DOWAGIAC — During its most recent board of education meeting, Dowagiac Union Schools prepared to say goodbye to its best and brightest students.

Monday evening, the district announced its top 10 graduates, based on grade point averages.

“It is my honor to present the high school’s graduating seniors,” said Dowagiac Union High School Principal Kelly Millin. “Their successes are many. They have lots of awards, lots of accolades, and I could go on and on about each one of them. They are all very special and have worked very hard.”

The top 10 includes:

10. Madeline Stockwell is graduating with a GPA of 3.74. She describes her top high school activities as competitive cheer, softball, humanities club and National Honor Society. After graduation, she plans to attend Southwestern Michigan College before transferring to a four-year university. She plans to pursue a career in the field of biology.

9. Jonathan Stockwell is graduating with a GPA of 3.765. In high school, he participated in marching band, concert band, jazz band, pep band, various musicals, robotics, golf, National Honor Society, Humanities Club, 4-H and trapshooting. Post-graduation, he plans to attend Central Michigan University to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

8. Amiyah Smith is graduating with a 3.77 GPA. In high school, she participated in softball, basketball, volleyball and a workplace learning program with Ascension Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital. After graduation, she plans to attend Indiana University South Bend to play softball and study nursing.

7. Kelsey Crocker is graduating with a 3.826 GPA. She said her top high school activities were participating in volleyball and National Honor Society. She plans to attend Hope College.

6. Grace Clark is graduating with a 3.862 GPA. She has been involved with National Honor Society, Chamber Choir, Bella Voce, Women’s Chorale, musicals, basketball, soccer and volleyball. Her future educational plans include attending SMC to pursue a career in the medical field and to teach dance.

5. Alexandria Marquart is graduating with a 3.894 GPA. In high school, she participated in soccer, track and National Honor Society. She plans to attend Aurora University in Illinois, with the hope to become a neonatal nurse practitioner.

4. Cody Dorman is graduating with a 3.896 GPA. He has participated in National Honor Society, Student Senate, football, basketball and baseball during his high school career. After graduation, he plans to attend SMC and Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan to become a pediatric physical therapist.

3. Juliana Stanger is the 2019 Dowagiac Union High School salutatorian, graduating with a GPA of 3.96. In high school, she served as the president of the Student Senate, vice president of National Honor Society, a member of humanities club, women’s chorale choir, Chieftain Heart and the spring musical. She plans to attend Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana to study dance performance.

Mae Hartsig and Tessa Holz will share the top spot of valedictorian as both are graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

Hartsig has been involved with National Honor Society, Rotary Interact Club and Humanities Club. After graduation, she plans to attend Wayne State University to study urban development.

“I’ve always loved cities, and when I found out I could make a career out of that, it just seemed right,” Hartsig said of her future plans.

During her high school career, Holz has been involved in marching band, concert band, robotics and National Honor Society. She said that her passion for school has come from a desire to attend a good college, which she will be doing in the fall by attending the University of Michigan to pursue a dual degree in art and engineering.

“I love art, and I love engineering, so I want to find a field where I can mix the two,” she said.

As they prepare to leave high school behind, both Hartsig and Holz said they would share the same advice with incoming freshmen: do not take high school too seriously.

“Don’t stress out about school too much,” Hartsig said. “Grades are important, but sometimes I feel that I put too much emphasis on my grades. If I could go back and redo anything, it would be that.”

Holz agreed.

“Work hard, but don’t kill yourself by working too much,” she said.