All posts by Bradlee Dowling

Senior Spotlight: Highlighting Members of the Class of ’26

February 6, 2026 Bradlee Dowling 1 Comment

By Bradlee Dowling & Sienna Lammond, ’26

Co-editor in Chief and Staff Writer

This year, The Hawk will profile some of the truly special students in the Class of 2026. Each issue, we’ll ask 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.

Haley Ray

Haley Ray has been in Hanover schools since preschool, so she’s fully grown up here. One thing that has remained constant throughout her time here has been sports. Haley has been playing soccer and basketball since elementary school and has continued doing so throughout her entire time at Hanover High School. Although she does not do as much art and crafting as she did in middle school, one thing that she definitely learned in high school has been confidence. As she got older, she became less shy and more comfortable in class.

Her favorite class was history, specifically her sophomore year with Mr. Perry. Having it first period made it easier to wake up in the mornings, especially since Mr. Perry had such enthusiasm and excitement for the subject every day. Aside from her academic life, Haley’s favorite moments in high school involved attending pep rallies! She has enjoyed watching her classmates compete, cheering them on, and having school spirit. One of her proudest moments is when she made it into the National Honor Society this year.

Outside of school, Haley is currently working at Playa Bowls in Hanover. When looking ahead, Haley is planning on going to college and studying business. Haley’s favorite years of high school were her sophomore year and her senior year. If she had the chance to go back and do her high school experience all over again, she would take more challenging courses and join more clubs. The most important lesson from life so far is that you should not take your time for granted because high school flies by much faster than you think.

Jameson Bryan

Jameson Bryan has been in Hanover schools all her life! One thing that she has always done from elementary through middle school and even now is doodling on her papers. What has changed for Jameson from elementary to high school is how she feels about school. In high school, she has taken school much more seriously and studied much harder than she had ever before. She says she definitely misses not having to think about grades!

Her favorite teacher is Mrs. P because she is always so welcoming and encouraging, which has made a huge difference for Jameson’s outlook on the school environment. Outside of the classroom, Jameson’s favorite high school activity has been field hockey. She also plays lacrosse and works during the week, and something she is especially proud of is her ability to balance school, sports, work and life.

Planning to attend college next year, Jameson says she has learned a lot from high school, especially about the importance of hard work and responsibility. This will surely stick with her in the future. Jameson’s favorite year of high school has been senior year. If Jameson had a chance to redo her years at HHS, she would have done a few things differently. For example, she would have gotten more involved in clubs and would have tried a little harder in freshman year. Jameson learned one big thing from high school: not to take everything too seriously and to enjoy the little things in life.

Bryan Collins

Bryan Collins moved to Hanover from Weymouth just before starting kindergarten. Back in elementary and middle school, Bryan had a deep passion for Boston sports. Throughout high school he has stayed true to his favorite teams: the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and Bruins.

At HHS, Bryan found interest in business. “Before hgih school, the aspect of business kind of seemed boring to me. But after taking a couple of accounting classes with Mrs. P, I realized that there are so many interesting ways that business can be used.” This realization led him to DECA, a business club at HHS. There, his passion for business flourished as he competed at the district conference in January with his partner Leo Galvin and qualified fo rthe state competition in March.

Once he entered high school, Bryan let go of playing baseball. He shares that he misses it but never enough to pick it back up. “However,” he adds, “I did decide that this spring I will be managing our varsity baseball team to revive that old interest of mine.”

Bryan’s favorite class that he’s taken in high school is Sports and Society with Mr. Molloy. “This has been my favorite class because one of my biggest passions is sports and every single day our class goes into deep conversation about what is going on in the sports world and how sports everywhere are affecting our society.” His favorite teacher is Señora Curtis. He has taken her Spanish classes the past three years, from college prep Spanish 3 to AP Spanish 5. “I was not the best Spanish student going into her class a few years ago,” he confesses, “but the confidence she had in me to keep improving by far makes her my favorite teacher in the whole entire school.”

Bryan’s favorite high school activities he’s taken part in have been football, basketball, DECA, “and Bible Club with Sam Light.” After high school, Bryan will attend Xavier University. There, he will major in finance and minor in sports management. “High school has influenced my choice of a future career path because of the many business opportunities I have engaged in here, along with the strong sports atmosphere we have at the school.” His proudest accomplishment thus far? “Advancing to states in the DECA competition,” he says.

One thing people may not know about Bryan is his active community engagement with IMPACT Sports. “With IMPACT, I have been able to teach children with disabilities how to play basketball.” He explains that this is one of his favorite out-of-school activities, “since mentoring these kids always brightens my week.”

His favorite year of high school has been senior year. He describes, “the best part of senior year has not even hit and I have been having the most fun!” If given the opportunity to do high school over again, the only thing he would change would be procrastinating much less. And finally, one lesson Bryan has learned during high school is that, “overthinking can ruin any aspirations you have if you don’t just go for it.”

Senior Spotlight

Senior Spotlight: Highlighting Members of the Class of ’26

December 19, 2025 Bradlee Dowling 1 Comment

By Bradlee Dowling and Sienna Lamond, ’26

Editor in Chief and Staff Writer

Samuel Light

Samuel Light has lived in Hanover his whole life, and over the years he’s built a very impactful high school experience. Sam has always loved athletics; he started out playing basketball and baseball in elementary school, and those sports have stuck with him ever since. Even now, he’s just as involved and says that going to games or playing in them himself has been one of his favorite parts of school.

High school also has given Sam the chance to explore other parts of his life. Over the past few years, he’s grown a lot closer to his religious beliefs and has become much more involved in church activities. In fact, he took that passion one step further by starting the Bible Club at HHS.

Looking back, Sam says one thing he misses about elementary and middle school is simple but nostalgic: “playdates.” Beyond that, he’s found things in high school that really stick out. Academically, he’s loved engineering and names Mrs. Collins as one of his favorite teachers. “She cares, and she shows it,” he says.

Outside of class and sports, Sam has also developed some unexpected skills. He runs a lawn mowing business, which he says has helped spark his interest in the business world. His dedication to work – whether on the court, in class, or mowing lawns -has earned him recognition as well. One of his proudest achievements is winning the Wayward Award for Sportsmanship from the MIAA. That meant a lot to him, because it’s completely about how you carry yourself, not just the score or stats.

When it comes to reflecting on high school, Sam’s favorite year is either freshman or senior year. He says both brought different experiences that helped him grow. If he could do it all over again, he admits he would spend less time complaining and more time appreciating the moment. “I’d take my time with stuff,” he says. “There’s no point in stressing about little things. You just gotta enjoy it.”

For Sam, the biggest lesson from his time at Hanover is clear and straightforward: “Hard work actually does pay off, working hard is actually worth something.” With college on the horizon and plans to study business, Sam is taking that lesson – and all the skills, friendships, and experiences he’s gathered – with him into the next chapter of his life.

Shane Mahoney

Shane Mahoney has been part of the Hanover community since first grade, when he moved here from Rockland, and much of his time in school has been shaped by the activities and interests he has stuck with over the years.

One of the most prominent activities in Shane’s life is hockey, a sport he began playing at a young age and continued throughout high school. His dedication to the sport paid off when he became a hockey captain, an accomplishment he says he is especially proud of. While hockey has always been important to him, Shane also discovered a new passion in high school – lacrosse – which he says became one of the best activities he has participated in.

Academically, Shane’s favorite class has been English, particularly with Mrs. Cotter. He explains that he enjoyed the class because “I always find it interesting,” and because it allowed him to focus on writing, research, and open-minded discussions. He appreciated being able to “come up with your own answers and be able to argue,” which made the class feel really engaging and meaningful.

Outside of sports and academics, Shane has interests that many people may not know about. One of these is playing the guitar, which he completely taught himself. Looking back at his four years of high school, Shane says senior year has been his favorite (so far), because it has allowed him to feel more comfortable and confident. If he could go back and do high school over again, he says he “wouldn’t stress about little things,” explaining that “in the grand scheme of things, enjoying yourself is much more important.”

After high school, Shane plans to attend college in the Midwest, where he hopes to study management. Reflecting on his time at Hanover, Shane says the biggest lesson he has learned is to stay true to yourself. “Be yourself, express who you are,” he says, adding that he “would like to see people try to be themselves more.” As he prepares to graduate in a couple months, Shane leaves Hanover with lasting friendships, meaningful experiences, and a mindset focused on confidence and enjoying the moment.

Charlie Campbell

Charlie Campbell started school in Hanover in kindergarten and has lived here his whole life. Throughout middle and elementary school, he played hockey and lacrosse. He says, “they are my favorite things to do,” and still plays them today.

In high school, Charlie started playing football. He has played now all four years, “which has been awesome to be part of.”

In elementary and middle school, Charlie’s grandparents used to pick him up from school, “and I miss that a lot.”

His favorite classes have been history with Mr. Perry, video production with Mr. Patch, and precalculus with Mr. Boutin. “[Mr. Perry] made history fun to learn and that was something I didn’t love before,” Charlie says. “[Mr. Patch] gives us the chance to be creative,” he explains, “and…math is my favorite subject and I like the way [Mr. Boutin] teaches it as he helps a lot.”

Charlie’s favorite school activity has been playing for the lacrosse team.

Charlie plans on attending college to study business. He believes that high school has influenced his choice, “by recommending colleges to me that I could succeed at.”

One accomplishment he is proud of is being named captain for the lacrosse team for his senior year. Congrats, Charlie!

Outside of school, Charlie referees for youth lacrosse and youth hockey games. He used to work at Brothers Bar and Grill as a busser as well, though he doesn’t anymore.

His favorite year in high school has been sophomore year, “because of the teachers I had that made the year fun, the seniors were a great group that year.” And perhaps the biggest detail from that year, “my (football) team made it to Gillette Stadium that year which was an unreal experience.”

If he could restart high school from the beginning, Charlie, “would try much harder in my classes.” He also wishes that he spent more time not worrying about things that truly didn’t matter in the end.

If he had to take away one lesson from all of high school, it would be, “to always live in the moment and cherish every moment because high school goes by very quick.”

News

Cedar Street Cafe: a Sweet Spot at HHS

December 17, 2024 Bradlee Dowling Leave a comment

By Bradlee Dowling, ’26

Staff Writer

At the heart of Hanover High School is a hub of hard-working students dedicated to serving the school community with warm baked goods and coffee: Cedar Street Café. This beloved café has a unique origin story: for many years, students in the RISE and POST programs have been making treats to sell to teachers at Cedar School. About three years ago, HHS Principal Mr. Mattos approved bringing the operation here, where its weekly shop has flourished.

The RISE and POST programs at HHS work with special needs students from ages 14-22 on academics, life skills and social/communication skills. The programs are run by Mr. O’Hare and Ms. Melone, assisted by a team of paraprofessionals who help tailor learning to each student’s needs. Ms. Mann and Ms. Drinkwater, the paras helping run the cafe on a recent visit, explained that the goal is to teach students about handling money and providing excellent customer service. They also shared that their favorite aspect of the café is the interaction between the students and their peers.

Students and teachers in the RISE and POST programs typically shop for the week on Mondays and bake the treats on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. When Thursday comes around, three students manage the café out of room 111. One takes orders, another prepares the coffee and packs baked goods, and the third handles transactions. As a student myself, I can confidently say that Cedar Street Café brings joy to everyone’s day. The moment the announcement is made over the loudspeaker, half the class rushes to the café. When they return, they’re all smiles, carrying delicious treats.

Now, you’re probably wondering what’s on the menu. Ms. Mann says that the blueberry cake and coffee cake are not only her personal favorites but also a fan favorite among students. However, the café offers so much more: cookies, lemon cake, pumpkin bread, coffee, blondie brownies, regular brownies and sugar cookies have been up for sale. One thing everyone knows about Cedar Street Café is its love for seasonal treats! In the fall, they serve pumpkin-flavored goodies; in the winter, they offer holiday cookies and hot chocolate; and in the spring, lemon bread becomes the go-to treat.

The café is always looking for new ideas, and the teachers encourage students to share suggestions. If you have a specific treat in mind, submit your ideas using the Google Form linked below! Keep in mind, the café operates as cash-only to give students valuable hands-on experience in handling money and practicing essential math skills.

Cedar Street Café is more than just a place to grab a snack—it’s a bright spot in the day for students and staff alike, and a cornerstone of our school community.

To submit suggestions on items to offer: https://forms.gle/Jrkrjr5qD4hP5Ys36