Bedford & New Canaan Magazine's fifth annual 18 Under 18 section is always the highlight of our September/October Education Issue… and every year we are more and more impressed with the achievements of the 18 selected students - and with the quality of the hundreds of nominees entered. We have an incredibly difficult time narrowing down the list because of the intriguing paths that so many different students have selected. From Singers and Dancers to a Mountain Climber, Engineers and Activists, a Filmmaker, and even a Speed Cuber... we are particularly excited by this class!

Congrats to this year’s B&NC 18 Under 18! We hope you'll enjoy the well-earned plaudits of the community.

[NOTE: ORDER IS RANDOM]

1. Ava Gunthel

2. Sam Griff

3. Thomas Carney

4. Eleanor Murphy

5. Dakota Cameron

6. Kiran Rao

7. Quinn Maloney

8. Zoe Guerrero

9. Aidan Garcia

10. Annabel Smith

11. Eva Holleran

12. Madison Lagares

13. Will Baldwin

14. Kaylin Hedges

15. Bobby Callagy

16. Jack Harrington

17. Erik Johnson

18. Ashley Stangel

Produced by the B&NC Mag Editorial Team

Production Lead: Katie Christiano

1. Ava Gunthel

hometown: Ridgefield | school: KING SCHOOL, 12th grade | Age: 17

HOCKEY, LINGUISTICS, SERVICE… and BAGPIPES, TOO!

Ava Gunthel started playing Hockey when she was 7, growing up in Ridgefield, and has been playing on club, travel, and school teams ever since. She currently plays with the Florida Alliance, one of the best girls’ teams in the U.S., and for Draftday Regional Gold, a Canadian hockey team that competes internationally. Ava is also playing on King’s Boys’ Varsity Hockey Team.

“I couldn’t do it if it weren’t for King!”, Ava declares. “I feel like my teachers, the entire faculty, and even the entire student body are supporting my pursuits as a student-athlete. When I do miss a Thursday and Friday, the teachers always make themselves available to help me on that Monday or Tuesday when I come back. They’re making the difficult, possible!”

Ava also plays #1 Singles for King’s Junior Varsity Girls’ Tennis Team. Though she made the Varsity Team, she simply couldn’t make that schedule mesh.

Ava’s main academic focus is in foreign affairs and world languages. She is fluent in Spanish, proficient in French, is currently learning Russian, German, and Mandarin… and hopes to pick-up Arabic further down the road! …And she hopes to eventually utilize her skillset working for a certain government agency based in Langley.

Ava also volunteers with a program called ENGin, where she helps Ukrainian students over Zoom with extra tutoring in English. She is also a Peer Tutor at King, which means that any student can go to her for help with questions, homework, or understanding a certain concept.

…And one more thing, she plays the bagpipes, too! At age 9, she was inspired when she heard them played at her uncle's funeral, and played for the first time in front of a large audience in elementary school. She hopes to compete in her first Highland Games in the next year!

2. Sam Griff

hometown: Bedford | school: LAFAYETTE UNIVERSITY, Freshman | Fox Lane High School '24 | Age: 18

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Sam Griff says, “It started with making ski videos on my iphone in 7th grade with a group of friends. I’d put them into iMovie and chop them up and send them back to the group as short clips, and I was having a lot of fun with it. Then during Covid in the summer of 2020, friends and I were building mountain biking trails in my backyard and I started to film some of the stuff we were doing back there. My 8th grade graduation present was a Sony a6100 - nothing crazy, but something I could get started on. I started learning photography and videography by taking mountain biking photos and videos, mostly of my friend Ewan MacDonald. I worked at Bicycle World in Mt. Kisco to save money for equipment, and began shooting projects for others as a commercial endeavor during my sophomore year of high school. I got work starting with family videos, then creating social media content for a Katonah-based dog trainer, and eventually creating highlight reels for athletes and sports teams. I reinvested most of the money I made in my ‘kit’ in order to enhance and expand my business and capabilities.”

“I made my first movie for myself, Define Your Adventure, a short film about mountain biking, in 9th grade, and it won a national award. And then another short film, Equilibrium, that’s up on my YouTube channel.”

When Sam determined to take it further, and Fox Lane didn’t offer a class, Sam wrote up a proposal, found a teacher, and got the school to approve self-directed course work…which culminated in what’s now known as The Woodpile, an 80 minute documentary film that follows the stories of five historically significant homes in Bedford - all originally owned by the Wood family. The documentary includes interviews with current owners, tours of the homes, and an interview with the town historian, and it premiered at the Bedford Playhouse in July to a completely sold-out 160 person audience. “It was surreal having a giant room full of people all watching something I’d created. And although some folks were family friends, there were tons of people we didn’t even know, who were just interested and curious!”

3. Thomas Carney

SQUASH STAR

hometown: New Canaan | school: BRUNSWICK SCHOOL, 11th grade | Age: 17

Thomas Carney has a spot on Brunswick’s prestigious nationally ranked squash team, and was ranked #13 nationally in the Under 17 age group. Playing ‘up’ into the Under 19 age group, Thomas earned the U19 title at the Atlanta Junior Gold Tournament this summer.

“I have some pretty big sneakers to fill,” Thomas smiles. “My sister was a squash star at Greenwich Academy and Harvard, and my two older brothers both played for Brunswick and then for Yale. My dad got me started when I was 6, and they’ve all been training me ever since. …And they never just let me win in order to make me feel good…it’s always been pretty inspiring and motivating!”

“My favorite thing about Brunswick is the community,” Thomas says. “It takes countless hours to get good and become great at Squash — or anything, for that matter — and the bonds I’ve formed and the love I feel for my teammates at Brunswick makes the task of practice feel like joyful playtime.”

Academically, Thomas is interested in STEM, with a focus in Engineering. For his Brunswick Science Research class, Thomas focused on “a more efficient way to fly in the air with different propeller models,” earning two Special Awards with monetary prizes at the Connecticut Science Fair.

4. Eleanor Murphy

BALLERINA

hometown: Ridgefield | school: Ridgefield Academy, 6th grade | Age: 11

Elle Murphy was first inspired to start ballet after seeing a performance of the New York City Ballet Nutcracker with her mom and grandma at three years old. Years later, watching the Disney+ show, On Pointe, which features dancers from the New York City Ballet and at the affiliated School of American Ballet… Elle decided she wanted to follow in those footsteps, and after a rigorous selection process, is now enrolled at SAB and performing with the New York City Ballet!

“I love the techniques involved in ballet, especially George Balanchine’s techniques, which I’m studying, which are slightly faster and a more athletic style,” Elle shares. She adds, “I think ballet is fun because while you’re working hard at it, you’re also hanging-out with your friends, and performing on stage… performing at Lincoln Center, I’m excited every time I walk on stage! Making thousands of people happy all at once is a pretty amazing feeling!”

Elle has already performed in the New York City Ballet’s productions of A Midsummer’s Night Dream and The Nutcracker, and will be performing in Coppelia, which opens at Lincoln Center this fall.

Elle commutes into the city four days a week for class at SAB, and more if she’s rehearsing for a show or performing, and doesn’t get back home until around 10pm. Elle’s school, Ridgefield Academy, has accommodated Elle’s busy ballet schedule by allowing her to attend classes online during performance periods, and with some specially tailored programming and guidance.

“I’m privileged getting to work directly with the older principals at the New York City Ballet, including Indiana Woodward, who’s an idol for me. She actually gave me a pair of her pointe shoes…and, someday, I’d like to dance like her…and be like her,” Elle declares. Elle’s not-too-small dreams include joining the New York City Ballet as an apprentice, then becoming a corps de ballet, and ultimately a principal ballerina…and marrying a New York Yankee all-star!

5. Dakota Cameron

INSPIRED INVENTOR

hometown: Katonah | school: John Jay High School, 12th grade | Age: 17

Dakota Cameron is determined to find solutions to sustainability problems and focus her efforts on environmental causes.

“In Science Research at John Jay, I read about a team that was taking used face masks from the pandemic and putting them into concrete to help reduce waste, and make the concrete more sustainable. Cement used to make concrete, it turns out, is the source of 8% of global carbon emissions!”, Dakota relates. “I found a Professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute who was an expert in making concrete, and I worked with him on the novel idea of creating concrete samples that contained plastic fibers that were disposed of by the fast fashion industry. Encasing the plastic in the concrete prevents the plastic waste from spreading in the environment, and adding another material to the concrete reduces the cement concentration, decreasing its carbon footprint proportionately.”

Last year, Dakota displayed parts of her project at at NYU's WEST Fest Science and Engineering Symposium, and received the Visionary Engineer Award. This year, after two years of data collection on her concrete products, Dakota will present her findings to Regeneron’s Science Talent Search, and at the Symposia, a symposium involving top Science Research teams from schools around the country.

Dakota plans to major in Engineering and Material Sciences in college, and more generally she ‘has concrete plans’ to create eco-friendly products and materials to better help and preserve the environment!

6. Kiran Rao

EMERGING ENGINEER

hometown: Ridgefield | school: KING SCHOOL, 12th grade | Age: 17

Kiran Rao has never seen a problem he doesn’t want to fix…including saving the environment! A pioneer in STEM at the King School, Kiran’s main passion is Engineering, which he pursues as the Leader of the STEM Club and Robotics Club, as well as a member of the Math Team. “I’ve always been inclined towards numbers and quantitative issues,” Kiran says, “and I’ve always known that physics and math are the skills I can use to help stop the climate crisis, explore and improve renewable energy sources, and work towards wildlife conservation.

I intend to focus my research in college trying to answer the questions: ‘How do we conserve water?’, ‘How do we generate clean water?’, and ‘How do we collect water and store it?’ ”

Kiran is Student Body President at King and, in addition to responsibilities like leading the Student Council and promoting King’s sports teams and social events, his main project for the year is starting a Sustainability Committee, charged with pushing the conversation about sustainability with the upper administration and creating a new space for those topics of conversation to happen. With a perfect 4.0 GPA at King, Kiran is in the running for Class Valedictorian.

Kiran is also one of the Captains of King’s Varsity Soccer Team, and plays outside of school with the JA Elite Soccer Team in Stamford. Kiran is also a Snowboarder, and works winter weekends as an Instructor for younger kids at Mohawk Mountain.

“At King, I have the space and the support and the resources to flourish,” Kiran declares. “All of my electives have been in that STEM space, including Computer Science, Engineering, and Design Thinking, and we have something called the Innovation Lab at King, which is basically like our ‘maker space’, that’s really just a super fun place to play around. King is great at allowing each student to pursue their own unique interests!”

7. Quinn Maloney

SPEED CUBER

hometown: Ridgefield | school: RIDGEFIELD ACADEMY, 8th grade | Age: 13

Quinn Maloney taught himself how to solve a Rubik’s Cube when he was 11, and he’s been hooked on speed-cubing ever since. “I spend hours every day trying to get better and right now, on the 3x3, my average time is about 8 seconds. When I started it was like 3 minutes, so I’m super happy with how I’ve gotten better over time.”

Quinn competes in different puzzles and events at competitions with cubes from 2x2 to 7x7, the pyramid-shaped Pyraminx cube, one-handed and blindfolded competitions, and various other speed puzzles, including Quinn’s favorite, the Rubik’s Clock. Quinn’s best event is the 2x2 Rubik’s Cube, in which he was the 2023 New England Champion with an average solve time of 1.8044 seconds. Quinn is the #23 best 2x2 cuber in the United States, and #26 in all of North America. In July, Quinn competed in Minneapolis at the WCA North American Championships, where he placed 9th out of 770 competitors for the 2x2 cube, and came in 13th and 22nd for Skewb and Pyraminx, respectively. Since his start in January 2023, Quinn has competed in 26 events and has 1,343 official solves.

Last Spring, Quinn hosted an official competition at his own school, Ridgefield Academy, which featured over 150 competitors coming from as far as the Midwest just to compete. And at the Ridgefield Public Library, Quinn hosts monthly meetings to teach younger kids how to solve Rubik’s Cubes and how to improve their times.

Quinn also has a YouTube channel with upwards of 243,000 views in total, where he showcases his fast solves, and recreates events from competitions to see if he can beat his original times.

Other extracurriculars for Quinn include playing with a travel basketball team in Ridgefield at the Power Forward position, as well as studying Violin for the past seven years at the Ridgefield Suzuki School and playing in the Norwalk Youth Symphony.

8. Zoe Guerrero

U.S. TEAM SNOWBOARDER

hometown: Ridgefield | school: RIDGEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL | 11th grade | Age: 16

Zoe Guerrero is currently ranked #20 in the World in Halfpipe Snowboarding by the World Snowboard Federation, a list that includes professional snowboarders of all ages, including Olympians.

She got started snowboarding competitively in Halfpipe at age 7 - which is considered late for this sport… and became National Champion at her first Nationals at age 9. She spent several years focused in Vermont with the Okemo Snowboard Team, then began to train more intensively as part of an elite team at Copper Mountain. “I was still at a bit of a disadvantage being an East-coaster, because there’s actually no full-sized half pipe on the East coast…so for the last several years I’ve been spending about 6 weeks each winter out at Copper Mountain in Colorado working with a top snowboarding coach. I’ll also be going to Switzerland for three weeks this fall to train with the US Snowboarding Team!”, Zoe says with a big smile.

In May, Zoe was nominated as one of three girls for the US Snowboard Rookie Team for Halfpipe - which serves as a feeder for the US Olympic Team. In August, Zoe qualified for the Junior World Championship, and she’s been invited to two US World Cups. She took Third Place in the US Revolution Tour, and Fourth Place overall in the NorAm Cup…competing against international Halfpipe riders! …And she’s sponsored by Monster Energy!

“My goal is to compete at X Games in Aspen!”, Zoe declares.

On top of a fierce training and competition schedule, Zoe maintains a 4.0 GPA! And, to stay active outside of snow season, she also plays soccer on the Ridgefield High School team!

9. Aidan Garcia

FAST TRACK

hometown: Mt. Kisco | school: THE HARVEY SCHOOL, 10th grade | Age: 15

Aidan Garcia started running in 7th grade, and scored a spot on the Harvey School’s Varsity Track Team in 8th grade. He runs the Mile and the 800, making it to the Nationals competition last summer, and only missing-out on the prestigious competition this year due to an injury.

“I love to run long distances. It’s a great way to clear my mind and to express my energy,” Aidan explains when asked why track has become so special to him. He runs for the Harvey team during the school year and on his own time over the summer. “In track, each athlete’s performance is their own, and each athlete is competing against all the others, and I like that. But, at least with my Track Team at Harvey, there’s also a great community and a real sense of camaraderie. We have a mix of long distance, mid-distance, and sprinters, and not everyone is on the same level, so you’ll be pushing harder to beat the person faster than you, and then you’ll have the people behind you who are trying to push to be near you. Overall, your teammates help you go faster.”

Aidan has already racked-up multiple awards and titles, and broken some records. Last year, the Hudson Valley Athletic League, consisting of 10 top private schools in the region, awarded

Aidan with HVAL All-League and All-New England Honors for Cross Country, including All-HVAL Honors for his top finish at the HVAL Championship meet, with a time of 18:13 in the 5k. Additionally, during the indoor track season, Aidan set the Harvey record in the 600m run at 1:34.40, breaking the previous record by over 10 seconds!

In addition to being a track star, Aidan spends time working on his own business, a T-shirt company called TRAVL, which uses positive messaging to promote the importance of travel and adventure in life. Aidan also devotes significant time volunteering with HeadStart as a guest speaker and reader for younger children in the Bronx, and volunteering locally helping seniors with using their technology.

10. Annabel Smith

SWIM CHAMPION

hometown: Bedford | school: Fox Lane High School, 12th Grade Rippowam Cisqua '21 | Age: 17

Annabel Smith is a four-year Varsity Swimmer at Fox Lane High School, and one of the top swimmers on The Marlins - the year-round competitive team run by the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester. The 100m breaststroke is her best event. Last year, she won States with a time of 1:03.7, aced the Senior Mets race with a time of 1:01.71, and qualified for the US Open Swimming Championships!

Annabel has been in the pool and competing on one team or another since she was 6 years old. “When I’m in the pool,” she explains, “I feel like I can just turn my brain off and enjoy being. And I love a super hard workout! It’s very rewarding!” Annabel swims every day - sometimes twice a day, and is determined to continue swimming competitively in college; she’s already being recruited by top D1 programs. She also has her eyes set on the 2028 Olympic trials.

According to Annabel, the most difficult part of swimming at such a high level is avoiding burnout, and balancing academics and athletics. She says, “Balancing swim and school is definitely really difficult. I’m in the pool 8+ times a week, often at 5:30am, and race training is exhausting. But we really support each other, and I feel like swimming and being on a swim team have made me a lot more outgoing.”

In the classroom, Annabel is most interested in Biology, and hopes to major in Biomedical Engineering when she gets to college. “But before I go off to college,” Annabel declares, “I’ve got a year of ripping it up in the 100m Breast at the States and at some National events to take care of!”

11. Eva Holleran

THESPIAN

hometown: Ridgefield | school: AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, Freshman | RIDGEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL | Age: 18

Eva Holleran started working in theater at The Klein in Bridgeport when she was in middle school, and was then selected by A Better Chance to transfer from Bridgeville High School in order to attend Ridgefield High School, which opened up the opportunity to get involved in the theater program at both Ridgefield High School and at ACT of CT. With ACT of CT, Eva started out working as an usher, worked on stage management, lighting, and sound, then began acting in the spring and summer conservatory, and finished doing her senior internship.

Eva’s background is in singing, and she’s played Cinderella’s Stepmother in the musical Into the Woods, Aunt March in the musical Little Women, and then Florence Collymore in The Play that Goes Wrong - and was nominated for a prestigious Halo Award for Best Female Standout Performance in an Ensemble Production for that performance!

“My favorite plays are somewhat mysterious, like the story of the fading Hollywood movie star in Sunset Boulevard,” Eva says. “Because theater is almost by definition a very social thing, I’ve learned a lot about communication, how to talk to people, and how to build relationships. Theater has helped me build confidence and learn how to be comfortable even out of my comfort zone.”

When not actively part of a theater production, you can find Eva playing the Guitar or teaching herself to play the Ukulele, or volunteering at an animal shelter. At American University she plans to major in Musical Theater and to be actively involved in AU’s six productions each year.

12. Madison Lagares

SHOWSTOPPER

hometown: Pound Ridge | school: CHRISTIAN HERITAGE SCHOOL | 12th grade | Age: 16

Madison Lagares was just six years old when she was booked for a role alongside Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones. She went on to play the daughter of Adrian Brody (another B&NC MAG local!) and Jennifer Beals in Manhattan Night. Her most recent and most popular role was as Fran “Frenchie” Facciano in the television show Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. “She was my favorite character in Grease, so playing that role in particular, was a dream come true!”, Madison shares. “DiDi Conn herself, who was the original Frenchie in Grease, reached out to me and said how well I did playing her…so I’m just super proud of that work.”

Madison has also had success on the stage, with multiple Broadway performances under her belt. She played the role of young Gloria Estafan in On Your Feet - using her big voice to land that part when she was only 9, even though it was intended for a young teen. Madison says with a smile, “After getting the callback, Gloria Estefan herself said that out of all the tapes and auditions, she handpicked me because of how much I reminded her of herself.” For several years, Madison also played the part of Shonelle, and an understudy for Tomika, in School of Rock. “Right now I’m working with casts on two original Broadway shows that are awaiting the green light for production,” Madison informs.

Madison is also a talented singer-songwriter, and has multiple singles and EPs out that can be streamed across all major platforms.

Madison is Senior Class Representative at Christian Heritage, organizing events and managing class activities and leading worship for the school, and has also created a high school mentorship program that pairs senior volunteers with freshmen in need of advice or guidance as they navigate their first year of high school. She plans to study Drama and Musical Theater at college.

13. Will Baldwin

ALTRUISTIC ATHLETE

hometown: Darien | school: BREWSTER ACADEMY, 11th grade | Age: 17

Will Baldwin can do it all. He started playing Lacrosse when he was five, playing catch with his dad, who played lacrosse for the University of Florida. Will played for Darien High School before transferring to Brewster Academy and making the Varsity Lacrosse Team in his freshman year. In 2022, he was Nationally ranked at #553 and #13 in the State. “I think I’m most proud that I made Varsity Lacrosse three years in a row,” Will says, “and I feel like I’ve been able to hold my number with guys that are older than me and guys that are a lot better than I am. Lacrosse has taught me a lot about teamwork, and I’ve really taken that into my dorm life at Brewster Academy too.”

Will is also a Golfer, and plays on the Brewster Academy Golf Team as well as competing in the Connecticut State Golf Association. “Golf has taught me a lot about personal challenges and competing with yourself to be better,” Will reveals. His handicap is currently a 4.2.

He’s also an avid Snowboarder, and competes on the Brewster Academy team. “Boarding with buddies is the ultimate release!”, he declares. “But I feel like there’s a stigma of athletes being jocks and only doing sports. You should be well-rounded, and athletes should do more than only their sport. Go study, get into college, go do community service, spend time with your family…and then go do that sport.”

Will is a volunteer at both the Sugar Hill Club, a retirement home where he helps the residents with any problems that arise and talks to them about their lives, and with the End 68 Hours of Hunger program, which helps students in need get breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Friday night to Monday morning. “So we’ll go to the food bank and we’ll pack breakfast, lunch, and dinners for the whole weekend,” Will explains, “and then…we’ll go through and give out the lunches. It’s simple, but very meaningful.”

An outstanding student at Brewster Academy, Will was last year elected Sophomore Class Leader, and is this year serving as an RA, supervising younger classmates in his dorm.

Will’s goal is to play Lacrosse or Golf at the college level, ideally in the South-Eastern Conference, and as an ultimate dream, at his dad’s alma mater, the University of Florida.

14. Kaylin Hedges

American Idol

hometown: Mount Kisco | school: FOX LANE HIGH SCHOOL | 12th grade | Age: 17

Kaylin Hedges says, “I basically came out of the womb singing! I started auditioning for shows when I was seven. We moved to New York when I was nine, and I’ve been taking advantage of all the great theater in New York City ever since. I sing, and play the guitar, and write my own songs. …My dream is to become an EGOT - someone who wins an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony!”

By eleven, Kaylin scored the role of Annie in a 4-week production that filled the Hollywood Bowl’s 20,000 seats. She has performed in multiple professional productions of off-Broadway shows, and performed at the old Globe Theatre in San Diego - working directly with singer-songwriter, Clint Black. She’s in the Fox Lane Chamber Choir, and scored the role of Wednesday Addams in Fox Lane’s production of The Addams Family as a sophomore, and then played Shakespeare in Something Rotten! And she has her own YouTube channel!

At 15, Kaylin was encouraged by a producer of American Idol to try out! “I went through six rounds of auditions and was selected to do the try-out in front of the panel of judges in Nashville. There were lots of early mornings and rehearsals, and for the big audition, they didn’t tell me I was going dead last in Nashville…so I’d been sitting there all day waiting…and I was definitely nervous about performing live for Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan! But the second I started singing everything else melted away,” Kaylin beams. …Kaylin received the only Platinum Ticket from the famous judges, indicating a particularly impressive performance, and meaning that she skipped right to the Third Round of the National Finals. …And to top it all off, Kaylin’s dad, Jeffrey, a Sergeant First Class in the Army, who had been stationed in Hawaii for the six months prior to the show, surprised Kaylin by showing-up on the Idol stage for a reunion!

About the three week Idol experience, Kaylin shares, “I’ve been a fan of the show since I was a kid, so it was really incredible to get to be part of it! And I had so much fun and really learned a lot about myself and defining my own unique style.” Upon her return home, Kaylin was gifted with a commemorative award from the State Senator. She’s considering a return to Idol this year, and she recently released a song that’s streaming on all major streaming platforms, titled Let History Repeat. …And now she’s applying to college, “I’d really like to go to a music conservatory, and ideally focus on composition and production. I’m just beginning!”

15. Bobby Callagy

POLITICAL ADVOCATE

hometown: Darien | school: Columbia University, Freshman | Masters School '24 | Age: 18

Bobby Callagy is loud and proud about his political advocacy, supporting and uplifting local causes, organizations, and other activists. While environmentalism is a major focus for Bobby, he also advocates for many other causes, including student voter registration, mental health awareness, minority rights, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

As a freshman at Masters, Bobby co-founded an organization called Voices of Gen-Z, which has registered over 10,000 students to vote over the last two years! “Getting our youth civically engaged is critical!” Bobby exclaims.

“During my sophomore and junior years at Masters, I worked on creating two pieces of environmental legislation for introduction before the Connecticut State legislature. One involved labeling in the recycling process and the other called on the Governor to announce a climate emergency. Although neither bill passed, I believe political advocacy is all about introducing new topics to the governing system and opening up conversations about those issues. I believe I’ve already opened up a lot of conversations surrounding recycling practices in Connecticut, and that I’ve now got the ear of the Governor when it comes to making recycling an easier process for the average person. It’s important to be civically engaged.”

In addition to Bobby’s exceptional advocacy, he is the Founder and President of an entrepreneurial business called Make Change. “We market a specific product, like a wallet, and donate a percentage of the proceeds to a specific non-profit. It’s basically trying to enact social change through product sales.”

16. Jack Harrington

BAGPIPING BOY SCOUT

hometown: New Canaan | school: NEW CANAAN COUNTRY SCHOOL '23 | ST LUKES, 12TH GRADE | Age: 15

Jack Harrington tells the story with a laugh, saying “I have a very specific memory of noticing a ghost playing the bagpipes when I was watching an episode of Scooby Doo with my dad when I was really little…and I’ve been hooked on the sound ever since. When I was 9, one of my teachers at New Canaan Country School introduced me to his father, who was a pipe teacher. Although it seemed unique when I got started, I found a community of pipers in the area, and I joined the Greenwich Pipe Band, which has about 20 bagpipers and a group of drummers. I also play the guitar. The New Canaan Country School was really an incubator for me as a musician. At NCCS I learned how to read music, how to play several musical instruments, and how to be confident in, and experiment with, my music.”

Jack is also a member of the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts honor society, and serves as a Senior Patrol Leader, helping to organize meetings and campouts as well as assist and teach the younger Scouts with the skills and techniques they need. “I've made a ton of friends along the way,” Jack says about the Boy Scouts. “I’ve met a lot of people who I otherwise wouldn’t have met because they go to other schools or come from much different backgrounds. Some older and some younger than I am. In the Boy Scouts…we’re all just good friends!”

Jack is an honor student and plays baseball at St. Lukes, and enjoys skiing whenever he can get to go.

17. Erik Johnson

MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

hometown: NEW CANAAN | school: NEW CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL | 12th grade | Age: 17

Erik Johnson is in it for the experience! This past summer, he summited the 19,341 foot peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro - nine days in total, seven up and two to go down. “I think that most people think that the summit is the best part, but really the best part is being able to be completely immersed in nature, and totally off the grid, the entire time,” Erik says. “I’m always basically having an experience that possibly no one else in the world has experienced in the exact same way.” Erik’s previous ascents include Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.

In part to train for climbing, Erik is also a Rower, competing for the Maritime Rowing Club. He earned a spot to compete in the prestigious U.S. Rowing National Championships in 2022 and 2023, and has won multiple awards for his excellent rowing performances, including a Silver at the Northeast Regional Championships in 2023, and a Bronze at the San Diego Crew Classic.

“I’m working on starting an Outing Club in school this year, because I want to turn other kids on to hiking and climbing and just getting way outdoors,” Erik says. “If I can be a guide, I want everyone to appreciate the moment and their surroundings. I feel like climbing gives you a new perspective on the world each time you do it. I intend to keep climbing in college

…and my ultimate goal is to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, called the Seven Summits!”

18. Ashley Stangel

AMAZING ADVOCATE

hometown: Armonk | school: BYRAM HILLS HIGH SCHOOL | 12th grade | Age: 17

Ashley Stangel is passionate…about a lot of things! “I’ve always been involved and outspoken, and what I really love is helping others,” Ashley declares. “I’m always looking out for those who need help, and standing up for what’s right. There are so many issues that I care about and feel are important. Whatever I’ve done so far…is just the beginning!”

Ashley was selected for the prestigious Global Scholars course at Byram Hills, with a curriculum based on tangible ways to make the world better by 2030. “I used my time in the course to focus on literary freedom. As I began to understand how students are losing access to books -

I knew I had to do something,” Ashley says. She started Do What’s Write, which has its own Instagram @dowhats_write and website, and has worked with the President of the American Library Association, Emily Drabinsky, to put on assemblies and other awareness campaigns around what she calls the ‘banned book epidemic’. Most recently, Ashley’s work won first place, and some funding, at the international Changemaker competition, and an award from the New York State Senate. Ashley has worked closely in this effort with the Eleanor Roosevelt Center, and is also creating a line of branded tote bags to sell and raise money for the ERC.

Ashley is the President of the Byram Hills Alzheimer's Association, Editor-in-Chief of the Byram Hills literary magazine, and has had the Lead Witness role on the Byram Hills award-winning Mock Trial Team. She’s also done volunteer work helping to fight antisemitism with the UJA, and spent this past summer as the only high schooler selected to Intern in State Senator Shelley Mayer’s Office. She relates, “I got to be on the phone every day just helping people with their issues - big and small! I’m enthralled at the way government can operate to help people! …You know how most girls my age cry at a Taylor Swift concert? Well I cried like that when I saw the Declaration of Independence!”