a day ago
Nicholas Park, Cassidy Roller are top students for Lewis Cass graduation
Lewis Cass High School will celebrate its Class of 2025 Sunday afternoon during its commencement ceremony. At the top of the class stand students Nicholas Park and Cassidy Roller, who will speak as the school's valedictorian and salutatorian.
It's been a school year of milestones for both students. Park was awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship by the Cass County Community Foundation in December. The award recognizes the top student in the county and includes full tuition, fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years.
The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
A month earlier, Roller was celebrating at Lucas Oil Stadium as the Lewis Cass Marching Kings won their eleventh state championship.
Park said he was ready and excited for Sunday's commencement. He plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute for Technology and study optical engineering in the fall.
He credited his friends, teachers, coaches and family for pushing him to achieve academic success in high school.
'When (my peers) work hard it makes me work hard,' he said. 'I feel like I may not have reached valedictorian but because of everyone working towards their goals it helped me achieve mine, too.'
The drive to be the best he could be wasn't always there when he began high school, he said. It was during his sophomore year after he lost his when he started to take school more seriously.
At first school was a coping technique but he eventually found himself wanting to be a bigger part of Lewis Cass, his church and his community.
'I feel like my father passing my sophomore year really gave me a reason to be better,' he said. 'I knew I wanted to work harder. At the time it was probably a way to keep my mind off it but over time it evolved to be its own thing and I wanted to work harder because I liked it. I liked working and making myself better.'
Of course there were a lot of times when he wish he could have been doing something else, like sleeping on a Saturday morning rather than going to a practice.
'But you do anyway,' he said. 'Working hard like that in sports and athletics makes it easier to work hard in school.'
During high school he played football, was a wrestler and ran track. He was also a member of the National Honor Society, Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board, Spanish Club, Key Club and Champions Together.
His time in high school and working with the Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board taught him about the importance of community.
'You get to see how the community works, how everything flows and how everyone lifts each other up,' he said. 'When I was younger, I didn't really understand that. I see it more and more. It's humbling to see people come together and to understand that I can be part of a community. So, I guess high school taught me how I can be a bigger part in a system and how I can contribute to that.'
Park said there wasn't enough room in the newspaper to recognize all the teachers and mentors who helped him achieve success but he said Lewis Cass football coach Clayton Mannering taught him about discipline and Spanish teacher Melanie Karmel was always there when he needed to talk.
Roller said she was also excited for Sunday's commencement ceremony and was ready to see what awaited her in the future. She will attend Purdue University where she will study environmental science.
She said earning salutatorian made her feel very accomplished because it was an effort that extended throughout her high school career, not just a senior year achievement.
'I spent a lot of time on school work and school activities,' she said. 'I was very involved in school.'
Alongside the Marching Kings where she was a horn captain and a section leader, she was a member of the cheerleading team, track and field and active in many of the school's clubs.
She said winning the marching band state championship this past fall was amazing.
'Nothing else in life has been as great as that moment was,' she said. 'We accomplished everything we could have. It was a great group of kids, a great group of leaders, a great staff.'
She said she would always look back on her time with the Marching Kings and was already missing being part of the program.
Band director Alan Hinshaw had been part of her life since junior high and he helped her grow and taught her a lot about being a leader.
'Also, my family has always been there,' she said. 'Anything I needed they were always there. Any hour. Any time of the day.'
Roller congratulated Park on earning the title of valedictorian, calling him a great friend during high school.
'There is nobody else I'd rather be behind in this class than him,' she said. 'He's very intelligent, outgoing.'
'Cassidy and I have been at the top of the class for our entire time in school,' said Park. 'It's been great having her as a classmate in all of the highest level classes. She has always pushed me to study harder and do better on assignments.'
When Park encountered a challenge in school, Roller was the first person he would reach out to for help.
'She is incredibly smart and hardworking and I am incredibly grateful to have her as a friend and classmate,' he said.
Lewis Cass will hold it's commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on Sunday inside the high school's gymnasium, {span}6422 E. St Rd 218 in Walton.{/span}
