By BETHANY PLUMMER-RICCI

This year's top ten students at Veterans Memorial High School are a competitive bunch, in more ways than one. In addition to success in their classes, many were members of Vets' sports teams and achieved captain status or various athletics awards.

Others simply cited their competitive personalities as the major factor behind their achievements in high school. With six different students tying for spots, at numbers five, seven and nine, it's clear that the race to be one of Vets' top ten graduates was a close one.

Shannon Hyle

Valedictorian Shannon Hyle will not only be studying at two excellent schools during her undergraduate career, she'll be doing it for free. Hyle has received a full scholarship for Providence College's 3+2 Engineering Program, which will allow her to spend three years studying at PC before completing two years of a civil engineering concentration at Columbia University.

Though Hyle has excelled in mathematics and will pursue engineering, her extensive extracurricular activities and awards reflect her well roundedness. She was president of her class's Executive Committee, an officer of STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, captain of the Swim Team, and a volunteer at West Bay Manor. She was accepted into the National Honor Society, Rhode Island Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, and has received many awards including the American Mathematical Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics, Warwick Vets Memorial High School Social Studies Award, Brown University Book Award, Rensselaer Medal, Humanities Award and the Outstanding Calculus Student Award.

Hyle achieved 3rd place honors in the 2008 state Science Fair and 2nd place in 2005 school History Day. She was also featured in Who's Who Among American High School Students from 2006-2007, is an AP Scholar, made high honor roll every quarter, and was nominated for her junior prom court.

Despite her many honors, Hyle explained that it was truly her friends, family, and teachers that made high school most memorable.

"I will most remember the good friends that I made and all of the fun times that we had together," Hyle said, and thanked her parents, teachers, and personal ambition for her success.

Cassandra Benoit

Cassandra Benoit thanks her parents and friends for making her four years of high school both fun and successful, but cites her self-confidence and willpower as the main motivating factors behind her salutatorian rank.

"My motivation came from within myself. I achieved everything I did for me, not for anyone else. I set goals and took on AP and honors and everything else because I knew I could handle it, and I wanted to prove that to myself," she explained.

Benoit was accepted into the National Honor Society, Rhode Island Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, and is the recipient of the Bausch and Lomb Award for Excellence in English and the Outstanding Chemistry Student Award. She also served as Student Council Secretary during her junior year and was a member of the Executive Committee and school Drama Club. Benoit will attend the University of Rhode Island this fall where she will major in psychology and pre-medical studies.

Siobhan Hopper

The class essayist, Siobhan Hopper was accepted into the honors program at the University of Rhode Island and plans to major in biology.

Hopper was the secretary for the class of 2008 and captain of the varsity swimming team, as well as a member of the Student Council, Drama Club, STAND: Student Anti-Genocide Coalition, varsity field hockey team, and varsity outdoor track & field team.

She was accepted into the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, received Excellence in Physics, the Secretary of State Leadership Award, and was recognized as a Student Leader of Distinction.

She emphasized the importance of her extracurricular activities in many facets of her success.

When asked what motivated her to excel, Hopper responded, "My genuine curiosity and a sense of ownership I have built through my involvement in clubs and sports at Vets."

Veronica Flaherty

Managing to strike a balance between school and fun, Veronica Flaherty used her friends' support to make it through her high school career at the top of her class.

"I was motivated to excel by my love of learning, sincere curiosity, and a healthy competitive streak. My friends and I also gave each other constant encouragement in our academic pursuits," the number four student said.

Flaherty participated in Academic Decathlon, the Student Leadership Training Program, peer tutoring, Third Eye/Youth Crime Watch of America, and Vets' field hockey and swim teams.

She is a member of the National Honor Society, Rhode Island Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and is the recipient of the Foreign Language Award.

Flaherty will attend Marquette University where she plans to major in International Business.

Derek McVay

Tying for the number five spot, Derek McVay spent his four high school years playing for Vets' football, basketball, and baseball teams, so it comes as no surprise that he will begin his studies in Sports Management at Endicott College in September.

McVay was also accepted into the National Honor Society, and explained that he has his family to thank for helping him fulfill his goal of getting into a good college. "My parents and brother were big parts of my success. They were always there for me," he said.

Stephanie Morse

Stephanie Morse might be tied on Vets' top ten list, but she has an uncontested athletic record. Also coming in at number five, she was captain of the varsity softball, soccer, and indoor track teams, and was also president of the Lettermen's Club.

Additionally, Morse made 1st Team All-State for Soccer & Softball and All-American for Soccer, and was chosen as Gatorade's Player of the Year for Softball.

Morse's academics also make the cut, as she is a member of the National Honor Society, Rhode Island Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society.

Aside from her awards and achievements, she said her time spent with the soccer team is the source of her fondest memories of high school.

Morse will attend Assumption College but her major is still undecided.

Christyne Martin

Number seven Christyne Martin clearly has an artistic eye: she was an assistant director, stage manager and set designer for the Drama Club, and was recognized as the Visual Arts Student of the Year. Her talents will come in handy this fall when she will begin her study of Interior Design at Endicott College .

Martin was also a crewmember for the Drama Club, a member of the Student Council and Executive Committee, and was accepted into the National Honor Society, Rhode Island Honor Society, and Italian Honor Society.

While she considers himself ambitious, Martin explained that she could not have achieved her goals without the help of others.

"I have a tendency of motivating myself to excel while at the same time my parents, siblings, and friends inspire me to continue to push myself," she said.

Alexis Willis

Alexis Willis, seventh in her class at Vets, approached her high school endeavors with a laid-back mindset, which turned out to be her own recipe for success.

"I never thought I would be part of the top 10 and it wasn't my goal," she explained. "I did what I felt I should and I ended up being successful."

But "laid-back" is certainly not synonymous with "lazy." In addition to making high honor roll each quarter, Willis was a member of the Health Club, Indoor Soccer League, Apponaug Girls' Softball, Varsity Gymnastics Team (of which she was captain in 10th and 12th grade), and Executive Committee.

She has received various honors for her participation in History Day, including first place in the state competition and the Rissa Award. She also served as a coordinator for the Rhode Island Blood Drive "High School Hero Challenge," participated in "Hurricanes Helping Hurricane Victims," and has been an active volunteer with St. Kevin's Church.

Additionally, Willis is a member of the National and Rhode Island Honor Societies and the recipient of the D.A.R. Good Citizenship Scholarship Award. She was nominated for the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy, the 2007 National Young Leaders Conference, the People to People Educational Exploration Program, and the National Society of High School Scholars.

Willis will attend Rhode Island College with a major in Business Management.

Rounding out the Warwick Vets Top Ten were <BI>Danielle Sequira and <BI>David Purtell, who tied for final two spots in the category of top students. The biographies of the two students were not available at the time of this publication.