Mark S. Reaser is valedictorian of the graduating class at Thornton Academy. He's known for his athletic success: In the fall of 2008, Reaser was featured on Bruce Glasier's Varsity Club which airs on WCSH Channel 6. He played football, wrestling and lacrosse all four years of high school; served as captain of the wrestling team for four years and as captain of the football and lacrosse teams as a senior; and received all-conference honors from the Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA) in wrestling and football. Reaser was also active with academic groups like French Club and German Club, both of which he was a member of as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was in the Mentoring Club as a junior and senior and was a member of National Honor Society. Reaser won the Maine Principals' Award, the Rensselaer Award and the Saint Michael's College Book Award. In addition, he was named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program and was a semi-finalist in the Coca-Cola National Scholarship Program. Reaser plans to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. His parents are Richard and Christine Reaser of Dayton.

Jeffrey Michael Banville represented his fellow classmates on Thornton Academy's Student Council as a sophomore, junior and senior. He participated in service activities through the group and also gave back to the community working as a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and as a Little League umpire. Banville is a member of the National Honor Society. He was in the Outdoor Adventure Club during his freshman year and took up several new activities as a senior by joining the Spanish Club and taking part in Outdoor Track. Banville plans to attend Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, and wants to major in accounting. His parents are Michael and Sherrie Gilbert Banville of Dayton.

Marc Beauchemin was captain of the cross country team this past school year. He participated in the sport all four years of his high school career, and as a junior was chosen as an SMAA cross country all-star first team member. He participated in other athletic activities at Thornton Academy, including outdoor track and swimming/diving his senior year and indoor track his freshman and junior years. He received an SMAA all-academic award as a senior for swimming and cross country. Beauchemin also participated in community service activities as a member of National Honor Society; he was a Science Olympiad as a sophomore, junior and senior; and he joined the Math Club as a senior. His awards include the St. Anselm's Book Award, the Pulp and Paper Foundation Scholarship which gives him full tuition to the University of Maine at Orono, and a Presidential Scholar Award, also from UMO. Beauchemin plans to attend the Honors College at the University of Maine in Orono and will study chemical engineering. His parents are Judy and Jay Beauchemin of Saco.

Brittany Cain has shown her flair for the creative as a member of Anime Club, which she participated in all four years at Thornton Academy. She was also in several academic groups including the Chinese Club as a senior and the Spanish Club as a junior. She has given back to the community through her participation in National Honor Society as a senior and Interact Club as a sophomore. In addition, she has mentored elementary school students and in her senior year joined the Gay/Straight Alliance. Cain plans to attend the University of New England and wants to major in pharmacy. Her parents are Tara Nelson-Yeackel of Saco and Steven Cain of South Portland.

Shannon Folsom has pursued interests in both theater and music at Thornton Academy. She was in Drama Club for four years and had a starring role in two musicals. She took part in Chorus and Treble Choir all four years of high school; Chamber Singers as a sophomore, junior and senior; and Chamber Orchestra as a freshman and sophomore. She was also a member of National Honor Society. Intrigued by scholarship opportunities, Folsom has found success competing in beauty pageants. She became Miss Maine's Outstanding Teen in fall 2008, performed during a preliminary round of the Miss America Pageant earlier this year, and placed as third runner-up in the National Sweet Teen Pageant. She has won the Jeff Christenbury Award, the St. Lawrence University Award for Community Commitment, and Miss Maine's Outstanding Teen Scholarship & Community Service Award. In addition, she received scholarships as a result of winning both the Cortland Rotary Past Presidents Community Service Award and Amway Global's Maine Teen Wellness Leader Award. Folsom plans to attend the Honors College at the University of Maine in Orono, where she wants to study biology. Her parents are Edmund and Lauren Folsom of Saco.

Rubie Gaudette was president of National Honor Society in 2008-09 and was a Class Officer in her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was on Student Council for four years, serving as its vice president her junior year and as a representative her sophomore and senior years. Gaudette also joined Interact Club as a freshman, sophomore and junior. She was a representative for Interact as a junior and involvement with that group allowed her to perform community service locally. Gaudette joined the indoor track team her freshman and sophomore years and took part in outdoor track her freshman year. She's been dancing for 15 years, most recently at City Dance in Biddeford. She made it to the finals of Maine's Got Talent with her hip-hop team and performed with Dance Company at Thornton in her senior year. In addition, Gaudette has participated in martial arts for the past eight years and tested for a second-degree black belt in May. She completed 20 hours of community service at Bush Brooks Farm in Biddeford as part of testing for her first-degree black belt in 2005, and she's a Dartmouth College Book award winner. Gaudette plans to attend the University of Southern Maine and wants to study statistics and dance. Her parents are Lucille and Donald Gaudette of Arundel.

John W. Gilboy is the student-selected speaker for Thornton Academy's 2009 graduation ceremony and winner of the DAR Good Citizen Award from the Rebecca Emery Chapter of the American Daughters of the Revolution. He was vice president of National Honor Society and was a Science Olympiad in his sophomore, junior and senior years. He was Class Officer as a sophomore and junior, joined Interact Club as a junior and senior, and served on the Student Council for four years. This allowed him to take part in a variety of community service projects. Gilboy showed much promise in athletic pursuits as well, taking part in football, indoor track and outdoor track for four years each. He was co-captain of both the football and indoor track teams as a senior, and he was a volunteer shot put coach at Saco Middle School. He competed as a semi-finalist for the Fitzpatrick Trophy. In addition, he received SMAA all-academic awards in football and track, and in December, he was named part of the Portland Press Herald's All-State Football defensive team. Gilboy will attend Colby College. He plans to major in biochemistry and wants to continue playing football and track. His parents are John and Venus Gilboy of Saco.

Kendall Hatch has graced the Harry P. Garland II Auditorium stage at Thornton Academy for both theatrical productions and music concerts. She was in Drama Club her sophomore, junior and senior years and had parts in "Footloose," "Midsummer Night's Dream" and "West Side Story." Hatch was in Chorus for four years; Treble Choir for four years; and the Chamber Singers her sophomore, junior and senior years. As a member of the National Honor Society she took part in many community service projects. She's enthusiastic about Earth Day and each year cleans up litter in ditches, walking trails, sidewalks and beaches on the holiday. Hatch has her first and second degree black belts in karate. She has won a Certificate of Merit form the Society of Women Engineers, the St. Michael's Book Award, and the College of the Holy Cross Book Award. In addition, she received the National Latin Exam's Cum Laude Award as a sophomore for her performance on the Latin II test and the Magna Cum Laude Award as a senior for her performance on the Latin III/IV Poetry test. Hatch plans to attend Colby College and wants to major in classical language while continuing to study voice and theater. Her parents are Rhonda and Jonathan Hatch of Saco.

Tyler Lauzon has great interest in language: He was in the Classics Club at Thornton Academy for four years and served as consul of the group as a senior. In 2007, he was Maine's first place winner in the Classical Association of New England Writing Contest. He competed in Academic Decathlon and joined the Math Club this past year. He was in Anime Club as a sophomore, junior and senior. He served as a Class Officer and Student Council representative as a senior. Lauzon was also in National Honor Society. Outside of school, he has been involved with karate for 10 years, and last year he began grappling, which is often used in martial arts. His community service activities include volunteering at a local soup kitchen monthly in 2006. Lauzon plans to attend Colby College and is thinking about teaching English, history or the classics. His parents are Richard Lauzon and Patricia Martel of Saco.

Kassaundra Ricker was editor of Tripod, Thornton Academy's yearbook, as both a junior and senior. She is a member of NHS and has taken part in a variety of community service activities through that group. Ricker set up a collection of pet food donated to the Animal Welfare Society. She has been involved with a number of musical groups, taking part in Chorus all four years, the Chamber Singers her senior year and Treble Choir her sophomore and junior years. Ricker was on Student Council for four years, serving as Class President her freshman year and Class Vice President her sophomore year. She was in the Mentoring Club as a junior and participated in indoor track as a freshman and junior. She won the Smith College Book Award in 2008. Ricker plans to attend the University of Maine at Farmington and wants to study secondary education with a concentration in English in order to become an English teacher. Her parents are Howard and Lisa Ricker of Saco.