The Leelanau Ticker spoke with 12 local graduates to learn about what — and who — made their high school experiences in Leelanau County uniquely their own.

Gillian Grobbel, Lake Leelanau, Leland Public School
Grobbel, a co-valedictorian of Leland’s class of 2020, will be working at Trish’s Dishes in Leland this summer before heading to the University of Michigan, where she plans to study earth and environmental sciences.
Your legacy at Leland: I hope people think of a kind, funny person who will always be there to help them out when they need it.
Career path inspiration: My dad. He is an environmental consultant and he built an off-the-grid house largely by himself which we still live in today. 

Jack Simermeyer, Eden Prairie, MN, The Leelanau School
The Leelanau School, the coed boarding and day school in Glen Arbor, was an ideal fit for Simermeyer, who says his learning differences were embraced and supported by the faculty and classmates. He heads to the University of Puget Sound in the fall with hopes to return to The Leelanau School someday in a teaching role.
Routine you’ll miss: Morning meeting. We were expected between 7:30 and 8:10am for breakfast, which was made from scratch by four very talented cooks, who put their heart and soul into the meals. At 8:15 sharp Mr. Hansen, our head of school, did announcements and told a fun or inspiring story.
Ever get homesick? Personally? Not really — but obviously I don’t tell my mom that. I truly love it there — the responsibilities, the independence, the beautiful location right on the river. Everyone is like family, including the dogs on campus. Gimli is a Golden Retriever who we all love.
Teacher who made a difference: Mrs. Blondia, for American Government. She is very passionate about what she does. She used a game to teach us how a bill is created and passed that I’ll always remember.

Lindsey Somero, Northport, Northport Public School
Somero is among the eight graduating seniors at Northport this year. She is attending Saginaw Valley State University for a degree in education.
Are you a close-knit class? You end up having to work with your individual personalities whether they resonate with each other or not. As we grew together, I learned to appreciate everyone’s qualities and they became like a second family to me. We had a Senior Skip Day in late winter — we went to see “Impractical Jokers,” then to the arcade at Lucky Jacks. I realized just how close we were and how happy I was just to be with them.
Grateful for: In particular, I’d like to thank my brothers, because no matter what, they were always the first ones to help me when I really needed it and the last to praise me when I didn’t.

Gavyn Shananaquet, Peshawbestown, Suttons Bay High School
Shananaquet, a Norsemen varsity football and basketball player, is taking a gap year before continuing his studies.
Who made an impact on you? Coach Opie (football) and Coach Anderson (basketball) meant a lot to me. They always made sure you were okay when you might have seemed off on a particular day. Also, our community, and having their support the entire football season. We went undefeated until our last game, which was the state finals game. There was a lot of snow this past season and seeing how many people still came out to our home games meant a lot to the team.
How was the transition to online learning? Fairly easy, because the teachers at Suttons Bay are the best.
How so? They make great relationships with you. They are willing to help anytime. They accept who you are.

Liliana Valkner, Empire, Glen Lake High School
Valkner, whose basketball team won the district championships this year, is graduating as Glen Lake’s valedictorian. She’s working a landscaping job at Dunn’s Farm and raising a steer to show at the Northwestern Michigan Fair before heading to Michigan State University to major in chemical engineering.
A challenge you faced in the pandemic? The 4-H portion of the Northwestern Michigan Fair being cancelled. 4-H expanded me in knowledge, relationships, hard work, integrity. I wanted my senior year to be one I could remember proudly.
Any special shout-outs? Mrs. Kangas. While she was my math teacher, she was so much more than that. She was always there to support me in both my struggles and my successes.

Nathan Smith, Bingham Township, St. Mary
Smith will attend NMC in the fall, then continue on to Michigan Tech, where he will study civil engineering.
Highlight of senior year? Qualifying for state individually for cross country. My sister, a freshman, also individually qualified. Coach Papes, who is the math teacher at St. Mary, came over and had dinner with my family.
Summer goals? Earn money for school either working at the golf course or on a cherry farm. I know those of us who play baseball are really bummed not to get to play this spring. It would be great to organize a few double header scrimmages later this summer with Suttons Bay and Glen Lake.

Laura Hursey, Traverse City, Suttons Bay High School
Suttons Bay's National Honors Society (NHS) president will work at Cherry Bay Orchards this summer. She is attending Michigan State University to study psychology.
What are you proud of accomplishing while a Norsemen? I’m most proud of being able to make a difference throughout the Suttons Bay community with the National Honor Society — helping at the food pantry, raising money for Special Olympic Athletes, helping out at the Street Fair in Lake Leelanau.
Teachers that made a difference?  The whole staff of Suttons Bay has made a big impact on me. They pushed me to my fullest potential, whether this be academically, athletically, or when building character. I’m so grateful to have been taught by such amazing people.

Audrey Couturier, Lake Leelanau, St. Mary 
Couturier, who has attended St. Mary since kindergarten, heads to Siena Heights University in Adrian to major in biology. Her ultimate goal: earn a master's degree in genetic counseling at Case Western Reserve University.
Pandemic struggle: I, like many, thought that we would be coming back to the school campus after a month, so I didn’t get the chance to say my goodbyes to the people and the place that has been such a large part of my childhood. I truly can't think of better people to grow up with.
Best class? Honors calculus. We made it fun. I have no idea how I am going to learn math next year without everyone around me trying to think of the best pun.
Thank yous? I would like to thank all of my teachers for being so understanding during this time, especially my advisor Mr. Dunphey. He has led my class throughout high school and has shaped us into the people that we are now. I will always be thankful for the advice he has given me.

Cecelia Denton, Maple City, The Leelanau School
Denton is a day student at The Leelanau School and the class of 2020 valedictorian. She’ll attend Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, this fall to study water science and to explore the Lake Superior shoreline and Apostle island archipelago.
What it was like to attend boarding school in the place you also call home? It was surreal to feel like I was a part of another world when I only lived a few miles down the road. It came together in a really beautiful way. There weren’t just people from other parts of Michigan or the U.S. but from across the world.
Challenges? Growing as a writer, think and doer and figuring out who I want to be. Asking big questions.
Best moment? My entire senior class of 13 jumped into two giant voyageur canoes and we paddled and camped in and along the inland lakes chain near Alanson for a few days. It was a really good bonding experience and time well spent together.

Helene Mitchell, Leland, Leland Public School
Mitchell, Leland’s co-valedictorian, will attend the University of Michigan in the fall.
Biggest accomplishments? I enjoyed volunteering for the National Honor Society. I had the opportunity to tutor many young students at Leland and I loved that. I also helped start the first girls golf team at Leland, something that will continue to be a program at Leland for years to come.
Anything you’d like to say to your teachers? All of the teachers at Leland are amazing. It is truly like one big family at Leland. But I would have to say my math teacher throughout middle school and high school, Mr. DeFour, made a difference for me. Mr. DeFour encouraged me to focus more on learning material and worry less about the grade. I ‘chilled out’ and was able to focus more on enjoying other parts of high school beyond academics.

Bryce Opie, Suttons Bay, Suttons Bay High School
Between time working at the marina in Suttons Bay, Opie hopes to fit in plenty of waterskiing on the bay before going to Grand Valley State University with plans to study business.
Proudest Norsemen moment? Helping to lead the football team to the state finals this past fall. We had an incredible year and the community support was awesome.
Any teachers that really made a difference for you? Mrs. Hursey, our math teacher, always worked hard to make sure that we were learning both in her class as well as other classes. She also helped to offer NMC and AP classes at Suttons Bay, which will really help us in our future.

Oakley Foster-Fishman, East Lansing, The Leelanau School
This fall Foster-Fishman will be attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and will focus on exploring education reform and youth development.
What did you like most about living in Glen Arbor? I loved living in Leelanau County because no matter what time of year it was, there were always so many opportunities to go outside and enjoy nature.
Your legacy at The Leelanau School? I hope people think of me playing the harp and flying my kite. I hope they think of someone that is always there to lend a helping hand.
Pandemic memory? When schools closed, I drove my friend home because he needed a ride to Minnesota. It was a great way to transition because we were so used to being together all the time.

The Leelanau Ticker congratulates these and all 2020 grads across the county.