By Bradlee Dowling and Sienna Lamond, ’26

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.

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

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.”

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.”

By Sienna Lamond and Bradlee Dowling, ’26

Staff Writer and Editor in Chief

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. In our last article, we covered Leo Galvin, Abigail Kajunski, and Ireland Cronin, so go show those incredible seniors some love by reading our first article in this series! Now, these next seniors are certainly worth the wait, so let’s read about them!

Abigail Minasi

Abby moved to Hanover in July of 2013, entering kindergarten at Center School. Starting in first grade, she played baseball/softball. This spring, Abby will play Varsity Softball for her fourth year; she has served as captain for two!

In high school, Abby started playing field hockey. She describes it as ” one of the best decisions I have made going into high school.” This is because she had so much fun learning a new sport and playing with her friends. Upon entering high school, Abby had to let go of soccer. She says, “. . .at times, I do miss it.” But she is happy having gotten the opportunity to try new things.

Her favorite class at HHS has been AP Precalculus with Ms. Mathisen. She recalls, “I loved her class because she was such a nice teacher, always there when you needed a hand. She is also so easy to talk to and get extra help when needed.” Abby’s favorite high school activity was the District 1 DECA conference in junior year. She said she “had so much fun staying overnight at Quincy Marriott and participating in the role plays.”

After high school, Abby plans to go to college and become a nurse, “specifically,” she says, “a pediatric nurse.” She has always loved her science courses like AP Biology and Anatomy and Physiology. She found an appreciation for working with kids after taking Early Childhood Education, which influenced her interest in pediatric health.

Abby is most proud of making it into the National Honor Society, racking up many hours of community service, and maintaining a GPA above 4.0. Outside of school, Abby has worked at Dunkin’ for 3 years! “I started as a sophomore in 2022.”

Looking back, Abby believes junior year was her favorite year of high school. “I enjoyed the classes I took and had fun being a softball captain.” If given the chance to do high school over again, “I would take my freshman year a little more seriously and work harder to get better grades.” She wishes she had learned how to study in her freshman year. And she also wishes she had gone to more football games throughout the years.

The biggest lesson she takes away from high school? “Time flies by.” She suggests that students “make the most out of the little time you have.” Her four years of high school have gone by so fast, and she wishes she could go back and have more time.

Damaris Mejia-Miller

From day one, sports have been a huge part of Damaris’ life. In elementary school, it was softball. In middle school, she switched to soccer. And now, she just wrapped up her last season of Varsity Volleyball, which has become one of her favorite parts of high school. “It’s such a good community and space where I feel comfortable enough to be myself,” Damaris says. “The energy in the games is just so fun and engaging.”

Something new she picked up in high school was getting more involved in clubs,  something she didn’t really do in middle school. But while she’s grown a lot since then, she still misses some of those childhood moments. “In elementary school, I used to go out with my neighbors, and we’d all rollerblade and play around,” she says. “I definitely miss it since most of them have moved away or we grew apart.”

When it comes to classes, Damaris says her favorites have been Spanish, U.S. History, and Art. She especially appreciates teachers who make learning fun and engaging. “Mrs. Gately is my favorite because her class was always engaging, and she’s super understanding and easy to talk to,” she says. “I also like Mr. File because his classes are fun and really inclusive. There’s no set idea of what ‘good art’ is, and I love how he emphasizes that.”

Looking back at all four years, Damaris says sophomore year was her favorite. “My classes were really fun, and I made a lot of new friends who I’m still really close with.” But the year she’s most proud of is junior year, just because of how tough it was. “Everyone says it’s the hardest year, and I totally agree,” she says. “I took more challenging classes, and it was a lot. But I’m proud that I tried my best and got through it.”

If she could do high school all over again, she says she’d focus less on what other people think and more on just being herself. “I’d try to take freshman year more seriously, but I’d also just have fun and not stress so much.”

And if there’s one big lesson she’s learned from all of it, it’s this: “Don’t stress about what you can’t control. If you get a bad grade, accept it and try to do better next time. Staying positive helps you learn from mistakes without feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.”

From kindergarten to senior year, Damaris has grown up with Hanover and it’s clear she’s leaving behind a legacy of kindness, resilience, and authenticity.