Three of GFA's many outstanding students were selected this summer by Moffly Media as top teens to watch in Fairfield County.
Senior Charlie LaFreniere appeared in this month's New Canaan, Darien + Rowayton Magazine, where he shared his goals, interests, and dreams for the future. An all-star student-athlete at GFA, LaFreniere completed his past two years with high honors and was elected to the National Spanish Honor Society in 2022. All this while, Charlie was playing baseball at the top of his game. He is a part of the All-New England Prep Team for Baseball 2022, the All-Tournament Team for Perfect Game Championship Tournaments in 2019 and twice in 2021, and the All-World Series Team for the Cal Ripken World Series in 2016 and 2018. LaFreniere shared with reporters what an impact volunteering in Costa Rica has had on his gratitude. He also thanks Senora Stein who is his "favorite teacher" and his "role model" parents.
Shaleigh Crombie '22, a current freshman at Harvard University, was rightly lauded by Westport, Weston + Wilton Magazine for her academic, extracurricular, and athletic honors while at GFA including Class of 2022 valedictorian, Student Council Chair, Varsity Soccer Captain, and Academic All-American First Team for Soccer. And yet, the reporters also celebrated her sense of humor and modesty. When asked to reflect on a recent success, Crombie explained how her independent inquiry into organ transplant acceptance as seen through sea squirts, a type of marine invertebrate that shares many biological similarities to humans, allowed her to "explore more tangents" of the school and "collaborate with more a variety of faculty" in more ways that she could have imagined. When asked what she liked about GFA, Crombie replied, "I have never been in a more supportive and multifaceted community."
Last but certainly not least, Sam Lublinsky '22, now a freshman at the University of Chicago, was honored as a Teen to Watch by Westport, Weston + Wilton Magazine. The list of Sam's GFA extracurriculars and honors alone is impressive and includes music director of a cappella group The Beachside Express, member of the Jewish Students Association, junior co-editor of the Beachside Express, co-vice president of the Tri-M Music Honors Society, member of TACO, a Math Center advisor, French tutor, and captain of the Varsity Tennis team. While participating full throttle in our community last year's senior also earned the highest academic marks and won Head of School distinction. His work tutoring and coaching tennis at the Norwalk Grassroots Tennis and Education Organization has been a highlight of his experience in high school.
Learn more about the many facets of these well-rounded students by grabbing the Sept/Oct issue of Fairfield Living Magazine and Westport/Weston & Wilton Magazine, on local newsstands now.
(Photo credit: Kyle Norton)