SENIOR CASSANDRA HAMEL: PARLIAMENTARIAN, COMPETITOR, FUTURE TEACHER

Senior Cassandra Hamel, parliamentarian of her local chapter of Future Business Leaders of America, won prizes at the organization's spring state competition in Burlington in April. She took second place in Desktop Publishing for a digitally-made poster and other materials, and for her performance on a test about desktop publishing. In the Business Ethics competition, Cassandra and a partner explained what they would do on the job if a co-worker said that he had falsified his resume. (Their decision: make sure of the details, then tell the co-worker that if he didn't tell the manager, they would.)

Future Business Leaders of America is a Virginia-based nonprofit association whose high-school members are preparing for business and business-related careers. Its National Awards Program recognizes and rewards excellence in its state competitions.

At Hanover's joint program with Hartford High School, Cassandra chairs the Community Service Committee which helps retirees at the Brookside Nursing Home at the holidays. On the Human Services Committee she introduces younger students to computers while showing them how to make birthday cards. Cassandra will go to Community College of Vermont next year and plans to major in elementary education. She is shown here with HHS educational assistant Teresa Drelick.