Valedictorian aims to make difference through interaction with community

By Ed Pierce

Al Potter is confident that everyone, no matter who they are, can change the world and that we all possess the power we need inside ourselves to make a difference. As Windham High School’s Class of 2023 Valedictorian, Potter says he knows that life is so much more than academics and has strived to fill his life with activities, interests and pursuits to keep him grounded and connected to the community.

Windham High School's Class of 2023 Valedictorian 
Al Potter will attend Princeton university this fall to study
Astrophysical Science. He plans to become an astrophysicist
but remains closely connected to the community though a
variety of volunteer activities and interests.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

At the beginning of his high school experience, Potter struggled with just being himself, but realized that following his own path and being his own person, is the only path to success for him. He finished first academically in his class and will be attending Princeton University in the fall studying Astrophysical Science.

“At Princeton, I plan to continue immersing myself in all of my passions I discovered and developed as a WHS student,” Potter said. “I hope to be an astrophysicist who performs groundbreaking research on the most fundamental questions about our universe. I hope my efforts will somehow change the world. I have heard from younger students who ask me how they can be like me to get into an Ivy League school. The first thing I tell them is they won’t go anywhere trying to be anyone but themself, be yourself and be proud of who you are.”

To get to this point, Potter has filled every waking moment with activity. He’s an Eagle Scout, Class of 2023 president, RSU 14 School Board representative from Windham High School, a member of the school's Quiz Team, and works at a Memory Care Assisted Living Facility in Portland called Fallbrook Woods.

“I do not live a life with free time, I like to fill my life with everything I can,” Potter said. “Many of my classmates probably don’t know the breadth of the activities I am involved in and how challenging it can be to manage my time while still succeeding academically. I think many of my classmates assume I spend my whole life studying, when actually I am involved in so many different things, I spend a lot less time studying than I should. My time management skills are one of my greatest strengths. I manage to fill my life with so many different activities and responsibilities while still having time to excel at an intense course load.”

WELL-ROUNDED

In being so well-rounded, Potter has tried to stand out as someone who is passionate and highly involved in numerous activities while also contributing to each one in a deeply impactful and intimate way.

“It is this broad interaction in so many areas that has given me such a deep appreciation for community, opportunity, and perspective. My directive to be so vastly involved has provided me with a nuanced perspective on life, which has changed how I interact with those around me,” he said. “At Windham High School, I have worked to apply these passions in every segment of the community, becoming not just a student, but a scientist, writer, speaker, leader, technician, and more. It is my vast passionate interactions coupled with my ‘good human’ nature that I think teachers and school administrators most value in me. I think we should all strive to be good humans.”

His mother, Jennifer Potter, teaches sixth grade at Jordan Small Middle School and his father, Troy Potter, is a Certified Public Accountant at Scott Associate CPAs in Portland. His sister, Sophey Potter, is a rising senior at Manhattanville College in New York studying Musical Theater and is a WHS Class of 2020 graduate.

GRATEFUL

Looking back at his early days as a student in Raymond, Potter said he is grateful for every teacher he had in elementary and middle school.

“Unlike many students, I find that I have connected personally with every teacher over the last 13 years. They have all had unique impacts on my life,” he said. “Ms. Wiley, my kindergarten and first grade teacher, showed me to channel ecstatic energy into my passions and schoolwork, rather than disrupting the class. Ms. Spencer taught me the value of hard work. Ms. Baseler enriched my creativity after learning to explore it with Mr. Newcomb.”

While attending Windham High School Potter says that his favorites classes were a tie between AP Physics with Mr. Rathbun and AP Chemistry with Dr. Bizier.

“I mention both of these classes because they were fundamental to my career choice of Astrophysics,” he said. “I love Chemistry, but I do not want to be a Chemist focusing solely on the microscopic. I love Physics, but I love Chemistry too much to be a physicist. Astrophysics allows me to continue both these passions, researching the microscopic world and seeing how it applies to the macroscopic, our universe, solar system, and our reality. I enjoyed these classes so much because they gave me a taste of complex fascinating science concepts that I had not experienced in lower-level classes. I got to learn about electron geometries and quantum mechanics which were so cool and fascinating. It is the fascination from these classes that made me love them so much, aside from all the science puns.”

In graduating as Class of 2023 President and Valedictorian, he’s accomplished two of his dreams.

“I wanted to be a Raymond student who not only succeeded academically but connected and interacted well with the student body and community as a whole,” Potter said. “To be Valedictorian is a great honor to me personally. At Jordan-Small Middle School, I attended Gifted and Talented classes from first grade to eighth grade with Mr. Newcomb, but I never actually academically qualified for these classes. I was the ‘“not so gifted’ gifted as Mr. Newcomb now puts it. To be Valedictorian, the highest high school academic honor, after never being quite ‘up to par’ as a middle and elementary student, shows that being Valedictorian is more than being smart and doing well on tests. I am not the smartest student at Windham High, because, if I have learned anything from the last 13 years, we are all uniquely gifted in our own ways. My GPA doesn’t define my intelligence, it defines my test scores, which clearly don’t define me holistically. When I look at those around me, those with higher scores and those with lower scores, I still see people who are just like me: passionate, kind, and hardworking, all in their own way. I hope that as Valedictorian I represent someone who students can look up to and see that, yes hard work pays off, but your GPA, SAT Score, or even failing one class won't define you. You don’t need to be a genius to change the world, you just need to be like Isaac Newton and sit under an apple tree while thinking about the world uniquely.” <

WHS Quiz Show Team exhibits a true winning attitude

By Lorraine Glowczak 

Members of the Windham High School Quiz Team are,
from left, Al Potter, Greta Paulding, Kaitlyn Farrin and 
Francesca Lomonte. PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK

Although the first-place winning team for Season Five’s PBS Maine High School Quiz Show went to Brewer High School, with Bangor High School coming in as the runner-up, that does not signify defeat to the members of Windham High School’s Quiz Show Team.

The team demonstrated their intellectually competitive edge against 15 other Maine high schools and, at the same time, revealed their attitude regarding true triumph and success. Their positive winning mindset was exhibited at a private screening of the team’s last competition against Brewer at Pat’s Pizza before it aired for public viewing on June 24.

“It’s certainly not the results we wanted, but we got further than we had hoped,” said WHS math teacher and co-advisor John Ziegler.

Although they did not make it to the finals, WHS Quiz Show Team members shared their thoughts on what a true win means to them. 

“We have gained genuine friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Team Captain Greta Paulding, a senior for the 2022-23 school year. “That means more to me than anything.”

Team member Victoria Lin, who will also be a senior next school year, said that belonging to this group was one of the highlights of her school experience last year.

“We laugh a lot and have so much fun together,” she said. “Joining this team is one of the best things I have done.”

After the private screening, the students shared with their parents, who were unaware of the show’s outcome, about their experiences in this academic rivalry which brought the room to laughter.

“The van rides to the competitions are always very full of energy,” said Al Potter, a senior next year. “Conversations often include discussion about the quiz show itself and random stuff like traffic patterns, video games and movies. In addition, our group discussions are always exciting and fun. This happens naturally when you put a bunch of witty-outgoing teenagers in a van together.”

Potter also said that the taping at PBS was very professional, providing a learning experience for everyone.

“I think one thing we did not expect when arriving for the first time at PBS is the television process,” he said. “For example, everything is prerecorded and some of Todd's [Quiz Show's host, Todd Gutner] parts are scripted. If something goes wrong, they will stop and restart. This often meant waiting around, in the middle of rounds, sometimes for 15 to 20 minutes until taping resumed.”

Potter also shared another unknown fact about the taping process.

“Before the show starts, the crew points the camera at our whole team and tells us to dance with really high energy for 30 seconds. That is way more awkward and difficult than one would expect. I think we all high-fived each other 50 times because we were all out of 'high energy' dance moves.”

As the story telling ended and the laughter subsided, co-advisor and English teacher Nicole Densmore explained to the parents that being a part of this group also takes a lot of hard work, pointing out how proud she was of their perseverance and enthusiasm.

“They worked really hard meeting two days a week - every Monday and Friday,” she said. “They worked above and beyond what is expected of them and did so with a lot of gusto.”

The Quiz Show Team members explained that one does not need to be exceptionally clever or affiliate with Mensa to participate as a WHS team member.

“It’s not about being smart enough – that is not what matters,” said Potter. “It is about building confidence in yourself, taking a risk, and building friendships. Everyone’s contribution and knowledge are recognized and appreciated.”

Current members suggest a few ways to gain factual knowledge, especially for those students who might want to be a part of WHS Quiz Show team.

“Any reading you do helps,” Paulding said. “From my library, I recommend books such as ‘Jane Eyre’ or any books from classical literature.”

Other suggestions by team members include watching educational YouTube videos such as Wendover Productions, John Green’s Crash Course, or Oversimplified to gather random fun facts.

The 2021-22 WHS Quiz show team members were Greta Paulding (captain), Kaitlyn Farrin (alternate captain), Al Potter, Victoria Lin, Francesca Lomonte, Will Stuart, Rosie Lydon, Ralph Leavitt, Bryce Vance, Lee Bowman, Alex Pooler, Browin Dieumegard, Owen Gaulrapp, and Logan Alcott.

Densmore said that the WHS Quiz Show team's support throughout the year contributed to the members' attitude toward success.

“Everyone from siblings, guardians, and parents contributed to the team’s accomplishments,” she said. “I especially want to honor our two leaders, Greta and Kaitlyn, for their organizational and leadership skills.”

As Paulding said in a previous interview, their greatest success lies in teamwork and individual strengths. She applauds the work of the whole team and the co-advisors for their dedication and a job well done.

“I can’t thank my team enough,” she said. “Their astounding knowledge base, support and sense of humor keep me going through wins and losses. I am privileged to stand by their side. Our coaches, Mr. Ziegler and Ms. Densmore are incredible. Thanks to them, we continued to practice over Zoom last year when other teams stopped meeting altogether. We are so blessed to have such dedicated leaders.”

Although the competition did not go as hoped, the WHS Quiz Show team has a winning attitude evident through their hard work, enthusiasm, persistence, and most of all – the ability to have fun while making deep and long-lasting friendships.

After a month-long recess, the WHS Quiz Show team will begin working hard on sharpening their intellectual prowess to prepare for next year by meeting every Friday this summer until school starts this fall, where they will begin meeting twice weekly once again. <