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IMHS names top seniors for 2022

IRON MOUNTAIN — Iron Mountain High School has announced the top seniors for the graduating Class of 2022.

Commencement ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, May 27, in the IMHS Stadium. Sharing valedictorian honors are Gabrielle Carey, Danika Juul, Lucas Maxon, Isabella Rosenthal and Angel Vanegas-Mendoza. Tony Liu has been named salutatorian.

≤ Gabrielle Lynne Carey is the daughter of Rhonda and Dan Carey of Breitung Township. She has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years, on the Honor Roll all four years and has earned the Michigan Technological University Society of Women Engineers Certificate of Merit.

While at IMHS, Carey has been very active in clubs. She was a four-year member of Student Council, Key Club International, Tri-Hi-Y and the Environmental Club. She was also a member of the Spanish Club and Varsity Club. She served as a Be Nice Ambassador, promoting Mental Health Awareness in the school.

Not only did Carey participate as a member, she sought leadership positions. She served as the Key Club secretary and president; student council public relations representative and vice president; Varsity Club vice president, Spanish Club secretary and was co-chair of Be Nice.

In addition, Carey was a highly motivated athlete. She competed in varsity soccer and varsity cross country all four years of high school as well as being a varsity ski team member for three years and running varsity track for two years. Carey served as co-captain on both the varsity soccer and varsity ski teams her junior and senior year. She was named an All State Academic in Division 1 for cross country her sophomore year. Carey made the 2020 Second Team All UP Skier (boys team) her sophomore year and earned First Team All UP Skier, All Region 4 Skier, Division 2 First Team All-State Slalom and Division 2 Second Team All-State Giant Slalom in both her junior and senior year.

Carey completed these accomplishments while volunteering her time as a seventh-grade math tutor and as a Great Lakes Ski Academy member, Pine Mountain Ski Team member and USSA/FIS alpine skier. Carey plans to pursue a degree in geospatial engineering at Michigan Technological University.

≤ Danika Jane Juul is the daughter of Steve and Tamara Juul of Iron Mountain. She is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and has earned a place on the IMHS Honor Roll for seven consecutive semesters.

Juul was selected to attend the Michigan Youth Leadership conference, sponsored by Michigan State, in her sophomore year. At IMHS, she has been a four-year member of student council, Key Club and Youth Advisory Council, or YAC, as well as being involved with the Spanish Club and Varsity Club for three years. Juul was elected student council president this year and was public relations officer in her junior year. Additionally, she has been Key Club vice president, YAC meeting chair and co-chair, YAC Philanthropy chair and co-chair and Varsity Club president.

Juul has also been active in sports during high school. She played varsity tennis all four years and was UP Champion, Number Two Doubles in 2020 and 2021. She played varsity golf as well and was very involved with competitive figure skating for the past 11 years.

Outside of the classroom, Juul has been active in the community coaching figure skating for the past six years as well as working part-time at Gliks, attending an educational co-op in accounting at Bacco Construction and accumulating more than 560 volunteer hours.

In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends.

Juul has been accepted into the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where she plans to study accounting and data analytics.

≤ Lucas Allen Maxon is the son of Dave Maxon and Katie Maxon of Iron Mountain. He has earned a place on the IMHS Honor Roll for seven consecutive semesters as well as being a member of the IMHS Honor Society for two years and a two-year member of the National Honor Society, this year as the treasurer. Maxon also competed in the Science Olympiad for three years and with Quiz Bowl as well.

He played varsity football and varsity baseball all four years, and was captain on both teams. Maxon was named Football All Conference, All UP Dream Team, West PAC All Conference and MHSFCA Academic All State his senior year.

Other school activities included participating all four years in both the Youth Advisory Committee and Environmental Club, where he was chair this year. Maxon also was in band for three years — including concert, marching, pep and jazz bands — and was section leader for a year.

He was an engineering intern with Trident Maritime Systems and worked as a youth football referee and Little League baseball umpire. In his free time, he enjoys weightlifting, biking and doing construction and landscaping.

Maxon plans to pursue a degree in mining engineering at Michigan Technological University.

≤ Isabella Eve Rosenthal is the daughter of Shannon and Kurt Rosenthal of Breitung Township. At IMHS, she has been active in school clubs including Youth Advisory Committee for five years, Key Club and Varsity Club for two years, and student council, where she was class vice president this year. She is a two-year member of both the Iron Mountain High School Honor Society and National Honor Society. She made the IMHS Honor Roll for seven consecutive semesters. She was a marketing intern at BOSS Snowplow.

Rosenthal played varsity golf for three years and volleyball for four years, serving as team captain her sophomore and senior years. She earned MIVCA Academic All-State honors three years in a row for volleyball, and earned Mid-Peninsula Conference Second Team honors this year. The team also finished as MHSAA District 3 Division Champions this year. Rosenthal has been a competitive figure skater for more than 12 years as well.

She is a talented artist who received much recognition, including the Association of Student Artists Art Student of the Month twice, ASA honor recognition her freshman year, District Kindness Poster contest winner her sophomore year, Graphic Communications Student of the Quarter her junior year, Top Three in Branding, Multipage series, and Illustration/Digital Art in the 2021 Graphic Communications Student Design Competition and receiving the ASA student merit award twice.

Rosenthal has volunteered more than 200 hours of her time, including as a junior figure skating coach.

She plans to pursue a degree in graphic design at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

≤ Angel Ernesto Vanegas-Mendoza is the son of Ernesto Vanegas and Maribel Mendoza of Iron Mountain.

Vanegas-Mendoza participated in varsity soccer for four years as well as varsity track and field for three years. He also was in the IMHS concert band, jazz band and marching band all four years.

Vanegas-Mendoza’s school clubs included the Environmental Club throughout high school, taking part in both Science Olympiad and Quiz Bowl for three years and being a member of the e-sports team and Youth Advisory Committee this year.

Academically, Vanegas-Mendoza is a two-year member of the IMHS Honor Society, has earned the IMHS Academic Excellence award and is a two-year member of the National Honor Society. He has also earned a place on the IMHS Honor Roll for seven consecutive semesters. He was selected to intern with Systems Control.

Vanegas-Mendoza plans to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

≤ Tony KaiXuan Liu, the son of Jun Liu and Junfeng Chu of Iron Mountain, has been named the salutatorian of the Class of 2022. Liu has been on the Iron Mountain Honor Roll for four years. He was first-chair tuba with the IMHS band program.

Additionally, Liu was a member of Environmental Club, Youth Advisory Council, Game Club, Good News Club and competed in the Science Olympiad for four years.

He also participated in varsity track and field his freshman year and was on the e-sports team this year, serving as treasurer. He keeps busy by collecting cards, playing his unique $82 guitar and being a comedian.

Liu plans to pursue a degree in political science at the University of Michigan.

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