By Bradlee Dowling & Sienna Lamond, ’26

Co-editor in Chief and Staff Writer

This year, The Hawk has profiled some of the truly special students in the Class of 2026. Each issue, we’ve asked several seniors about their Hanover High School experience to get to know a little bit more about them before they head off into the world. The chosen seniors showcase excellence, whether as a team captain, award winner, club leader, or academic achiever. Read our previous profiles at Senior Spotlight.

This is the final issue of Senior Spotlight! For this issue, you’re getting to meet the students who have been behind this series: Sienna Lamond and Bradlee Dowling. Additionally, two outstanding senior students, Class President Ava Khouri and likely Valedictorian Alana Cole, are featured as well. It has been a joy to write about these incredible seniors. It’s no surprise that these exceptional students are just a few of many outstanding academics, athletes, and performers. Every single one of the graduating seniors deserves admiration for their accomplishments throughout their distinguished high school careers. We at The Hawk are so proud of you and all your future endeavors. We know you have so much to offer this world, and we are excited to see you fly the nest.

Ava Khouri

Although she transferred a lot of childhood activities to high school, she also left her comfort zone to join Debate Team. This helped her in building confidence and communicating more effectively.

“It taught me to be a much better communicator and strengthened my public speaking skills exponentially,” she said.

Beyond the academic environment, another achievement that few seniors can claim is that she is an aspiring author. Her upcoming children’s book titled “The Apple of My Pie” will see the light of day in 2026. It draws on a writing project from elementary school that her father kept and her work promoting tolerance with the Playbook Initiative in Hanover. This program, which Ava counts as one of her greatest successes, promotes discussions on topics such as racism and discrimination among middle schoolers.

“This experience has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “I’ve seen students feel more empowered to lead as upstanders and bridge builders for inclusion.”

She intends to enroll in the University of Notre Dame and major in Business Management at the Mendoza College of Business. She added that through leadership roles, community service, and internship programs, high school helped form her career objectives.

When she talked about her experience in high school, she mentioned how much she loved being a senior because of all the memories she made with her peers. There is only one thing she would carry with her beyond high school, which is the idea of taking chances by leaving her comfort zone.

Alana Cole

Alana has lived in Hanover her entire life.  In elementary and middle school, Alana always used to dance . . . and she still does! “I started dancing when I was two and a half and have been ever since.” Out of all the styles of dance Alana does, her favorites are contemporary and hip-hop. In high school, Alana joined Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Throughout elementary and middle school, she disliked science, often preferring English, Math, and Social Studies. “I was convinced I would become a lawyer,” she shares. Years later, however, she’s discovered a real passion not just for STEM but for helping others. Through HOSA, she has been able to explore her budding interest in STEM/Health careers. Her favorite elementary and middle school activity was the annual school musical. Since she was in 2nd grade, Alana has taken part in each school production, including Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, and Frog and Toad. She loved performing onstage so much that over the summer, she would do shows with FACE, and even took the opportunity to sing in talent shows like Hanover’s Got Talent. “As I got older and busier, I stopped participating in theater,” she says, “and I definitely miss it so much!”

Alana’s favorite high school class was AP Chemistry with Mrs. Parry. “It was one of the first APs I took, and it was hard, but I loved learning about the subject so much, and Mrs. Parry quickly became one of my favorite teachers due to her kindness and helpful nature,” she explains. The course made her realize that she wanted to major in biochemistry. She says she formed great friendships through AP Chemistry that continued through her other AP science classes.

Her favorite high school activity has been being a Delegate on the Southeastern Massachusetts Association of Student Councils (SEMASC) executive board. “When I campaigned last year, I had no idea I would actually be elected into such an incredibly collaborative and encouraging group,” she says. She describes how working together with other board members from across southeastern Massachusetts has been a wonderful experience that she’s loved every second of. After high school, Alana plans on majoring in Course 5-7 (Biology and Chemistry) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After college, she hopes to go back to school to earn a PhD in Cell Biology and Genetics so she can work as a cancer researcher. “I realized I wanted to be a scientific researcher in 8th grade, but high school really solidified my career goals as I took classes like AP Biology and AP Chemistry,” she adds. 

One accomplishment, beyond being accepted into the best university in the world, is winning the Southeastern Massachusetts Debate League finals. She has competed on the Debate Team for the past four years with her partner, Abbey Corbo, as an affirmative team. “During my freshman year, I lost every single debate,” she recalls. “Each year after, we kept improving until finally this year we won the entire competition! As the top varsity debaters in the whole league, I was so proud of how far we’d come since our very first season!” Something people may not know about Alana is that she is still a Girl Scout! Since kindergarten, she’s been in a Girl Scout troop, and now she is the oldest and last Girl Scout at her level in Hanover. “As I’ve gotten older, I don’t earn badges anymore. Instead, I spend my time volunteering with other troops when I can and keeping traditions like the Flag Ceremony alive.”

“Although it’s probably cliché, my favorite year of high school has been this year, my senior year,” she confesses. She explains how this year has been the best way to conclude her high school career. She finally joined Vox, made friends across the region through SEMASC, and worked hard on her schoolwork while also prioritizing hanging out with her friends. She admits that she is excited to move on from Hanover High School, but extremely happy that she’s had such a phenomenal final year. If Alana could go back and do anything differently, she would’ve joined a vocal ensemble as a freshman instead of as a senior. “Music has always played such an important role in my life, and while I took piano and guitar classes as an underclassman, it still took me three years to join Vox, and that’s probably what I regret the most.” Above getting the opportunity to sing in a choir, Alana loves how the HHS Music Department is the most kind, supportive, and welcoming community. She is so grateful to have spent this past year getting closer to and making new friends through music.

One lesson Alana has taken away from high school is to, “be uncomfortable” whether that means you take rigorous classes, have extremely overscheduled weeks, or find opportunities that push you outside your comfort zone. She has learned that sitting with feelings of discomfort is what has enabled her to grow into the best version of herself. And, “it enables you to be the best version of yourself.”

Sienna Lamond

Sienna has worked for The Hawk newspaper for several years and has been active in the business club, DECA. In fact, she will be competing in the international competition with her partner, Brianna Adams, later this month. Among all of these activities, her favorite has been Vox, which is the selective choir at Hanover. “Starting the morning off with a group of girls who love to sing and make music has made my senior year beyond enjoyable,” she said.

Aside from music and theatre, she also found new interests in her high school life, such as volleyball and rugby. She admits that she never thought she could play those two sports when she was young.

Outside of school, Sienna takes care of children. She also takes dance classes and acts with Onstage School of Performing Arts; performs backstage work for Anderson Anderdaughter Children’s Theater; and even participated in children’s theater rehearsals for her NHS senior service project. She is truly one of Hanover’s most community-centered individuals. 

Combining both of her interests, her plans after graduating include both these aspects as she pursues her BFA in Musical Theater at Syracuse University! 

“Do things for you,” she said. “Take classes separate from your friends. Do extracurriculars you care about. This is the time you need to discover who you want to be.”

She said one of the things she is most proud of is becoming President of Tri-M and Vox, along with all of her accomplishments in DECA. 

Reflecting on past years, she believes her junior year was the best since she got to take classes she enjoyed and made lifelong friendships. She said she would only wish to tell herself that she didn’t have to be perfect at everything. 

Bradlee Dowling

Bradlee came to Hanover Public Schools from Weymouth in the 6th grade. In elementary and middle school, Bradlee loved taking pictures of everything. “Documenting my life has been one of my favorite hobbies for as long as I can remember, and it’s something I’ve definitely carried with me into high school,” he shares. When Bradlee got to high school, he started writing for the school newspaper, The Hawk. This was a new experience for him, and he has enjoyed the time he’s spent as a writer and Editor in Chief. In middle school, Bradlee used to read much more than he does now. “I definitely miss it,” he confesses, “and I wish I had more time to get back into it.”

His favorite high school class has been AP English Language and Composition with Mrs. Abban. He explains that, “every day felt different and engaging, and the class environment was both fun and thought-provoking.” He enjoyed that Mrs. Abban pushed him to think deeply while still maintaining a light and enjoyable class environment. His favorite high school activity has been going to sporting events, “being a part of the class that won the hockey state championship made those experiences even more special.”

After graduating high school, Bradlee plans to attend college, though he’s still deciding where to go. He wants to study nursing, and eventually specialize in aesthetics. He believes high school has influenced these goals; “being surrounded by motivated, curious students has pushed me to work harder and aim higher in my own future.” One accomplishment Bradlee is proud of is co-founding the Career Club with fellow senior Isabella Reed in their sophomore year. He describes how, “we were both unsure about our future career paths, so we created a space where students could explore different options together.” In the end, the club was a successful place where students could explore different interests and support each other as they discovered their passions. Outside of school, Bradlee enjoys watching movies. “I kind of wish I could watch every movie ever made,” he adds.

His favorite year of high school was by far sophomore year. He explains how it was a perfect balance of academic pressure and free time, “not as overwhelming as freshman year, and without the pressure of SATs or college applications that come later with junior and senior year.” If he could do high school over again, he says he “would put [himself] out there more from the beginning.” He began opening up to people later on, and formed meaningful relationships that he wished he made earlier. To conclude, Bradlee’s high school takeaway is, “be mindful about what you share and who you share it with. Not everything needs to be said, and being more intentional with your words can save you from a lot of unnecessary drama.”