North Shore's salutatorian says goodbye to high school

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North Shore High School senior Perry Kleemann had some big shoes to fill when his older sister Emma was named salutatorian for her class in 2016, that was until he too was bestowed with the title for this year’s graduating class.

“It is no surprise to see Perry rise to the top,” said Susan Soltis, Kleemann’s former English teacher. “He is kind, thoughtful, insightful, hard-working, and conscientious to a fault.”

Soltis regarded the salutatorian as “driven to succeed,” which was evident from his years growing up in competitive swimming. A wonder with the water followed him in his academics since biology is his favorite school subject.

Before crossing the stage to receive his diploma on Friday, Kleemann sat down with the Herald Gazette to recall the last four years at North Shore, and to discuss what the future holds for him at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Herald Gazette: Could you briefly describe your experience at North Shore?

Perry Kleemann: When I started high school, I was more like a spectator in class. I swam competitively outside for my whole life and sophomore year I dropped it and I thought, “What do I do now?” But by coming to North Shore I was able to find my passions for the humanities fields. I joined Yearbook, Rho Kappa, and I found myself in my own personal interests within the curriculum.

HG: What was your favorite memory from high school?

PK: I would say junior year even though it was so tough. That’s when I joined all the clubs and I had my favorite teachers of all time. [John Maus’s] class kept us on our toes because it was so crazy, but at the same time we were learning a ton. I had Nancy Cunningham for biology, and her class simulated what I want to do in the future because we were open to do experiments. It was probably one of my favorite experiences.

HG: Could you offer a sneak peek of your graduation speech?

PK: When I heard my sister speak, she spoke a lot about having an open mind while staying true to yourself and focusing on your own personal development. Back in February my grandmother passed away, and I realized I wanted to write about how we’ve all been shaped from our experiences with our friends and our families in this area. And that when we go off to college we won’t lose sight of who we are, and who has shaped and influenced our lives. I want to highlight how you should hold onto those people and stay in touch and remember where you came from.

HG: What will you miss the most from your time at North Shore?

PK: This year allowed me to take a step back and see the bigger picture. I’m really going to miss seeing familiar faces all the time and doing the same thing. Right now, I’m like, “I’m so ready to go to college, meet new people, do new things.” But once I get there I know I’m going to look back and miss being here. This is like a second home.

HG: What are your anticipations for college?

PK: I’m going in taking biology and math classes because they were my favorite subjects in high school. But as far as careers, I’m just going to go in, see what I like and enjoy, and wherever I land that’s where I’m going to want to be in life, because it’s what I’m going to want to do.