Sarah Brown
Two Sweet Home High School seniors have been named valedictorians and one as salutatorian for the school’s graduation ceremonies, scheduled for 7 p.m. on June 8 at Husky Stadium.
The two valedictorians, graduating with a 4.00 grade point average, are Jake Hindmarsh and Sam Somatis. The salutatorian, finishing with a 3.96 GPA, is Ally Tow.
They will lead a class of approximately 135 students.
Valedictorian Jack Hindmarsh
Hindmarsh, 18, is the son of Tim and May Hindmarsh of Sweet Home. He has one sister, Livvie, 20.
During high school he was involved in Leadership, cross country and golf, qualifying for the state championships twice in the latter. He also volunteered with Linn County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.
Hindmarsh enjoys outdoor activities, including skiing and hiking, and said his favorite class in school is math.
“I really like problem solving, trying to see different ways to solve problems and the fastest way to do it,” he said.
He plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz. to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering and participate in Air Force ROTC.
“I’m halfway to my pilot’s license. I really like planes and maneuvering them, so why not build them? I like math and science, too, so I could combine everything I find interesting into one job.”
The most important thing he learned in high school is to work hard, he said, and to learn how to manage homework and sports activities.
Hindmarsh said if he could change something about his high school experience, he would have joined the school’s swim team.
“The program is super good; they get trophies in state every year,” he said. “It can be fun to be part of a successful sports team.”
He said he’d offer the following advice to incoming freshmen: Stay involved.
“Try to find a sport; or if you don’t find any sports interests, try to find a club to join, something to stay involved to keep you in touch with the high school.”
Valedictorian Sam Somatis
Somatis, 18, is the son of Rainier and Caralee Somatis of Sweet Home. He has one sister, Carlie, 20.
During high school he was involved in the National Honor Society, and has volunteered at blood drives and several events through his family’s church.
He enjoys computer coding and seeing where technology will take us in the future, he said.
“I like reading and video games, and sleeping is always good,” he added.
Somatis plans to dual enroll at Linn-Benton Community College and Oregon State University to study computer science.
“I want to go and work in some sort of computer science-related field, such as computer engineering or software,” he said.
From high school, Somatis has taken away the following lesson: “Hard work, definitely, I think is important, but don’t stretch yourself too far, because if you burn out it’s not going to be good. So if you know your limits, work within them, but still work hard.”
But that’s not exactly the advice he’d give to freshman. Instead, Somatis suggests the incoming students refrain from being “obnoxious.”
“Just try to be respectful to the rest of the people, be respectful of the teachers; they’d appreciate it. And maybe get involved with something if you don’t like grades.”
He said a lot of the clubs at the school didn’t hold his interest, but if he could change anything during his time in high school, he’d probably have gotten involved in Key Club.
Salutatorian Ally Tow
Tow, 18, is the daughter of Dan and Michele Tow of Sweet Home. She has two brothers, Justin, 20, and Casey, 16.
She has signed to play volleyball for Linn-Benton Community College and will study general education until she can transfer to a university.
During high school Tow has been involved in Leadership, Key Club, CrossFit Club, volleyball, basketball and softball.
“I love playing volleyball and spending time with my friends,” she said. “I enjoy just being involved with the school, going to other sporting events, cheering people on.”
Her favorite class is “definitely” math. Her father is one of the math teachers at the high school.
“Calculus is really fun,” she said.
Tow said she learned time management in high school, and she wouldn’t change anything about her time there.
“I have enjoyed every part of it. I have been involved in almost everything, I’ve gone to just about anything I can.”
She recommends to the incoming freshmen to work hard and “just don’t act like you’re the best person here.”
Try to enjoy high school, she said, and go to things such as basketball, volleyball and football games. For Tow, it was something she and her friends could do together that they had in common.
“It gives you more to look forward to than just going to class. It’s the fun part of high school. When you go to events like that, you just get to have fun and forget about school.”