Miliano follows sister’s footsteps – all the way to the top of the class (June 13, 2008)
By Emma Bouthillette
Staff Writer
Natalie Miliano is the second child of John and Jan and is the second Miliano valedictorian Gorham High School has seen. In 2006, Miliano’s sister, Anastasia, graduated as valedictorian and on Sunday, Miliano followed in her footsteps to the podium to address the graduating class of 2008.
“I’m so excited about being valedictorian and obviously nervous about giving a speech. It wasn’t really my goal because I’m not into titles,” Miliano said.
Miliano will head to Dartmouth College in the fall with potentially 21 credits already under her belt. During her junior and senior year, she has taken Advanced Placement courses in U.S. history, modern European history, English for junior and senior levels, biology, latin and calculus. She said she passed all the AP tests her junior year and hopes to receive passing grades on this year’s tests.
Miliano is the treasurer on the executive board for the State Youth Council and on the board of Christian education at First Parish UCC in Gorham. During her four years of high school, Miliano played lacrosse and was a member of the math and robotics teams.
“The robotics team receives a challenge in January and is given six weeks to build a robot to perform the challenge. The regional competition at the Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, N.H. It’s really cool. The team is a combination of students from Gorham and Falmouth High Schools. We won a spirit award for the past two years because our shirts are bright pink,” Miliano said.
Miliano has played piano since first grade and the trombone in the school band.
Miliano learned at the end of third quarter that she would be honored as valedictorian.
“When I got home that day, my mom had made me a poster that said ‘Congratulations’ on it,” Miliano said.
As Miliano worked on her speech to address her classmates at Sunday’s graduation, she was encouraged to talk about things she likes.
“I decided to talk about math team. When I think about college, it seems like this big scary place where you don’t know anyone. Math team has taught me you can always make connections. Pretty much, it is a small world – we won’t be on our own,” Miliano said.
Miliano said she realized this because she’s already met someone on another math team going to Dartmouth. Because of that, she said she has made a new group of friends.
Miliano is entering Dartmouth as an engineering major. She plans to work in the engineering field, but said she is keeping her options open. Miliano said one of her favorite subjects in high school was calculus, and she wouldn’t mind being a high school calculus teacher.
Staff Writer
Natalie Miliano is the second child of John and Jan and is the second Miliano valedictorian Gorham High School has seen. In 2006, Miliano’s sister, Anastasia, graduated as valedictorian and on Sunday, Miliano followed in her footsteps to the podium to address the graduating class of 2008.
“I’m so excited about being valedictorian and obviously nervous about giving a speech. It wasn’t really my goal because I’m not into titles,” Miliano said.
Miliano will head to Dartmouth College in the fall with potentially 21 credits already under her belt. During her junior and senior year, she has taken Advanced Placement courses in U.S. history, modern European history, English for junior and senior levels, biology, latin and calculus. She said she passed all the AP tests her junior year and hopes to receive passing grades on this year’s tests.
Miliano is the treasurer on the executive board for the State Youth Council and on the board of Christian education at First Parish UCC in Gorham. During her four years of high school, Miliano played lacrosse and was a member of the math and robotics teams.
“The robotics team receives a challenge in January and is given six weeks to build a robot to perform the challenge. The regional competition at the Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, N.H. It’s really cool. The team is a combination of students from Gorham and Falmouth High Schools. We won a spirit award for the past two years because our shirts are bright pink,” Miliano said.
Miliano has played piano since first grade and the trombone in the school band.
Miliano learned at the end of third quarter that she would be honored as valedictorian.
“When I got home that day, my mom had made me a poster that said ‘Congratulations’ on it,” Miliano said.
As Miliano worked on her speech to address her classmates at Sunday’s graduation, she was encouraged to talk about things she likes.
“I decided to talk about math team. When I think about college, it seems like this big scary place where you don’t know anyone. Math team has taught me you can always make connections. Pretty much, it is a small world – we won’t be on our own,” Miliano said.
Miliano said she realized this because she’s already met someone on another math team going to Dartmouth. Because of that, she said she has made a new group of friends.
Miliano is entering Dartmouth as an engineering major. She plans to work in the engineering field, but said she is keeping her options open. Miliano said one of her favorite subjects in high school was calculus, and she wouldn’t mind being a high school calculus teacher.
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