Mount St. Charles honors top academic achievers
Class of 2017 will graduate this Sunday
WOONSOCKET – Mr. Edwin Burke, principal of Mount Saint Charles Academy, recently announced the top three students of the Class of 2017. Out of 130 students graduating, the top three are: Ngan Kim Le, Meghan O’Brien, and Emily Mercier.
Ngan Kim Le of Woonsocket, daughter of Dung Le and Kim Bui, has been named valedictorian. Ngan is a member of the National Honor Society and has been listed on the Excelsior Honor Roll for four years. She was named a PSAT National Merit Commended Scholar and has received several awards throughout her academic career including the Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award and the Mount Saint Charles Excellency in Writing Award. Ngan placed first in the National History Day state competition, fourth in the national competition, and, also at the national competition, won Best in Federal History Award. A member of the Academy’s Mock Trial team, Ngan received the Outstanding Achievement Award and was also a state championship finalist. In addition, she was named a division champion for Mount’s Math Team. Recognized for her talents in writing, Ngan won first place (nationally) in the Civil War Trust and History Channel Senior Essay Contest; honorable mention (nationally) in the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Civil War Essay Contest; first place in RI in the Daughters of the American Revolution Christopher Columbus Essay Contest; and third place in RI in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of America Essay Contest.
Ngan has also been a great leader in the Mount Saint Charles community. In her junior year, she was elected, by her peers, as class treasurer and as a senior, she was elected the Student Leadership Association president. She has also served as an active participant in Model Legislature, the Foreign Language Club, Campus Ministry, Christian Action Program, and on the junior varsity lacrosse team.
In addition to her commitments at the academy, Ngan served as a Rhode Island Statehouse page, completed an internship at the Rhode Island Supreme Court, and was a member of Congressman David Cicilline’s Youth Cabinet. She also devoted more than 30 hours a year to volunteering in her community.
In the fall, Ngan will be attending Columbia University.
Meghan O’Brien of Franklin, daughter of Marie and Eugene O’Brien, has been named salutatorian. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has been listed on the Excelsior Honor Roll for four years.
While at Mount, Meghan received several awards and honors, including being named an AP Scholar and winning first place in the National History Day state competition in the category of Senior Individual Documentary in her junior year. Also in her junior year, Meghan was the recipient the Providence Journal Award for excellence in research for her National History Day project. Because of her outstanding commitment to social justice, she was the recipient of the University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award.
Beyond academics, Meghan has stayed extremely involved in extracurricular activities at the Academy. In athletics, she was named a tri-sport scholar athlete in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. She served as a member of the Academy’s Feminist League and Mock Trial team and also participated in the RI Urban Debate League Summer Institute. Devoted to serving her community, Meghan spent a great deal of time volunteering at Seven Hills in Woonsocket; at Regis College during the Jr. Tech Massachusetts Girls STEM Summit; and at Mount Saint Charles as a peer buddy.
In the fall, Meghan will be studying economics at Tufts University.
Emily Mercier of Cumberland, daughter of Pamela and Scott Mercier, has been named mistress of ceremonies. Third in her graduating class, Emily is a member of the National Honor Society and has been listed on the Excelsior Honor Roll for four years. Dedicated to her education, Emily took six Advanced Placement classes throughout her junior and senior years at the Academy: AP English Language and Composition, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus, AP English Literature, AP European History, and AP Psychology. She was also a three-time recipient of the Mount Saint Charles Excellence in Writing Award and is a published writer in TeenInk Magazine. A member of the French Conversation Club, Emily was honored with the Robert Mondor French Scholarship.
Throughout her Mount career, Emily has remained devoted to the Mount Saint Charles community. She has performed in 12 plays during her six years at the Academy and has been an active member of the choir and MSC Select Choir.
Beyond Mount, Emily works as a library page at the Cumberland Public Library and has done two years of assistant teaching for CCD classes at St. John Vianney Church in Cumberland.
Emily has two sisters currently enrolled at Mount Saint Charles, Rachel ‘19 and Sara ’22. Her brother, Adam, is an MSC alumnus from the Class of 2015 and is currently enrolled at Brown University.
In the fall, Emily will be attending the College of the Holy Cross and looking toward majoring in psychology.