CARIBOU , Maine — Caribou High School senior Clara Collins recently received the Principal’s Award, as presented by CHS Principal Mark Jones during a luncheon at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor on April 5.
The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement and citizenship.
“Clara is certainly high achieving, she’s right at the top of her class academically, and she’s just involved in so many pieces here at school,” Jones said. “From the time she walked in as a freshman, you could tell she was engaged and involved and a positive influence in the school,” he added, mentioning that the award recipient is the president of the Student Council, she’s helped out with a couple of blood drives, and is overall a well-rounded kid. “Sports, band, academics — she just goes above and beyond in just about everything she does here at school,” Jones described.
Collins and the other Principal’s Award recipients from high schools across Maine were presented with an individual plaque, and the awarding of five $1,000 scholarships in the names of Horace O. McGowan and Richard W. Tyler — former Maine principals and executive directors of the Maine Principal’s Association, which sponsors the annual scholarship and recognition luncheon.
Originally Collins and Jones were not slated to attend the ceremony, as Collins had made earlier plans to attend an opera at the University of Maine in Orono. When Collins found out that her aunt, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, was going to be the keynote speaker, Clara and Jones adjusted their schedules to attend the event — and Clara even made it to the opera by intermission.
It was an exciting and busy day, but “That’s Clara,” Jones said with a smile.
Clara is the daughter of Sam and Lise Collins, of Caribou.
