VAN BUREN, Maine — Van Buren District Secondary School recently named the 2023 graduating class honor parts.
Elyssa Violette is this year’s valedictorian, Aidan Christopher Stanco is salutatorian and Alec Ayotte is honor essayist.
Violette is the daughter of Brian and Gretchen Violette and has one older sister, Jayde. She is the Principal’s Award recipient, has maintained highest/high honors status throughout her four years of high school and was selected for the Phi Beta Kappa Award.
She has also earned Van Buren’s female Senior Scholar Athlete Award, is the president of the Crusader National Honor Society Chapter, is her class vice president, a student representative on her school’s curriculum and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) committees, and a member of the yearbook committee.
Violette has played varsity soccer for five seasons, lettering at three different schools: Van Buren, Madawaska and Wisdom. She has also participated in tennis and volleyball for several years, this year as team captain.
Over her high school career, she has successfully completed 54 college credits including University of Maine System and ECAP courses through Husson University.
In her spare time, she works as a CNA at the Borderview Rehabilitation and Living Center in Van Buren, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Violette plans to attend Husson University in the fall, where she intends to major in psychology in hopes of becoming a clinical psychologist.
Stanco is the son of Michael Stanco and Jennifer Bresett of Van Buren. He has been a member of the National Honor Society for several years. He recently was able to attend the National Honor Society Convention in Bangor, where he had the opportunity to meet other members from the state of Maine.
He has received the President’s Educational Award Program for Outstanding Academic Excellence since 10th grade. He has consistently made honors, high honors, and highest honors throughout his high school years. He has received numerous awards and honors, most notably a first place in English/Orwell’s World, and Excellence in Chemistry and Human Anatomy.
Stanco has played varsity soccer since eighth grade, being one of the few students to letter in this sport for five years. He also has enjoyed playing high school baseball. He has achieved the ranking of green-black in Ninjutsu.
Aidan has worked on his family fruit and vegetable farm his entire life. He has had multiple responsibilities including planting and maintaining the pumpkin and corn fields, as well as working the blueberry u-pick operation.
Stanco plans to continue to work at the Van Buren Recreation Department upon graduation. He will then attend the University of Maine in Presque Isle this fall, with the plan to obtain his bachelor’s degree in nursing with the goal of becoming a family nurse practitioner.
Ayotte is the son of Chad and Michelle Ayotte, and has four siblings: two sisters, Abby and Gabby, and two brothers, Adam and Andrew.
He has been a part of student senate for all four years of high school, helping to make important decisions within the student body. He dedicates his time to working at Marquis Farms as well as spending time with family and friends.
Despite being invited to join the National Honor Society, he chose to focus on work and his future endeavors.
Ayotte plans to attend Northern Maine Community College this fall, where he intends to go into the electrical construction field.
