and was co-president of the band council) and played on the varsity basketball team.
Plans: As an early college program participant, Alcala will get another year of classes at NMC paid for through Suttons Bay’s state school aid funding. “So, I’ll get my associate’s degree next year, and I’m getting it for free, basically,” he says. From there, he plans to transfer to Michigan State to continue studying business.
Highlight: For Alcala, the proudest moment of high school was playing in the band last spring when Suttons Bay qualified for the state band festival for the first time in 10 years. “We were all working really hard just to better ourselves, but I don’t think a single one of us would have believed it if you’d told us at the beginning of the year that we would qualify for states,” he says.

Garrick Collins, Lake Leelanau St. Mary
Profile: Collins led the student body government at Lake Leelanau St. Mary as student council president, and was also president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter. In addition, Collins was a member of Teens for Life, the Business Professionals of America, and the cross country, basketball, and track and field teams. Outside of school, he competes as part of the Western Michigan chapter of the Sports Car Club of America, racing cars in the Empire Hill Climb “and various other motorsport events throughout Michigan.” On top of everything else, Collins dual-enrolled at NMC, earning 22 total credit hours.
Plans: Collins will attend University of Arkansas to major in mechanical engineering. “My love for engineering comes from my dad,” he says. “He’s always loved to tinker with stuff, and I do too.” Collins sees himself one day working “for a big engineering firm, maybe in aerospace.”
Highlight: Collins loved the Catholic element of St. Mary. “Faith is a big component at the school, with the weekly masses and the religion classes, and the church is intertwined with our education in a way that, as we grow in our faith, we also prepare for a future,” he says.

Willa Murray, Leland
Profile: Murray was one of Leland’s top athletes, scoring top 15 finishes earlier this year at the state finals in downhill skiing, and playing on the varsity soccer team all four years of high school. Last year, Murray helped Leland soccer to one of its best seasons in school history, with a record of 13-3-1. This year, she was team captain. She’s also part of National Honor Society and the Leland Youth Library Council.
Plans: In the fall, Murray will enroll at the Lyman Briggs College, a “residential, undergraduate, science-focused learning community” at Michigan State University. “I'm on the pre-PA track, so I'm hoping to work to become a physician's assistant,” she says. “Over the years, I've had a lot of troubles with my skin, and I've been in and out of the doctor's office. A lot of my doctors have been PAs, and they’ve been able to help me so much. They inspired me to pursue this career.”
Highlight: “I’ll definitely continue to cherish my experience on the sports teams, and the community you build when doing a sport,” Murray says. “It's really cool to be with a bunch of people working toward the same goal as you.”

Z Phan, The Leelanau School
Profile: Phan started high school at a public school district in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, but hated it so much that she convinced her mom to let her change her plans. “We found this nature-based boarding school in a place in Michigan we couldn’t even pronounce,” she laughs. Since then, Phan has left her mark on The Leelanau School: In addition to her role as student council president, she’s also the class of 2026 valedictorian.
Plans: “At first, I had my heart set on U of M, but they absolutely refused to give me in-state residency, even though I've lived here for three years,” Phan says. “I would have to pay out-of-state tuition and I can't afford that, so I'm going to Wayne State University.” Phan is currently planning on a pre-law track, but tells The Ticker she wants to continue the exploratory style of education The Leelanau School offers. “The world is so fascinating and beautiful, and I want to explore each string of the web,” she says.
Highlight: For Phan, simply getting to spend her high school years in northern Michigan has been a highlight. “I’ve learned so much about nature and sustainability, and it’s just been my dream, perfect, ideal high school experience,” she says.

Caden Sheehan, Glen Lake
Profile: Sheehan was a key player in the resurrection of Glen Lake’s wrestling program, making it all the way to the state finals as both a junior and senior. He was also on the football team, and is bound for state finals once again this weekend, in the 4x400-meter relay for track and field. Sheehan also served as student council president, National Honor Society treasurer, and a participant in Big Pals, a mentor-mentee program at Glen Lake that connects older students with elementary classmates.
Plans: Sheehan was recently accepted into NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy, as part of the deck officer program, and hopes to one day become a boat captain. “I grew up boating all the time and always being on the water, and I just love the idea of exploring new places, working on the oceans, and getting to go see all these different ports,” he says.
Highlight: “I was lucky enough to be in high school with my little brother,” Sheehan says, referring to his brother Gavin, who is finishing up his freshman year. “We got to be on the same sports teams, and one of my best memories is watching him make it to states with me for wrestling. We got to go down there together, to Ford Field, and having that experience with my little brother was so awesome.”

Cora Speer, Northport
Profile: Though she doesn’t come from a farming family, Speer has been passionate about agriculture for years. She’s heavily involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA), a career and technical student organization that “prepares students to fulfill the growing diversity & new opportunities in agriculture.” This spring, Speer won the Michigan FFA proficiency award for equine science. (FFA proficiency awards test students through “supervised agricultural experiences,” and honor those who have “developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.) Speer honed her skills and knowledge through the Career-Tech Center agrisciences program, as well as through her own outside-of-school work caring for her own horse, Harvey. Beyond her agricultural studies, Speer was also vice-president for two Northport student clubs – National Honor Society and Youth Advisory Council – and is salutatorian for her graduating class.
Plans: Speer’s experience with equine care will set her up nicely for next year, when she’ll join the pre-veterinary track at Albion College. “I will be focusing on equine health as much as possible,” she tells The Ticker. “I am looking at the rehab side of veterinary work – so, after the animals go into surgery or something like that, helping them to get back into a normal lifestyle. I will also be on the equestrian team.”
Highlight: Speer has loved being a part of the small school community at Northport, and forging friendships with almost every one of her classmates. “Just having those memories we can look back on is such a wonderful thing,” she says.

Desi Wetherbee, Northport
Profile: Northport’s class valedictorian, Wetherbee went above and beyond academically – to the point where she spent most of her senior year at NMC rather than in Northport. Beyond a busy dual-enrollment schedule, Wetherbee was also an active part of student government, National Honor Society, and the Youth Advisory Council, which works with the Leelanau Township Community Foundation to provide a young person’s perspective on grant applications.
Plans: “We will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other.” That quote, spoken by American astronaut Christina Koch as part of this year’s Artemis II mission, not only inspired Wetherbee’s valedictorian speech but also speaks to her career aspirations. “I’m going to the University of Michigan, and I’m not totally sure about my major, but I know it will be something in the human services area,” she says. “I just want to do something that feels like I'm helping somebody and making a difference in people's lives.”
Highlight: “Last year, my family had an exchange student from Spain, and the two of us just connected so, so deeply,” Wetherbee says. “I was super inspired to want to do something internationally, so I think I'll get a minor in Spanish. I think language is such a critical skill, and the connection with her has definitely shaped my life differently.”

Miles Wright, Glen Lake
Profile: A student at Glen Lake Community Schools since kindergarten, Wright found his groove in high school as part of the Career-Tech Center’s film and new media program. “I’ve really enjoyed acting from a young age, so working behind the camera, editing film, and being in front of the camera are all things that I enjoy,” he says. Wright also sang in choir and performed in four musicals (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Lightning Thief, Shrek, and Seussical), and still found time to run cross country and dual-enroll at NMC.
Path: Wright will continue his film studies next year at Cedarville University in Ohio, where he’ll major in broadcasting, digital media, and journalism, with a minor in theater performance. He’s not sure yet what his career aspirations look like, but is confident it will be film-oriented, whether that’s narrative filmmaking projects or advertising work.
Highlight: Senior year has been a banner year for Wright, starting with Glen Lake’s best-ever cross country season (the team finished second in the state in Division 4) and culminating with the spring production of Seussical (in which he played the principal role of Horton the Elephant). Both experiments, he says, were lessons in the power of camaraderie and the value of hard work.