Pilgrim’s graduating top 10 students are all leaders, according to Principal Marie Cote.

“They are all really good students; that’s what it takes to be top ten,” Cote said, “but all of them are so deserving they all really stepped up to the challenge of high school.”

These students didn’t just excel academically, they were athletes and musicians, and being the best they could be in every facet of their high school careers.

From Valedictorian Nicole Gauthier, who “wanted to be number one and did whatever it took,” to Justine Pollard, who is “musically talented beyond her years,” to Xavier Morgan and Alexa Annotti, who both stepped up with the executive committee when their advisor left for a pregnancy two times, “This class made sure what needed to be done got done,” Cote said.

Cote said, “They are truly leaders and will continue to be leaders in whatever path they choose.”

Nicole Gauthier

Cote called Gauthier “driven.” And in a questionnaire Gauthier said she is “extremely competitive.” In sports Gauthier was not only captain of her cross-country team for two years, but she also participated in track and field and captained the girl’s swim team.

She said one of her biggest motivators throughout high school was Michael Xiarhos, who was not only her cross country coach but was her teacher for several classes. She said his “out of the box style” helped challenge her.

She received the Bryant University Book Award, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas Award, AP Scholar Award, Rhode Island Science Award, two Marine Corps Awards, one for academics and the other for athletics, as well as Outstanding Student in French Award among others.

She will miss joking around with friends, because together they tried to make the most of every day in high school. Together they made a Frozen parody video about graduating.

In the fall she will attend Roger Williams University to double major in both international business and French.

She said she always wanted to make her parents proud so strove to be the best she could.

Justine Pollard

“My goal in school was always just to try my best and in the end I was excited that it led me to be second in my class,” Pollard said.

Pollard truly exceeded musically. At Pilgrim she participated in the chorus, chorale, women’s chorus, All State Chorus, the Junior Providence Singers and the drama club.

It was her experiences with the different chorus ensembles she will remember most from high school, especially her trip to Nashville with the NAMFE All-National Honors Mixed Choir.

Aside from music, Pollard also excelled academically, having won the Middlebury Book Award, the United States Air Force Math and Science Award, Outstanding Student in Spanish Award as well as a Community Service Award. She was also part of the travel club, the National Honor Society, the American Field Services and was student leader council chair.

Pollard will be attending the University of Rhode Island to double major in music education and communications with a minor in Spanish.

Xavier Morgan

“I am lucky enough to have received endless amounts of guidance and advice from amazing teachers that I will take with me well beyond graduation,” Morgan said.

Throughout her high school career she was a well-rounded student, involved in many different extracurricular activities.

Morgan was on the girls’ lacrosse and soccer teams, captained the dance team, was the secretary of the National Honor Society and was secretary of the Executive Committee.

She will take her talents to the University of Georgia this fall to major in psychology on a pre-med track.

On her résumé she can boast having won the Civic Leadership Award, Outstanding Student in Math and being a member of the Rhode Island, National and Foreign Language Honor Societies. She said she is “intrinsically” motivated by the desire to reach her highest potential, but she also thanks her parents for her success.

Alexa Annotti

Annotti plans on attending the University of Rochester this fall to double major in public health and brain and cognitive sciences. She plans to minor in Spanish. She was just as ambitious in her high school career as she plans to be at university.

During her time at Pilgrim she served at the class president, was the assistant coach for the school’s unified volleyball team, was the National Honor Society’s historian, captain of the basketball and volleyball teams and participated in track and field.

She was also co-president of student leadership and a member of the Spanish Club.

She received the George Eastman Young Leaders Award, the Paul F. Ronci Memorial Scholarship, Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership Award and various all-state awards for her time in athletics.

Ellen McDonnell

McDonnell was involved in sports during high school as captain of both the varsity softball and field hockey teams, winning numerous awards.

She will continue playing softball for Lafayette College’s Division I team this fall, a goal she has been working towards since she began at Pilgrim. While at Lafayette she will be studying government and law.

She said the encouragement of her parents and coaches helped her succeed.

Aside from her sports career, McDonnell was also on Model Legislature and the Executive Committee.

She said her memories of playing for Pilgrim’s teams and the friends she made throughout high school will stay with her forever.

Cote said for as big of a sports star she is, and will continue to be, McDonnell is one of the most humble students she knows.

Michelle Lee

“I will always remember all the support, love and kindness I received from my friends, family and teachers,” Lee said. “Whenever I felt like giving up on a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome, they were always there to push me and pick me back up.”

She said especially her parents, who are both refugees from Cambodia, were the reason she has been so successful because they strove to give her the best life possible with every opportunity she could want.

Lee was involved in many clubs and sports throughout high school including the Drama Club, Student Leadership, track and field, cross country, yearbook and the Ping Pong Club.

She has received the University of Rochester Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizens Award, the Pilgrim Pride Math Award and the Martin Family Scholarship.

She will head to the University of Rhode Island this fall to study pharmaceuticals science.

Cote said that Lee is the “sweetest, kindest” girl who hasn’t reached her full potential yet.

Rebecca Pasquarelli

Pasquarelli discovered her passion for science in Meredith Bizragane’s AP chemistry class and thanks her teacher for her help and encouragement. Now, she will be attending Brown University to study chemical engineering.

Pasquarelli has always loved learning and believes there is no better feeling than the one when you succeed in a challenging course.

Her love of education led her to win the Society of Women Engineers Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Mathematics and Natural Science, Pilgrim Department Head Book Award, AP Scholar Award, Red Sox Foundation Community Service Scholarship, Picerne Scholarship, Outstanding Students in Science Award and the Outstanding Student in English Award.

Along with academics she was also involved in after-school clubs such as the Travel Club and Student Leadership.

She also volunteered and was an event coordinator for the West Warwick Angel’s Caring for Animals.

Michael Broccoli

“I’ll always remember winning the first basketball Division Championship in Pilgrim’s history and the team I accomplished it with,” Broccoli, the basketball captain, said.

He also was captain for the baseball team, reached All-State for both teams and participated in Student Leadership and Executive Committee.

He said his motivation to succeed came from his family, especially his twin brother, Evan, and his cousin, Chantelle.

Broccoli, who will continue his education at the University of Connecticut for physiology and neurobiology, was part of both National and Italian Honor Society and won the National Bausch and Lomb Award for Excellence in Science.

Cote said he has always been a great volunteer and even better mentor and role model.

After graduation he even returned to the school, volunteering his time to help get the school ready for summer.

Editor’s note: The 8th and 10th students, Jin Qing Zhang and Elizabeth Ann Kunz, respectively, denied to be profiled for this article.