Meet Taunton High School's Top 10 Graduates of 2022
TAUNTON — The following students are graduating from Taunton High School at the academic top of the senior class.
1. Kyanna Barros
Valedictorian Kyanna Barros, daughter of John and Antonieta Barros, is a remarkable student-athlete who completed nine Advanced Placement classes and earned the College Board’s AP Scholar with Distinction Award. She received the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Certificate of Academic Excellence. A two-time recipient of Massachusetts Region III Science Fair Honorable Mention accolades and third place winner of the Taunton High School Science Fair, Kyanna also earned Honorable Mention on the National Spanish Exam. Captain of the Girl's Basketball team, she received the Hockomock League Scholar-Athlete Award. Kyanna served as the Community Service Coordinator of the National Honor Society and was also a member of the International Club and the Bridge to STEM Employment program. Her commitment to community service is evident in her volunteer work with Taunton Parks, Cemeteries and Public Grounds and with St. Anthony’s Parish. Kyanna is a first-generation college student who will be attending Brown University in the fall, where she will study Biomedical Engineering.
2. Samuel Schumacher
Salutatorian Samuel Schumacher, son of Richard and Candice Schumacher, is an exceptional student who completed six Advanced Placement classes and earned the AP Scholar Award. A National Merit Scholarship Finalist & Recipient, he earned numerous first-place awards at the Region III Science Fair and garnered several special recognitions, including the Office of Naval Research Naval Science Award, Bristol Community College Foundation Award, Broadcom Foundation Certificate of Recognition, Certificate of Outstanding Achievement from Mu Alpha Theta, Intel Excellence in Computer Science Awards, UMass Dartmouth Physics Alumni Council Award, Kenneth J. Perry Memorial Award, and the Society of Safety Engineers Award. He achieved three National Latin Exam Gold Medals (summa cum laude) and this year was named the Southeastern Massachusetts Conference Mathematics League Mathlete of the Year. A competitor in the Medical Math field of SkillsUSA, Samuel has accumulated two silver medals and one gold medal at district competitions, and a gold medal at the state conference. He will be competing in the SkillsUSA National Conference in Atlanta in June. Samuel is President of the Programming Club and Vice-President of the National Honor Society and has volunteered as a tutor with the Wave Learning Festival. Samuel will be attending Northeastern University in the fall, where he plans to study Computer Science.
3. Nicole Drake
Nicole Drake, daughter of Alfred and Cindy Drake. Nicole completed an impressive seven Advanced Placement courses and achieved the AP Scholar with Distinction honor. She was awarded the South Coast Education Collaborative Superintendent’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Certificate of Academic Excellence. A member of the National Honor Society, Nicole is the Founder and President of the Amnesty International Club, Secretary of the Class Council, and President of the Student Advisory Committee, serving as an ex-officio member of the School Committee. Nicole is a leader in the THS DECA program, serving as an officer and two-year DECA International Competition Qualifier. In 2021 she was a Top 20 Finalist at the DECA International Career Development Conference. Her volunteer work includes serving as a Junior Animal Caretaker at the National Marine Life Center and as a Junior Achievement High School Hero. A dancer, pianist, and vocalist, Nicole will bring her academic and creative talents to Boston College in the fall, where she will study Neuroscience on the pre-medical track.
4. Kayla Parrett
Kayla Parrett, daughter of Keith and Tania Parrett, is a superior student who completed six Advanced Placement courses and earned the College Board’s AP Scholar with Honor distinction as well as the National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student honor. Throughout her career at Taunton High School, she has accumulated numerous science awards, including several first-place finishes at the Massachusetts Region III Science Fair, the David R. Vito Award in Micro-Molecular Biology, the Moderna 2rd Place Prize at the Massachusetts State Science Fair, and the U.S. Air Force Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding STEM Project. She is a Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist and MA State Delegate, as well as the recipient of the National School Development Council Award for Academic Growth and Student Leadership in Learning. Dedicated to advancing opportunities for minority women in STEM, Kayla is on the Advisory Board of the National Girls Collaborative Project. At THS, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership as a member of the varsity tennis and swim teams, President of Key Club and Model UN, and Secretary of the National Honor Society and the NextGenMed club. She earned the Key Club Single Service Project Award in the New England and Bermuda District and volunteers through the Interact Club and at Our Daily Bread. In the fall, Kayla will be attending Harvard University, where she plans to study Molecular and Cellular Biology.
5. Nicholas Carvalho
Nicholas Carvalho, son of Alessandro and Lisa Carvalho, completed a remarkable eight Advanced Placement courses and earned the College Board’s AP Scholar with Honor distinction. Nicholas has also been recognized as a National Hispanic Scholar. He is a member of the Wrestling team as well as the National Honor Society and Bridge to STEM Employment program. His achievements as a member of the THS DECA program are impressive: he is a top scorer on both the district and state levels, earned 1st, 5th, and 6th place finishes at the DECA District Conference and is a DECA State Champion. Nicholas explored his interests in engineering as an intern at Depuy Synthes and shared his academic talents with other students as a member of the Wave Learning Festival. Nicholas will be attending the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the fall, where he will major in Mechanical Engineering.
6. Emily Kiker
Emily Kiker, daughter of Jackson and Karla Kiker, who completed four Advanced Placement courses and was named an AP Scholar. Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and has volunteered with Coaching for Change and as an assistant teacher at Spotlight Dance Studio. She has refined her considerable creative talents during her career at THS as a member of the Drama Club and the Broadcasting Program. Emily’s work on Tiger TV and with the SkillsUSA program has garnered her numerous accolades, including first-place finishes at the Skills USA district competition and a third-place finish at the Skills USA state competition. She received an honorable mention for editing and photography from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) and this year has been nominated for awards in five NATAS categories. In the fall, Emily will attend Jacksonville University, where she intends to major in Biology on the pre-medical track.
7. Alec Rego
Alec Rego, son of Kevin and Kristen Greene Rego, is a remarkably well-rounded student, who completed four Advanced Placement courses and was named an AP Scholar and National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student by the College Board. Alec is a member of the National Honor Society and earned a Silver Medal on the National Spanish Exam. An athlete, musician, and mathematician, he captained the cross-country team and was Drum Major for the Marching Band and lead trumpet in the Symphonic Band. Alec attained numerous awards for his math prowess as a member of the Math Team and the Skills USA competition team, including Southeastern Conference Mathematics League three-year Conference All-Star and three-year medalist (silver/bronze) on the Skills USA Math Exam. He was also a three-year participant in the Skills USA Leadership Conference and has appeared in numerous productions at Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. Alec will attend Northwestern University in the fall, double-majoring in Theatre and Mathematics.
8. Lauren Iolli
Lauren Iolli, daughter of Gino and Donna Iolli, is a distinguished student, Lauren completed six Advanced Placement classes and earned the College Board’s AP Scholar Award. She has excelled in the study of Latin, winning two gold medals and one silver medal on the National Latin Exam and serving as Secretary of the Latin Club. A true student-leader, Lauren is Treasurer of the National Honor Society and earned the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Future Women Leaders in STEM Award. She also completed the 2020 MA Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Seminar. Lauren combined her leadership skills with her love of music as a member of the Symphonic and Jazz bands, the flute choir, and as Senior President of the Band Council and Co-lead of the band mentoring program, where she mentored students and coordinated lessons between middle school and high school band students. She is a member of the cross-country and track teams and participated in the Skills USA competition. Her commitment to service is evident in her work as an executive board member with the Interact Club and volunteer with the Taunton Summer Track Series. In the fall, Lauren will study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
9. Ariba Khan
Ariba Khan, daughter of Mahmud and Aesha Khan, completed two Dual Enrollment courses and six Advanced Placement courses, earning the AP Scholar with Honor distinction. She won first place in the New England and Bermuda Key Club Social Media Contest and gold and silver medals on the National Latin Exam. Ariba is a leader in many student organizations, including President of the Interact Club, Co-President of the Latin Club, Historian of the National Honor Society, Treasurer of the Programming Club, and Publicity Coordinator of Key Club. When not engaged in community service activities, Ariba is dedicated to refining and sharing her musical talents as Founder of the Double Reed Choir and as a Mentor with the Band Council. She is also a member of the Jazz Band, Flute Choir, Color Guard, Drama Club, and Math Team. Ariba will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the fall, where she plans to study Computer Science.
10. Darian Siembab
Darian Siembab, son of Greg Siembab and Valerie Hart, completed an impressive seven Advanced Placement courses and earned the AP Scholar with Honor Award. Darian has excelled in all academic areas, but most notably in Computer Programming. Through the Skills USA program, he achieved a gold medal in computer programming at the district competition and a bronze medal in computer programming at the state competition. In addition to Skills USA, Darian is a member of the Math Team, Technology Club, and is Vice President of the Programming Club. Darian plans to attend the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he will study Computer Science.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Meet Taunton High School's Top 10 Graduates of 2022
