Faces in the Crowd
Faces in the Crowd
A look at the individual students that make up the diverse student body of Grosse Pointe North.
Francesca Ciaramitaro
As a freshman, Francesca Ciaramitaro is involved in Impact and Willow and she is the freshmen class president. She was also a captain on the JV girls’ basketball team as well as the freshmen girls soccer team.
“I like being involved in school and I like donating my time to worthy causes,” Ciaramitaro said. “Throughout middle school, I was a part of volunteer clubs and student council and it’s great to continue that in high school.”
Francesca would love to continue her four years here as president of her class and as a member of the multiple clubs and teams she participates in.
“I’m looking forward to joining North Pointe next year,” she said.
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Tim Pokladek
Tim Pokladek ‘12 is a loyal member of the UFOlogy club. He has been attending every meeting since his freshman year began.
“It basically deals with everything normal people wouldn’t talk about,” Pokladek said.
Pokladek said that one of his favorite aspects of the club is social studies teacher Crosby Washburne. He enjoys Washburne’s comedic sense of humor and liveliness, as do the other members of the club.
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Armelin Musaku
Life in high school is not easy, especially when going to school five days a week and working out after school.
But everyday, after the hallways clear, and the staff files out, Armelin Musaku can be found in the weight room, or running on the 3rd floor. Armelin has been working out everyday since his freshman year.
“I workout to get ready for sports and my personal health,” Musaku said.
But no one can start working out and automatically know what they are doing.
Armelin’s brother Fjorino is currently a senior. Armelin works out with Fjorino because he is educated and helps teach Armelin what he needs to know so he can stay physically fit.
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Kevin Irving
Senior Kevin Irving has been playing cello since fourth grade. In middle school, he picked up the bass guitar and developed an interest for it, relating techniques from one instrument to the other. Kevin still plays both today, though he prefers the cello.
“There are more applications used music wise. For the bass, you can only be in band, but for the cello, you can be a part of the orchestra or the band.”
Kevin has worked his way up to first chair in North’s orchestra. Along with orchestra and jazz band, Kevin plays for the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra. When he takes a break from fiddling on the cello, he tutors seventh and eighth graders aspiring to learn how to play the instrument.
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Kim Cooper
For the past year and a half, senior Kim Cooper has been a lector at St. Joan of Arc. The tradition has been passed down three generations.
Kim is one of fifty lectors at St. Joan. With five masses a weekend, there’s a system set in place to schedule the lectors, usually once a month, but because of last minute engagements, people call Kim often to read in their place.
“I really enjoy lectoring because growing up, I was attending church every Sunday and it was extremely boring because I was negligent to paying any attention, but now I feel connected to the church and I aspire to understand what the readings mean and what the priest preaches,” Cooper said.
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Amy Cooper
Sophomore Amy Cooper practices cross country for two hours everyday during her season. Cooper has been a part of the North cross country team since her freshman year.
“Its fun being on a team, making friends,” Cooper said.
To Cooper, cross country is a way to stay in shape and spend time with friends. This is why she dedicates so much time to the sport along with her other teammates.
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Ellen Brown
16-year-old sophomore Ellen Brown has been on the varsity hockey team since her freshman year and enjoys the game and the relationships she has formed on the team.
Her position is left wing forward, and she has scored four goals the previous season and plans to increase this number in her years to come on the squad.
“I love being on the team and working with all the girls, we’ve become really close,” Brown said.
Brown plans to continue playing hockey up to her senior year, and hopes to continue working well with her teammates and forming new relationships.
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Maggie Kelly
Freshman Maggie Kelly has been dancing for 13 years at the Grosse Pointe Dance Center.
“I just like dance because it’s really fun and it’s a good way to express yourself,” Kelly said.
What started out as a hobby has now become a passion and she devotes several hours a week to practice and classes.
Kelly participates in several technique classes, including ballet, jazz, modern, tap and hip-hop.
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Ryan Waggoner
Ryan Waggoner ’12, participates in many clubs throughout North, including pep band, Harbinger, chemistry and science Olympiads, RATS, COPS and track.
His favorite is Chemistry Outreach Program for Students (COPS) in which high school students help younger children understand and take an early interest in chemistry, one of Waggoner’s favorite subjects.
“I really enjoy chemistry and helping other students,” Waggoner said.
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Delim Rose
Junior Delim Rose for the past couple of years has been involved in an interesting hobby. He has been collecting new athletic shoes.
“For the past three years I have been collecting Air Jordan’s and Nike SB’s, I’ve spent around $1,000 on the shoes.”
He gets shoes from everywhere from Foot Locker to ordering them off the Internet. To date, Delim has accumulated around 30 different pairs of shoes and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
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Feven Berhane
Junior Feven Berhane spent countless hours in preparation for the Spring musical, Crazy for You. She started performing on stage her freshman year with the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie and preformed in last year’s production of Guys and Dolls.
“I like being a different character and getting to pretend to be someone different,” Berhane said.
Being in a production involves limitless time and effort. “We put in lots of rehearsal time, about four hours every day after school.”
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Ryan Belluomo
Sophomore Ryan Belluomo has been playing soccer since he was three-years-old. He has played for North’s team and now plays defense for the Salvo U16 team which competes in both indoor and outdoor soccer.
“I love it because I make new friends every year. It’s always fun to do and I love the feeling of winning,” Belluomo said.
This is Ryan’s first year with Salvo and plans to continue to play for the team.
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Alyse Victor
As a member of Student Council, Student Association, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Norsemen Session Council, and WILLOW, sophomore Alyse Victor certainly has a full schedule.
Victor participates in varsity cross country and varsity tennis and is a baby-sitter and caddy.
“I like playing sports because I make a lot of different friends while having a great time,” Victor said. “I love being involved with the school and community.”
Victor has a passion for biology and the arts. She is currently crafting a self-portrait in oil painting
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Jake Deyonker
Jake Deyonker ‘12 has played lacrosse since he was in the fifth grade. Last year he was a second string midfielder for the junior varsity team.
Jake is going to play junior varsity again this year. Whether he is a starter or not, Deyonker plans on playing lacrosse throughout high school, and is hopeful to play varsity as a junior and senior.
Deyonker says he plays lacrosse because he loves the hitting and the fast paced speed of the game.
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Bernardo Simoes
Bernardo Simoes ‘12 is currently participating in his first year of varsity swimming & diving.
Simoes says that his father is the one that inspired him to begin swimming. Aside from his father’s inspiration, Bernardo says that he enjoys it because it is fun and he gets a lot of exercise.
His favorite races to swim in are the 50 free individual and the 200 relay. Simoes plans to swim for the rest of his high school career.
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Jacci Sherry
Freshman Jacci Sherry’s family moved to Grosse Pointe North, away from her friends, in order to pursue her dream
of playing hockey in a top quality program.
“My travel coach was trying to get me down here to play for North or South. It was a constant battle between them until finally the North parents won my mom over,” Sherry said.
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Brittany Williams
Sophomore Brittany Williams has always had a gift for music and acting. Williams has been a part of Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit for four years and wants to someday take her dreams to Broadway and continue acting.
“On stage it’s like you’re superhuman, your mind is sharp and it’s like you’re a totally different person than you are in real life,” Williams said.
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DaLisha Jones
DaLisha Jones ’12 has a passion for softball and is anxious for her season to begin. Jones plays left outfield and this is her second year falling in love with her sport.
“Softball is a team sport. It’s not one important part, everybody is important,” Jones said.
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DeAndrea Owens
DeAndrea Owens ’11 has been cheerleading for two years and has developed a love for her sport. To Owens, cheer is more than just a team sport, she calls her teammates family.
“We practice almost every day so we’re really close. I love my cheer sisters they’re always there when things get tough,” Owens said.
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John French
John French ’10, has been a member for National Honors Society (NHS) since the beginning of his junior year with a cumulative GPA of a 4.00.
He plans on attending Western Michigan University, even after being accepted to several other schools, for a degree in nursing.
In regards to looking back at his high school life, he said, ”I am very thankful for the opportunities that I have had and I owe everything I have to the hard work of my mother.”
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Kyle Stefek
Kyle Stefek is just like any other ordinary freshman. What you may not know, however, is that Stefek is an active member of the drama club.
“We talk about bettering our drama skills, such as projecting our voices,” Stefek said. Drama club meets every other Friday in the choir room.
“It’s really a lot of fun,” Stefek said, “And it’s a great place to meet other people.”
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Robert Bylski
Robert Bylski ’11 has been playing clarinet for six years and has recently earned a position in the Eastern Michigan University honors band.
“I’m excited and anxious for the experience,” Bylski said. Bylski also plays the flute and saxophone in addition to his clarinet and devotes several hours a day to practice, which has lead to his participating in several ensembles at North, including jazz band, pit orchestra, symphony band and pep band.
He also plans to continue to pursue music after high school and hopes to become a music director someday.
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Courtney Rusch
Courtney Rusch ’11 has been swimming since she was 6-years-old. Her swimming is more competitive now but her passion hasn’t changed much since her first season.
“I love swimming because there is a direct relationship between hard work and success,” Rusch said. “The more effort you put into practice, the more it pays off in a meet.”
One of the reasons Rusch loves swimming so much is because she has her sister, Jenny, who always pushes her to beat records.
“It’s great to have her to help me improve my stroke and technique but there’s no sibling rivalry between us, especially since we swim different events.”
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Jaclyn Gabel
WILLOW, Health Careers Investigations, IMPACT, and FCA are just a few of the many organizations Jaclyn Gabel ‘12 is associated with. Gabel especially prides herself in acquiring the title of French Club president.
French Club has started and failed in the past but Gabel intends to keep it alive this time around by, “working with other people who run the club, to ensure a line of communication remains open, and that club members have fun.”
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Emily Johnson
After school everyday, Emily Johnson ‘12 heads to the gym to break a board or two instead of home to hit the books. Johnson is a Tae Kwon Do die-hard and has been practicing for eight years. She is now a second-degree black belt.
“I like it because there’s always something to improve on,” Johnson said.
In addition to suiting up and flailing her limbs during practice, she routinely competes in tournaments and has recently won gold and bronze medals.
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David Pawlak
David Pawlak ’11 is preparing for his career in computers early with an independent study in programming.
“I’m in an independent study with Johnson, and I am working on computers since that’s what I want to work on in the future,” Pawlak said. “I am going to take the AP test at the end of the year so I can have some credit going into college.”
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Connor Holm
Connor Holm ‘12 spends a lot of his time playing his saxophone. He’s been playing the instrument since the 4th grade and it has become one of his most treasured possessions.
“The saxophone helps me express things, if I’m feeling lively I often play jazz and improvise as I play,” Holm said. “Or if I’m in a bad mood I’ll play something quieter, but I use the music to convey my emotions and spirits.”
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Alexis Toutant
Alexis Toutant ’11 started dancing as a little girl, and it became a lifelong passion. Toutant has been on the Varsity Dance Team at North ever since her freshman year.
She is also the Vice President of the National Art Honors Society (NHAS) and is an active member of Unicycle Club.
Also, with four Advanced Placement classes, (this is her first year in any AP course) she manages her academic time well. In regards to her schoolwork, she said, “It’s absolutely insane but totally worth it.”
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Samantha Bajis
Samantha Bajis ‘12 has been a dancer since age three. A dancer of ballet, jazz, tap, modern dance and pointe, she considers her routine to Fall Out Boy’s “I Don’t Care” to be her best. Donating fifteen hours a week to the art, Bajis says dance is “really fun” and a great way to exercise.
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Sarah Bigham
Senior Sarah Bigham is a member of the Parish Council staff at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Often she will volunteer as a Eucharistic Minister.
“I like to help out my church and volunteer. I think it makes me a better person,” Bigham said. “Helping out brings me closer to my religion.”
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Alexander Fly
Alex Fly ‘11 is a rower for the Detroit Boat Club. He sits on the third seat of his Varsity Eight. Although it’s a very tiring and vigorously challenging sport (”You try waking up at 4 a.m. to row!”), he loves it and always will.
“We row twice before and after school, but it’s a good workout and it helps me unwind after a long day.”
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Vadal Boyd
Vadal Boyd ’11, makes his own recipes and tries out different things until he gets what he wants out of his cooking.
“It’s fun, it takes my mind off things when I’m stressed and I love to try new foods.”
Boyd hopes to go into a career of professional athletics or being an executive chef.
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Chrisa Kouskoulas
Freshman soccer star Chrisa Kouskoulas is definitely someone to keep an eye on this year.
“I plan on playing soccer for North and I’m looking forward to being apart of the Grosse Pointe North soccer program,” Kouskoulas said.
A veteran of the sport, she’s been playing for 10 years on several travel teams, however she’s got large shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of older sister Mariana, a junior on the varsity team.
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Christian Mellos
Christian Mellos ’12 is a member of the boys varsity swim team. He was one of two freshmen last year to make it to states where he placed in the top 16 in the 100 breaststroke.
“I hope to have a great season [this year] and break the varsity record for the 100 breast,” Mellos said.
Aside from swimming, Christian is a member of Norsemen Session Council, a community group for North students, which he joined last year.
“It’s a good opportunity to help out the community,” Mellos said.
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Taryn Smith
Taryn Smith ’12 is the captain of the girls JV volleyball team.
“I love volleyball because there is the teamwork aspect, but sometimes it comes down to you, adrenaline pumping, about to spike the ball down onto the other team,” Smith said. Smith took up volleyball as just a hobby in fifth grade, but now it’s more of a passion.
Smith anticipates playing varsity volleyball as a junior and a senior and hopes to play college and maybe play professional in the future, but if she can’t get that far, she wants to coach high school volleyball and share her passion with others.
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Mithila Krishnan
Mithila Krishnan ’10 is an avid member of Impact Club, Valkyries, and this year’s spirit committee. She has a passion for dancing; she’s been involved with the Mary Ellen Studio of Dance for 14 years. Krishnan is also the standing vice president of the Diversity Club, and plans to run as president for the ’09-’10 school year. She said she has high hopes for the upcoming year.
“I look forward to working with the members of Diversity Club to create innovative ideas which hopefully will further unite our school, removing as many negative aspects as possible,” she said.
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Danny D’Hondt
Danny D’Hondt ’11 is the current Junior class president.
“I love getting to know everyone, and participating in school activities,” said D’Hondt.
D’Hondt is a member of the Varsity Lacrosse team and Cross Country team. D’Hondt also participates in German Club and Impact.
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Alexis Cobau
Junior Alexis Cobau is the president of the National Art Honor Society, where she and other members bring artistic awareness to the school. Cobau says the club provides a network for artists to gather and they have a lot planned for the upcoming year.
“We’re planning to go to Chicago and planning a banquet. We’re also talking about varsity letters for art students – choir and band students get them. There are a lot of kids who spend a lot of time in their art classes,” she said.
Cobau also participates in crew at Belle Isle and has a job at Platz Animal Hospital in Grosse Pointe Park where she works as a kennel assistant.
“I’ve never been allowed to have pets so working with animals is kind of like a dream of mine,” she said.
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Alex Beardslee
When things needs doing in the PAC, senior Alex Beardslee is the man to call. Beardslee is the stage manager, and is responsible for making sure that the lights go on, that the curtains open and that everything goes according to plan. He is a lover of cinema, with a passion for screen writing, but also dreams of a career in zoology.
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Kaitlyn Serwach
Kaitlyn Serwach ‘10, was the co-president of last year’s Political Club. She plans to attend Aids Walk Detroit Sept. 20.
“It’s a good way to get involved early in the year, and I’ve always wanted to participate but never got the chance,” Serwach said. On Mondays, Kaitlyn also teaches jazz, tap and ballet at Mary Ellens Studio of Dance. “It’s a reward in itself to teach little kids something I myself have grown to love”.
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