North Shore scholars turn pressure into diamonds

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The daily pressures that students face do not intimidate North Shore High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian, Katie Feehan and Donald Ahrens. In fact, the two invite the challenges of a busy school schedule.

“I found it much easier to sit down and do work when I knew that I didn’t have time to waste,” Ahrens said. “It was easier for me to stay to get work done when I had my itinerary filled up for the week.”

Feehan also noted that whenever her schedule was more rigorous and stressful, her grades went up. “I feel that if you have more free time to yourself, you’re not going to use it well,” she said. “I saw myself doing better because I was able to focus more, and I knew that I had to complete my work.”

Feehan, 18, and Ahrens, 17, finished with grade point averages of 102.7 and 102.6, respectively, while managing to balance their academic and extracurricular activities. Feehan is an Irish step dancer who has competed in national contests. She also teaches dance classes for children and served as the yearbook editor since her sophomore year.

Ahrens was co-captain of the varsity lacrosse team and vice-captain of the hockey team. In his spare time, he coaches PAL lacrosse.

Both students said that time management is the key to success in high school. “It really comes down to blocking out a period of time, putting your phone or laptop aside, and doing the necessary work,” Ahrens said.

Both also said they were humbled and shocked to be recognized as the top students in their class. They credited North Shore’s supportive atmosphere.

“It’s always been a supportive community here,” Feehan said. “While we all strive to do our best, we’re not striving to be better than one another. It’s never been cutthroat between us.”

“I don’t think our focus was ever to finish one or two,” Ahrens said. “It was more so to help each other understand the concepts more. Everyone wanted to contribute, and I was willing to do the same.”

They added that their teachers played roles in their success as well. “Our teachers are some of the nicest people that I’ve ever met in my life,” Feehan said. “They helped us to make a smooth transition from grade to grade. They also preached analytical thinking, which helped me grow as a person.”

Ahrens explained that the relationships he developed with his teachers allowed him to excel. “It was all about the conversations that I had with them outside of class,” he said. “We learned about their interests, and they took the time to do the same for us. That’s when we learned the most.”

Both students also shared the same sentiments when they reflected on their years at the high school. In their graduation speeches, they both plan to touch on what they took away from their experiences at North Shore.

“In life, you’re gonna go far, and if you do it right, you’ll love where you are — just know that wherever you go, you can always come home,” Feehan said, quoting Jason Mraz’s song “93 Million Miles.”

Ahrens’s speech will focus on individuality. “All of my friends had different qualities,” he said, “but we all complemented each other, and I think that’s an important thing for people to understand as they grow up.”

Feehan will attend the University of Notre Dame. Ahrens will attend Yale University, where he will continue his lacrosse career.