Rachel Howard Named 2020 Clarion Area High School Valedictorian, Nathaniel Lerch Salutatorian (05/29/20)

on 29 May, 2020 at 15:19

(Clarion Area School District release)

Rachel Howard, daughter of Ted and Michele Howard, is this year’s valedictorian of Clarion Area High School Class of 2020.

(Photo Submitted) Clarion Area High School Valedictorian Rachel Howard

Rachel is the president of National Honor Society, secretary of Student Council, and president of the senior class. She was captain of the golf team in the fall and was previously the president of the junior class.

Rachel is a member of Science Olympiad, the Robotics Team, Youth Council, senior high choir and Clarion Singers, the school’s show choir. Prior to her senior year, she was a member of the marching and concert bands.

She has danced for fifteen years, the past seven years with Clarion Center for the Arts, and was a member of the Oil Region Ballet Company Corps de Ballet for five years. Rachel has taken classes in every genre of dance, but has focused her training in ballet and pointe. She has studied and has worked toward her Cecchetti VI exam, the highest level of Cecchetti a student can achieve at CCA. While at CCA, Rachel has served as the Events Chair for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts.

Rachel has been very active with her church throughout her life. For the past six years, she has been a member of the First United Methodist Church Youth Fellowship and a team leader for Vacation Bible School. More recently, she has had an integral role assisting with Kids to Kids, a mission outreach group.

Rachel was a recipient of the Ben Carson Scholars Award for the past two years and the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, and has received the Presidential Excellence Award for the past six years.

Rachel plans to attend Florida Southern College in the fall.

This year’s salutatorian of Clarion Area is Nathaniel Lerch, son of Matt and Tammy Lerch.

(Photo Submitted) Clarion Area High School 2020 Salutatorian Nathaniel Lerch

Nathaniel was a captain of the varsity cross country team and a drum major for the marching band in the fall. He is president of Student Council and a member of National Honor Society. He is also involved in track, concert band, and jazz band.

An accomplished pianist, Nathaniel has taken lessons for the past ten years.

Nathaniel was a recipient of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award.

Nathaniel plans to attend Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California. He will be majoring in chemistry on a pre-medical track.

(CONGRATULATIONS RACHEL AND NATHANIEL!!!!)