Windham High senior reflects on yearlong exchange in Japan

By Lorraine Glowczak

Some people spend years searching for their passion but for one Windham High School (WHS) senior, the thought of experiencing a way of life in another country began at an early age.

Windham High School senior Kate Lopes, left, shared an
opportunity of a lifetime by spending a full year in a
Japanese Exchange Program. Lopes is shown with
her host Japanese family. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Drawn to Japanese culture, Kate Lopes had a dream that went beyond learning about a different country. She wanted to experience its culture firsthand and did so last year by participating in an exchange program that took her through a full year of high school in Kamakura, a town that is about an hour directly south of Tokyo.

“It all began in seventh grade,” Lopes said. “I had always wanted something different and felt a strong connection to Japanese culture. I knew I wanted to be an exchange student, so I started taking steps around 11 years old to learn more about it. The biggest decision was how long I wanted to stay. I considered a summer program, a semester and a full academic year, but decided that a year felt right. I really wanted to experience daily life in Japan, and I felt that anything shorter would only scratch the surface. I wouldn’t get to experience everything I truly wanted to if I didn’t participate in a full year.”

The preparation to reach this goal included studying the language. When Lopes was a freshman, she decided to participate in WHS’s Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) program where she could learn the language.

“We don’t have a Japanese studies program at WHS, so I asked one of our World Language Department Chairs, Ms. [Tianna] Burton about how I could go about learning the language.” Lopes said. “She suggested reaching out to our ELO coordinator, Ms. [Lorraine] Glowczak and it was there I was introduced to the The Language Exchange program based out of Portland.”

Through the ELO and The Language Exchange programs, Lopes got to learn the basics of the Japanese language from a teacher who was born in Japan but now lives in Maine.

“Having this background knowledge was very helpful and prepared me for my experience, but I discovered that speaking it in everyday situations was difficult,” Lopes said. “By having this immersive experience, I was eventually able to talk with others in the context of daily life.”

Lopes learned about the cultural differences, and experienced surprising discoveries while living everyday life in Japan.

“The walkability really stood out to me,” she said. “The infrastructure is built around the city, making it easy to get from place to place. The train stations even have shopping malls, and there’s food available within walking distance. Everyone uses bikes, including electric bikes to get up the hills, and you can get almost anywhere by foot.”

Attending a private school rather than a public school, Lopes said that her educational experience may be different from the American perspective of Japanese education.

“People often think teachers in Japan are really strict, but they also know how to make learning fun,” she said. “The classes were lecture-based, but the teachers had fun personalities, and we were allowed to joke around and chat during instruction. The atmosphere was more relaxed and casual than I expected.”

Lopes said the classes were big, with about 30 to 40 students packed into a room.

“The school day started at 8:25 a.m., with classes running until 3:30 p.m.,” she said. “We had 10-minute passing periods and 45-minute classes. Extracurricular activities were just as important as academics, with clubs often meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. I had school five days a week, although I knew some students who attended six days. Dinner was usually around 7 p.m.” 

The biggest takeaway from her experience was how important community and family is to the majority of Japanese people.

“The biggest part of my experience was definitely the sense of belonging and community,” Lopes said. “I felt incredibly lucky to be welcomed into the community in the first place, because I knew that being accepted in Japan as a foreigner can be difficult. I never took that welcome for granted and I was always grateful for how kind and accepting people were toward me.”

Lopes said that one of her favorite experiences was celebrating New Year’s with her host family.

“New Year’s Day is a very family-oriented holiday, and it was fun to experience a tradition that is so deeply rooted in Japanese culture,” she said. “Being able to take part in that tradition made me feel even more grateful for my host family and for the opportunity to experience their culture firsthand.”

Lopes hopes to build a future in Japan through her interest in ceramics. After graduating from WHS in the spring, she plans to attend Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) for two years before pursuing further studies in Kyoto, or seeking an apprenticeship at a ceramics studio in Japan. Ultimately, Lopes hopes to turn her passion into a career working alongside Japanese ceramic artists. <

WHS students discover power of serving others in earning Dempsey Challenge award

By Lorraine Glowczak

Giving back to the community and fundraising for a good cause is a way to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and become part of something bigger than ourselves.

Windham High School students participated in the Annual
Dempsey Challenge in Lewiston and discovered what it
means to give back to your community. Some of the WHS
students in this year's Dempsey Challenge are, from left,
Morgan Clark, Brooklyn Roy, Anna Bowie, Nate Plati,
Miles Morrison, Sean LeBel, and Patrick Dempsey, the 
actor and founder of the Dempsey Center.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

For 15 Windham High School (WHS) students, the opportunity to make a positive impact became much more than a day of volunteering – it became a powerful experience that gave them a deeper understanding of themselves and what it truly means to be part of a community.

On Saturday, Sept. 19, the 15 students participated in the 18th Annual Dempsey Challenge in Lewiston. The challenge is a run, walk and bike fundraiser where the students saw firsthand the impact cancer can have on individuals and their families, and discovered how even a small act of service can make a significant difference in someone’s life.

Their commitment to giving back also earned them the award for the high school team with the most participants, an honor they captured for the second consecutive year.

WHS Junior Nate Plati, the organizer of the WHS team, said he is dedicated to helping others.

“I am a big advocate for giving back and being of service. Not only that, I learn a lot in the process,” Plati said. “With this experience, I learned what it really means to empathize with others. Hearing the stories of cancer survivors and families who have been affected by a loved one’s cancer made me realize how much people can go through and how important it is to be there for them.”

As Plati mentioned, part of the day included listening to stories from those who are experiencing or have experienced cancer and/or from family members whose loved one had cancer and were able to share their own stories.

For the students, this was one of the most impactful moments of participating in the Dempsey Challenge.

Morgan Clark, also a junior, said that her participation was an eye-opening experience.

“Seeing how many people that cancer touches was very heart-wrenching,” she said. “I saw one of my seventh-grade teachers there and I didn’t know that she had cancer. It was moving to connect with people I didn’t know and wouldn’t normally talk to. It was honestly beautiful to see everyone rally around each other and support one another.”

Junior Sean LeBel agreed with both Plati and Clark about the day’s activities and said the experience helped him to see things a little differently.

“Even though cancer is such a difficult thing, there was still so much happiness and hope throughout the day,” he said. “It made me appreciate my own life more and realize that I shouldn’t take things for granted. You don’t have to go through cancer yourself to understand how important it is to support others and be grateful for what you have.”

The mission of the Dempsey Center is “to make life better for people impacted by cancer through no-cost comprehensive supportive care” and Plati said that was obvious at the event.

“I was proud to see the support from all around the world,” he said. “It shows that no matter what you are going through, you are not alone.”

There were other unexpected discoveries by WHS students participating in the Annual Dempsey Challenge.

For Clark, the experience helped her to understand the importance of offering support for others during difficult times. She believes that being there can remind people that they are not alone.

“It doesn’t cost anything to let people know you care,” she said. 

LeBel learned that the financial aspect of medical bills is very expensive.

Helping one person to pay their bills can change their life for the better,” he said.

Perhaps Plati’s unexpected discovery might be a surprising fact for many.

“My generation, the Gen Z, often gets a bad rap,” he said. “We have the reputation for only caring about ourselves. But this proves that there are people in our generation that do care and come together to make a difference in others’ lives.”

According to Plati, the Dempsey Challenge event raised about $2 million. The Dempsey Center website emphasizes that all the money raised is used and goes directly to the services provided by the organization, which includes free cancer programs, counseling, and support for individuals, caretakers, and families impacted by cancer.

For more details about the Dempsey Center or to make a donation, visit www.dempseycenter.org. <

Murray prepares to lead Windham Chamber Singers as director

By Ed Pierce

He’s stepping into huge shoes to fill, but Ryan Murray is ready to take on one of the most prominent and influential positions in the RSU 14 School district.

Ryan Murray is the new director of choral
activities at Windham High School andc will
lead the Windham Chamber Singers.
COURTESY PHOTO  

Murray has been named by the RSU 14 Board of Directors to succeed Dr. Richard Nickerson as director of choral activities at Windham High School. That position includes serving as the director of the Windham Chamber Singers, a role that Nickerson held for 39 years before his retirement in June after an illustrious career with RSU 14.

During his time at Windham High School, Nickerson led the Windham Chamber Singers as the choral performed at the White House and at Carnegie Hall and won the Prize of Vienna at the 25th International Youth and Music Festival in Vienna, Austria in 1996.

Murray is from Scarborough and after graduating from high school at Thornton Academy, he attended the University of Maine where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. He was a recipient of a Tri-City Community Chorus Music Scholarship for college music education studies.

His experiences at UMaine helped prepare him for his new challenge teaching music at Windham High School and touring with the Windham Chamber Singers.

During college, Murray successfully auditioned as a freshman to become a member of the University Singers, a choir in which both of his parents had sung. As a college senior, Murray served as one of two assistant conductors for the University Singers. In March 2025, he was able to conduct the fourth movement of Johannes Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” for the University Singers’ spring concerts and annual spring tour, which was part of a group tour across Maine and into Quebec.

As a college junior and senior, Murray also served as music director for The Maine Steiners, an all-male a capella music group that is part of UMaine University Singers. During that experience, he chose what music the group would perform, handled scheduling and rehearsals and teaching proper vocal technique.

Beside his involvement with the University Singers and The Maine Steiners while attending college, Murray also was a participant in Camerata Dirigo, a chamber octet based in Orono. In 2024 he conducted Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem,” one of the best-known pieces of all choral music, during a full-length concert.

As a UMaine student, Murray also found time to work with choral students in a classroom setting at Orono Middle School. There he put into practice education skills that he learned and was able to inspire his students and give them confidence to meet greater challenges in music.

In his new position working with Windham High School students, Murray will direct the school choirs and teach elective courses in music. He will also be responsible for conducting the Windham Chamber Singers, scheduling group performances and coordinating logistics for music festivals and other events. Murray also will serve as the Music Director for the school musical.

During a Windham Chamber Singers reunion concert in June, Murray said he admires Nickerson and intends to continue the existing music program at the high school while also starting some new ones. Both of his parents are music teachers and at one point, his mother taught alongside Nickerson after she graduated from college.

The future is wide open for Murray and although he is replacing a legendary music educator in his new job, he is confident and excited to make the job his own.

Murray says that he also plans to work on obtaining a master’s degree in music so he can further his skills and enhance his musical knowledge so that he can offer an outstanding educational experience for his students at Windham High School. <

WHS art teacher expands his creativity beyond classroom with goal of community through murals

By Sophia Atherton

Art has always been a part of Joe McLaughlin’s life, and he wanted to share the love of creativity by becoming an art teacher. But little did he know how far his love for painting would take him. McLaughlin, who currently teaches painting, street art, printmaking, and drawing at Windham High School, has broadened his canvas beyond the classroom and onto walls of businesses throughout Maine.

Windham High School art teacher Joe McLaughlin finds
artwork, including murals, to be a rewarding opportunity
to create transformation and change the way people
experience the world. Here he shows a mural he painted
for Big Swing Golf Sim in Windham.
PHOTO BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK 

Recently, you’ll find McLaughlin’s talented artwork at a few businesses in Windham including the Big Swing Golf Sim. He explains how that opportunity took place.

"My first public mural came about unexpectedly,” McLaughlin said. “While visiting Flight Deck Brewing in Brunswick, I noticed a large white wall at the entrance and immediately wanted to fill that blank space with artwork. I asked the owners what they planned to do with it. When they told me they didn't have any plans, I suggested a mural.”

That project led to a second mural for the brewery and showed McLaughlin the power of community connections and word-of-mouth recommendations. He not only enjoys painting for businesses and community members, but also the relationship that art creates.

“I've met incredible people and have been given opportunities I never would have expected. I enjoy the interactions with the owners and patrons and seeing their excitement at the outcome, watching their business and space grow from just a shell of a room to an art installation."

He said that he has painted subjects that he never imagined doing, from aviation scenes to bees and golf courses, and his murals have taken him to places he otherwise might never have visited.

One of McLaughlin's favorite parts about creating murals is watching the pieces come together.

“Seeing the progress each time I complete the next step is very rewarding to me,” he said.

McLaughlin also finds artwork rewarding because it has the power to create transformation and change the way people experience the world.

"Art has always been a part of my life. I've been teaching art for 25 years at every grade level, from kindergarten through high school, but my passion for drawing and painting began long before I ever stepped into a classroom,” he said.

When McLaughlin was in high school, he said he was always creating, and that passion eventually grew into painting murals. His parents gave him the freedom and the space to paint a wall in his bedroom. At first, it was just one wall that featured a mural of Jerry Garcia, then before he knew it, every wall in his room was painted. The support of his parents gave him more than just a spark for mural painting but in changing the way he looked at blank walls.

Although painting, drawing and street art come naturally to McLaughlin, he admits that some things do not come easily while creating murals professionally.

“Some challenges that I face include scaling up a small drawing,” McLaughlin said. “When designing the golf ball, for example, I sometimes need to make changes on the wall adjusting the size from the original sketch. I will need to scale and proportion the artwork, so everything doesn’t appear too massive or too small.”

McLaughlin also takes a lot of photographs and will look at them at home to discover how things can be improved, learning to deviate from the original sketch.

“I also receive a lot of help from my wife, Kristin, and sometimes we work as a team to improve the artwork,” he said.

McLaughlin's view on the value of public art in the community was formed from traveling nationally and internationally.

“Sometimes public art can change the landscape of downtrodden communities and become a tourist attraction,” McLaughlin said. “Even changing the energy of a space. When things are so divisive these days, art can act as a universal language to bring people together."

McLaughlin’s love of art is more than a creative and teaching endeavor and, as a result, he hopes to add more art in the Windham and Raymond areas.

“Ultimately, I hope my work inspires others to see the value of art,” he said. “Murals have the power to transform businesses and strengthen communities.”

For his next mural, McLaughlin has been commissioned to provide artwork for a private individual in Casco. <

Windham High pitcher continues on path to major league baseball

By Ed Pierce

Brady Afthim’s first full season of minor league baseball has accelerated and now that he’s been promoted from Low-A Daytona in the Florida State League to the High-A Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League, he’s expecting even better results.

Brady Afthim of Windham pitches for the Dayton Dragons in 
a Midwest League minor league baseball game against the
Lansing Lugnuts on July 3. Afthim, a 13th round draft pick
of the Cincinnati Reds a year ago, was promoted from
low-A Daytona Beach to high-A Dayton by the Reds on
July 2. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

Afthim, a 2021 graduate of Windham High School, started playing baseball in the Windham Little League, and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th round of the 2025 Major League Baseball draft. He briefly appeared in two games last September for Daytona Beach after four years of pitching in college baseball for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

His first appearance for Dayton came on July 3 against the Lansing Lugnuts where he pitched 2.2 innings in relief and was awarded the victory as Dayton won, 6-3. So far, Afthim has gotten into two games for the Dragons, pitching 5.2 innings and striking out five Midwest League opposing batters.

A right-handed hurler, Afthim closed out his college career ranking second overall in University of Connecticut history with 92 appearances over four seasons. He is tied for 8th place overall in UConn team history with 17 career saves and posted the lowest opponent batting average in Huskies’ history at just .211.

The Reds drafted Afthim for his blazing fastball which has been timed in the range of 93 to 95 mph, and he has touched 97 mph at times. Besides throwing a fastball, he also mixes in a changeup and a slider that he uses to offset his fastball.

His parents, Shelly and Phil Afthim, are well-known around Windham for their support of both Brady and his older brother Bryce, who also pitched for Windham High School and played in college for the University of Southern Maine.

According to Brady though, he’s expecting batters that he will face while on the mound at High-A Dayton to be much tougher than those he pitched to in the Florida State League.

“In Low-A hitters generally are aggressive so pitchers can use that to their advantage by expanding the strike zone, but I imagine they will be more selective meaning that pitchers have to be in the zone more,” he said.

Afthim says he’s not exactly sure why he was promoted to Dayton after he appeared in 17 games there this season compiling a record of 1-3 with a 2.33 ERA (Earned Run Average) but is happy to be moving up to another level in professional baseball.

“Whoever makes the final decision on that doesn’t give up all the details, but I’d imagine it came down to strike throwing,” Afthim said. “I did a good job in Daytona consistently being in the zone and being efficient.”

He said he’s unsure how he will be used by Manager Julio Morillo while pitching for Dayton.

“Earlier this year I was doing the high-leverage late inning role but then started to stretch my outings out so I’m not totally sure,” Afthim said. “I’d guess maybe a little of bit of both, but I’m cool with whatever. I like being in at the end when the game is on the line, but I also don’t mind being out there and pitching a little bit too.”

At Dayton, Afthim also will benefit from working with the Dragon’s pitching coach Willie Blair, who pitched for 12 seasons and nine different major league teams during his career.

Under the WHS varsity baseball coach at the time, Cody Dube, who also had grown up in Windham, was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and played minor league baseball, Afthim said he learned valuable insights about the game and made the most of his opportunities while in high school.

He was honored as Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, was selected as the USA Today Player of the Year in Maine and was recognized as First Team All-Southern Maine Athletic Association as both a pitcher and a catcher. Afthim also won the John Winkin Award designating him as the top senior high school baseball player in Maine in 2021 and he was named as the recipient of the 2021 Mr. Baseball in Maine Award.

His 2026 season started for Afthim back in February when he joined the Reds for spring training in Arizona and made an appearance during a spring training game for Cincinnati against the Cleveland Guardians on March 22. <

WHS students strengthen Spanish skills through trip to Costa Rica

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School students who passed Spanish 3 through Spanish 5 were able to attend a two-week trip in Costa Rica where they had the opportunity to interact with and immerse themselves within the culture there.

All 16 students from Windham High School's Spanish 3
through Spanish 5 classes gather in Monteverde, Costa Rica
on June 22. Students who received a passing grade in
these classes were given the opportunity to spend over
two weeks within the culture of Costa Rica. While there,
they did volunteer work, went sightseeing and had 
interaction with communities while working to improve
their Spanish through engagement with the culture.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

The 16 students who attended stayed with host families, did activities, attended school and earned one Spanish credit, volunteered and worked on strengthening their Spanish through community interaction from June 14 to June 29.

Attendees included Chase Gagnon, Caleb Hayman, Sean LeBel, Renner Gerrity, Nico Hidell, Maddy Nugent, Ember Good, Maggie Soule, Ella Washburn, Maya Dries, Eilee Saxby, Brenna Small, Denali Momot, Isabella Thibodeau, Caroline Langerman and Sienna Ruth.

“Going into this trip I was very anxious and hesitant,” said Ella Washburn, who graduated before leaving for the trip. “Being sent to another country for 16 days and living with strangers sounds very intimidating. We were all told that the best way to learn a language was to be immersed in it. I learned a lot not only about their culture but also about myself. Volunteering in the local school ... and getting to feed sloths at the animal refuge league (were two of my favorite parts of the trip).”

WHS Spanish teachers Elizabeth Bubier and Tianna Burton were the trip chaperones. Bubier and Burton first heard about the Centro Panamericano de Idiomas or CPI from a language conference they attended years ago. With CPI, students stay with Costa Rican families and attend classes, volunteer, and get to do tourist activities.

Burton said the fastest path to fluency is experiencing the language, food, and music. When taking Spanish in high school, she says students get anxious about making mistakes and believe they aren’t capable of communicating effectively in Spanish. Costa Rica helps them to gain confidence. They are empowered to continue studying Spanish and their path to fluency.

For Burton, that is the most important takeaway from these trips.

“I have so many favorite moments on this trip, but two standout above the rest,” said Burton. “The first is on day two and three when a number of students were awed by the fact they had started thinking in Spanish. We assured them they could do it, that communication would get easier every day, but most didn’t believe us. On our walk to school the second day in country one student said, ‘I woke up this morning thinking about the conversation I would have with my Mama Tica over breakfast and then I realized I was thinking in Spanish instead of in English first only to translate it to Spanish.’ She was so excited and her confidence with Spanish only grew from there.”

The Windham students had school responsibilities with the expectation they would participate in all the activities. With their families, they were required to speak Spanish as well as in the classroom. There were everyday communications to buy snacks at the corner or in the local markets. After four hours of classes each day they went out to lunch at local restaurants. One day they came upon a festival, and many Windham students spoke with some older Costa Ricans and even danced with them.

“For us, the main goal of this trip is never just one goal,” said Bubier. “We want kids to get excited about speaking Spanish as well as experience a new culture and all its parts: family life, new foods, art, music, history, and everything that encompasses culture. We also believe that giving back to the communities in Costa Rica is important as well as having fun while you are doing everything the program offers.” 

Students did volunteer work at an elementary school, two animal rehabilitation facilities and a coffee farm. Windham students went on a city tour of San José, a hanging bridge tour of a tropical forest, zip lining, and a beach excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Ocean.

“This was my first opportunity to go on this trip,” said Chase Gagnon, a WHS junior. “Before going to Costa Rica, my Spanish was alright, but after being there for two weeks I was able to enhance my Spanish by not just our Spanish classes but also being around people who spoke Spanish and learning it from them. The surfing lessons and day at the beach was my favorite experience because surfing was incredibly fun and we were able to swim at the beach with all of our friends afterwards. We got to go to an animal sanctuary and help out. I enjoyed it because I was able to feed a sloth and I thought that was pretty cool.”

According to Burton, taking these trips with students and getting to see the students gain independence, self-confidence, global awareness, commitment to service, and to make new friends is the best part of her job as a language teacher.

“Both Tianna and I love this trip for so many reasons,” said Bubier. “We love Costa Rica, we love our students and we love watching them learn and grow. It is an amazing adventure for all involved.” <

Overcoming adversity a source of pride for WHS graduate

By Ed Pierce

Resilience isn't always about being unbreakable and sometimes it’s choosing to wake up, breathe, and put one foot in front of the other despite obstacles thrown in your way. Kendra Eubanks knows all too well what it means to be resilient but as she crosses the stage at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Sunday to receive her Windham High School diploma, her journey will have been worth the effort.

Kendra Eubanks has triumphed over bullying and racism to
graduate from Windham High School and is planning to
become a civil rights attorney following college. She
helped create the Black Student Union at WHS and at the 
age of 17 gave a TEDx Talk about dealing with adversity.
PHOTO  BY ED PIERCE
   

As a biracial child, Kendra was bullied and tormented at a middle school in Portland because of her ethnicity.

“As a biracial person from white and black backgrounds, I wasn’t black enough for the black students,” she said. “Their resentment grew into intimidation, and the harassment became so severe that school administrators asked me to eat lunch in the teachers’ lounge for my safety, away from my peers in the cafeteria.”

The bullying continued to worsen at school until one day she was summoned to the principal’s office and told to bring all her belongings. The principal told her and her parents that the school could no longer protect her, and they recommended that she attend another school.

Fearing for her safety, her parents uprooted Kendra from her school and the only community she had known and enrolled her in school in Windham where she didn’t know anyone and was one of only a handful of black students in the school district.”

“I had to meet new people, new teachers, new classes; it was the hardest thing, but I made it through,” Kendra said. “My parents and sisters Shayla and Kiera helped me by supporting me through all my challenges. Being able to talk to them about everything really helped me through some stressful moments.”

At first, it was challenging for her in Windham because of a lack of diversity among students.

“I wasn’t white enough for the white community,” she said. But unlike her previous school experience, she found support from WHS teachers, administrators and a growing sense of belonging among other students of color.

As a freshman at Windham High School, Kendra met another black student, Afomiya Timerga, and together they created the school’s Black Student Union, a group dedicated to educating others, sharing experiences, fostering inclusivity and bringing the school together.

“BSU is not just for black people,” Kendra said., “It’s about making everyone feel connected, being kind and supporting one another. We want to show that diversity is a positive thing and what we can do better when we all work together.”

Being involved with the group opened a lot of doors for Kendra and established invaluable connections for her. It also inspired her to want to go to law school and become a human rights lawyer after college.

“My role models are Michelle Obama, because of how confident and passionate she is; she is just an amazing soul,” Kendra said. “Then both my parents, Amy Edgecomb and Dajuan Eubanks. They are both so hard working and care about their jobs and balance their life out while having kids and a family.”

Windham High School administrators and teachers have marveled at how far Kendra has come and her potential in life.

Despite being only 17 at the time, last November Kendra was invited to give a TEDx Talk at the University of New England’s Portland campus about overcoming adversity, embracing resilience, and discovering the strength that comes from self-advocacy and community. Her message was she doesn’t want people to feel bad for her but to see how she overcame her challenges and how much good came out of everything. 

“It’s been incredible to watch Kendra grow as a leader,” said WHS Assistant Principal Philip Rossetti. “She’s been a tireless advocate for her classmates. Her willingness to educate peers and staff on equity issues has led to a lasting change in our culture and climate. She has left a positive impact on WHS.”

This fall Kendra will be attending the University of Maine, where she will be studying Political Science before heading into pre-law studies.

She credits WHS teachers Tianna Burton and Jen Dumont for helping her to start the Black Student Union at Windham High School and guiding her along the way into more of a leadership role among students.

“I am very passionate and care about people and my dreams and aspirations,” Kendra said. “Graduating from high school I have made my little self very proud because the little me who got bullied did not think she was going to make it to graduation, but I did, and I’m so proud of myself.” <

WHS sophomore to undertake grueling ‘Ultimate Murph Challenge’ to honor sacrifices of military veterans

By Ed Pierce

Lt. Michael Murphy was a U.S. Navy SEAL officer who tragically lost his life while taking intense Taliban fire to radio for help for his pinned-down squad after his team was compromised and surrounded by enemy forces near Asadabad, Afghanistan in 2005. His story has inspired Nate Plati, a Windham High School sophomore, to undertake The Ultimate "Murph" Challenge, an intense CrossFit workout and fundraising event conducted every year on Memorial Day.

Nate Plati, a Windham High School
sophomore, will undertake the 'Ultimate
Murph Challenge,' an intense CrossFit
workout to raise money for the Windham
Veterans Center on Memorial Day. The
event honors the late U.S. Navy SEAL
Lt. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor
recipient who lost his life protecting his
team in Afghanistan in 2005.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Plati plays varsity and club soccer, serves as a class officer and student council member, is a member of the WHS leadership team of Best Buddies, and assists with Unified athletics. He’s also a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA, is a devout Catholic attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and is passionate about fitness and ultra-endurance challenges.

His future plans are joining the U.S. Army Reserves, participating in ROTC throughout college, and serving America in the military following graduation.

“I first thought of the idea of creating the Ultimate Murph after hearing about the Original Murph Challenge, which is a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats followed by one more one-mile run,” Plati said. “I then made the decision to create the Ultimate Murph as a challenge to push myself to my limits and promote the importance of doing hard things. With the Ultimate, I’ll be doing the Original Murph 10 times so a total of a 20-mile run, 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups and 3,000 squats.”

The Original Murph Challenge was designed to be a grueling test of both physical endurance and mental grit and is usually performed while wearing a 20-pound weight vest.

Jeff Cook of Windham, a retired US Navy, SEABEE and the Commander of VFW Post 10643, says that Plati reached out to him a few months ago and wanted to help veterans in Windham.

“He is committed to excellence and making Windham a better place. As a young man with aspirations of attending West Point, I feel we need to help Nate the best we can,” Cook said. “Very seldom do you find a young person with this kind of drive. He has already raised thousands of dollars on his own that he will be donating to the veterans’ organizations in Windham.

Cook says that Plati taking on the Ultimate Murph Challenge holds special significance to him.

“This hit home with me as I was attached to Navy S.O.COM and worked for the SEALS teams and was listening to the radio commands as Lt. Murphy’s mission took a bad turn and everyone died accept Marcus Luttrell only a few miles away from my Forward Operating Base,” he said.

According to Cook, having Plati perform the Ultimate Murph Challenge is something he created on his own and working with school athletics and WHS administration, to date he has raised just over $3,200 toward his $5,000 goal.

“I am a true believer that to succeed in life you must be able to do hard things and push yourself beyond your limits,” Plati said. “If you can overcome physical adversity, challenges you face later in your life become much more manageable. I believe no group accomplishes this better than the United States military and I am a huge supporter of the people who serve our country.”

Plati will break the challenge up into 11 parts. Each part will consist of a 1-mile run, 20 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats, and each set has a minute of rest. After doing this part 10 different times, the final 11th part will consist of a 10-mile run.

He will be doing the event on the Windham High School Track on Memorial Day, Monday May 25 starting at 6 a.m. and running until about 4 p.m. with spectators and supporters welcome and greatly appreciated.

“I believe the hardest part will be after the first 10 parts,” Plati said. “Mentally it is going to be difficult knowing I have done 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups, 3,000 squats, and run for 10 miles, and still have another 10 miles to run. I am going to overcome this by remembering that I am doing this challenge for something greater than myself.”

Passionate about the U.S. Army and hoping to attend West Point after high school to become a combat engineer officer in the Army, Plati says that he would love to serve a full 20-year military career. 

“I enjoy the thought of an intense physical job with structure that will allow me to push myself, as well as open up many opportunities for me,” he said. “At the same time helping people and serving my country is a true passion of mine.”

He’s been training for this challenge six to seven days a week since the middle of January while still focusing on his high school studies.

“My favorite subjects are math and history,” Plati said. “I like problem solving in math and I love to learn about how the world works around me in history.”


As far as the Ultimate Murph Challenge goes, Plati says the key takeaway he wants people to remember is the importance in doing things greater than yourself especially to help those around you.

“Two quotes that have gotten me this far are ‘Do it for those who can’t, and to honor those who did’ and ‘1 Peter 4:1 Therefore since Christ died in the flesh for us, for you arm yourself with the same thought and purpose. For whoever has suffered in the flesh is through with sin,’ he said.

Plati believes the public should support and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge as a measure of respect for those Americans who have worn the uniform of the United States in the defense of freedom.

“This is about giving back to our veteran community who served our country and put their lives on the line so we may be free,” he said.

To learn more about Nate Plati and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge, visit https://givebutter.com/plati-murph-challenge. <

From rookie to role model: WHS mock CSI unit creates a full circle return to the scene

By Lorraine Glowczak

“When will I ever use this after high school?” It’s a question that teachers have heard echo through classrooms for decades. From math equations to lab reports to literary analysis, students often wonder how today’s lessons will matter in their future. But what happens when learning moves beyond the classroom and into the real world – where students are exposed to the ways math, science, and English are not only useful, but needed to succeed?

Corporal Hailey Penney, a 2022 Windham High graduate now
serving in the Maine Correctional Center's Special
Investigations and Intelligence Unit, returned to WHS as 
an expert in the annual Mock CSI event, a career-connected
curriculum she participated in as a student four years ago. 
She helped student 'rookie' detectives refine their\
questioning skills and share how others can follow a 
similar career path. SUBMITTED PHOTO  

To help students see the real-world value of their learning, Windham High School teachers John Ziegler (math) and Adrianne Shetenhelm (alternative education English) launched a hands-on interdisciplinary unit in 2016. The collaboration brought their classes together for a mock CSI experience that challenged students to apply math, writing and critical-thinking skills to a simulated crime scene.

“As the project proved its impact over the next few years, the partnership grew to include Lauren Ruffner’s science, along with real-world support from the Windham Police Department and the Windham Fire Department, transforming the unit into a fully immersive learning experience,” Shetenhelm said.

This collaborative interdisciplinary unit continued again this year on Thursday, April 30 with the “crime” occurring in the parking lot at the Windham Veterans Center. But what made this year’s unit so special was a meaningful turning point when one of Shetenhelm’s former students, Hailey Penney, a 2022 WHS graduate, joined in on the collaboration.

“A full-circle moment for me this year was having Hailey back on the scene, four years after she was in the unit as a student; she came back as an expert,” Shetenhelm said.

Penney, now Corporal Penney, works for the Maine Correctional Center in the Special Investigations and Intelligence Unit. She was invited to join mock CSI day to help the “rookie" detectives and evidence techs in refining their questioning techniques. She talked about her career pathway and how other students may follow a similar path if they are interested.

“After contacting the Maine Correctional Center to see if we could have someone speak to our students, it was clear that Hailey would be the perfect choice,” Shetenhelm said. “Hailey's superiors spoke so highly of her capabilities and her speedy progression in the field. I was not surprised, and I am so proud of her.”

Corporal Penney said that she doesn’t remember being interested in law enforcement before the mock CSI event. “I believe this is because of my prior lack of knowledge as to what law enforcement officers do. Being introduced to WPD Detective Andrews and Sergeant Fournier and learning about what they do in their careers significantly changed my perception. I was inspired to make a difference.”

She added that being a part of a “real-life crime scene”, gathering information and interviewing witnesses and suspects sparked an interest in her that she didn’t know she had. “Before this, I remember feeling as if I had not found my passion yet. I am very grateful that I was involved with this event because I’m not sure if I would have considered a career in corrections or law enforcement otherwise.”

Being an expert now, Corporal Penney said that she enjoyed talking with the students about her story and how her career became a passion.

“There were so many students who were engaged in this event and open to speaking with me. I gave two students Maine Department of Corrections challenge coins because I was very impressed with their thought processes and efforts that went into this year’s mock CSI unit,” she said. “My hope is that students were able to take something away from our conversations and have a better understanding of law enforcement, like I did when I experienced the CSI event.”

It’s Shetenhelm and Ziegler’s hope for their students too. As a result, they plan to continue this annual career connected learning as long as they can. To do so, they will begin to write a new “crime” this summer.

“Each year, we write a new narrative over the summer and recruit staff volunteers and actors in the fall,” Shetenhelm said. “We begin working with the WPD and other experts to ensure the story is realistic. By the fourth quarter, the unit begins—preparing English students to investigate and interview witnesses while math and science students learn to analyze evidence. On the day of the field trip, one question remains: Have we prepared them enough to connect the dots on their own, just as they must after graduation?”

Shetenhelm says that they hope to team teach with Corporal Penney again next year.

“I couldn't be prouder and more honored to be a part of her story and to be working alongside her,” Shetenhelm said. 

Veterinary student finds confidence through bodybuilding

By Ed Pierce

When Mikayla Baiguy first started lifting weights during the pandemic, she had no idea it would eventually lead to a bodybuilding title and winning her pro card in the sport.

Mikayla Baiguy, a 2019 Windham High School graduate,
placed first in figure novice and first in figure open, 
earning her a pro card, while competing in the OCB
Blaze of Glory bodybuilding competition in Bridgeport,
Connecticut in April. She will earn a Doctor of Veterinary
Medicine degree at Tufts University this month and hopes 
to become a veterinarian in New England.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

Baiguy, Windham High School’s Class of 2019 Valedictorian, is wrapping up work this month to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Tufts University and she also competed in two bodybuilding competitions this spring. In March, she placed second in figure debut and figure novice and was third in figure open at the OCB Shamrock Classic in Durham, New Hampshire, then followed that up by placing first in figure novice and first in figure open, which earned her a pro card, at the OCB Blaze of Glory in Bridgeport, Connecticut in April.

It’s an interesting hobby for Baiguy, who hopes to become a small animal general practice veterinarian in either Maine or New Hampshire upon graduation from Tufts.

“When I first started lifting, I never imagined that I would end up here or how much this sport would mean to me. I started lifting during COVID-19 as a way to get out of the house and stay active,” Baiguy said. “At first, I felt so out of place in the gym, but the longer I went, the more I started to enjoy it. I slowly started educating myself on the bodybuilding lifestyle, including both lifting and diet. The more I learned, the more invested I became, and started to fall in love with the process.”

Baiguy says that she never considered competing in a bodybuilding competition until about two years ago, mainly because she had not had enough time to develop her physique to a point that she was confident to step on stage.

“Once I did get to a point where I was thinking about it, I went to watch my cousin compete in her first show. I had so much fun watching her, and she had such an amazing experience; that was when I decided for sure that I wanted to go for it,” Baiguy said. “I started making plans, picked a show date, dialed in my diet and workouts, found a coach, and never looked back.”

In competing for the first time, she said she decided to enter the bodybuilding events this spring with no expectations.

“My only goals were to look like I belonged on stage and enjoy the process,” Baiguy said. “I never imagined that I would end up with my pro card at the end of it. As proud and excited as I am for the win, this prep has meant so much more to me than just that. I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people in the bodybuilding community, forming connections and lifelong friends through a shared passion for this sport. It has shown me how lucky I am to have so many friends and family in my corner cheering me on throughout the process.”

She said bodybuilding has taught her so much about herself and pushed her past limits, both mental and physical, that she never knew she had.

“I love this sport because it is proof that results are a direct reflection of the work that you put in, that as long as you keep showing up, you cannot fail,” Baiguy said. “This discipline is something that I have been able to translate to all other aspects of life as well. This sport has become a safe place for me, giving me consistency and structure when the rest of life feels overwhelming or out of control, and for that I am forever grateful. I am so thankful for everything this life has given me so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”

According to Baiguy, bodybuilding has never felt like a burden or something that interferes with her academic studies.

“If anything, it improves my academic performance by giving me an outlet to take a break from the stress of school and provide me with a better work-life balance. Some weeks are busier than others when it comes to academics, and I may have to flex my gym schedule a bit or skip a day here and there,” she said. “But at the end of the day, success in bodybuilding isn't about any single day, it's about the consistency and time put in over many years. I love this sport, so it's never been difficult to make it a top priority in my life in addition to academics. That being said, I don't have the same flexibility with my gym schedule during prep as I do in the off season. I purposely planned my prep for a time I knew that I would be slightly less busy with school so that it interfered with my academics as little as possible.”

She’s found that nutrition is essential to bodybuilding success.

“It doesn't matter how long you've been training for, if nutrition isn't dialed in you'll never be able to build muscle efficiently or get lean enough to step on stage,” Baiguy said. “When preparing for a competition, it is essential to keep protein high to maintain as much muscle mass as possible. Common protein sources include chicken breast, lean ground beef or ground turkey, egg whites, Greek yogurt, and protein powder, among other things. Carbs and fats will start off higher at the beginning of prep and slowly drop down as you get closer to the show. Common carb sources include rice, sweet potatoes, oats, and fruit. Healthy fat sources include eggs, avocados, and nut butter. Having lots of vegetables is also important and can help with satiety because you can eat a high volume for relatively low calories. As far as drinks during prep, I stick to water, black coffee, and other zero-calorie drinks. The diet during prep is so strict; there is no room for extra calories in drinks.”

To best prepare for the events that she planned to enter this spring, Baiguy worked with a bodybuilding coach, Kevin Richards, for about 6 months from November to April while preparing for the competitions. Prior to that, she was entirely self-taught and had never worked with a coach or trainer. During her preparations, she would spend about two hours a day or between 13 to 15 hours every week at the gym. 

“Personally, I find it best to stay busy during prep, which was not hard for me, given my crazy school schedule,” she said. “Keeping busy allows less time to overthink the little things, less stress about the day-to-day fluctuations, less time to dwell on the feelings of hunger or overall burnout that your body is experiencing. Having a coach also took a lot of mental strain from me as far as not having to worry about my weekly progress throughout prep. I trusted him to make the necessary changes to get me where I needed to be. All I had to do was sit back and follow the plan. Having him with me on show day was also a huge weight off my shoulders because he was able to guide me through everything. I didn't have to worry about all the little details and timing of everything, so I could just relax and enjoy the day.”

As far as her future in bodybuilding is concerned, Baiguy hopes to continue to improve herself and expand her knowledge of bodybuilding, including both training and diet.

“I hope to have my pro debut at some point in 2027. I would love to continue to compete as long as I am able to but I don't have any specific expectations aside from continuing to grow and get better one day at a time,” she said. “I am going to take the rest of this year to allow my body to recover from this prep that I just finished and allow time for growth before my next show.” <

Lodge’s ‘Charity Dinner’ event to fund several college scholarships

By Ed Pierce

The underlying belief of Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham is to practice charity and to care, not only for their own but also for the community through charitable giving and volunteer efforts to become better men and to forge a better world. To that end, the lodge’s upcoming Charity Dinner promises laughs, great music and an awesome meal while raising money to fund two scholarships for Windham High School students

Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham are hosting
a Charity Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik's
Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham to fund 
scholarships for Windham High School students. The event
features appetizers, an Italian buffet and desserts, with
entertainment by comedians Nick Gordon and Mark 
Turcotte and music by the 43 Degrees North band.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

The Charity Dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik’s Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham and features delicious appetizers, and Italian buffet and desserts, comedians Nick Gordon and Mark Turcotte, and music by the 43 Degrees North band. There will also be a silent auction, and tickets are priced at $65 per person.

According to Gaige Hamilton of Raymond, a member of the lodge, planning for the Charity Dinner began earlier this year and the event was created for the purpose of offering college scholarships to deserving students from the area.

“Everything we do revolves around charity and to benefit the community,” Hamilton said.

Besides comedy and music, guests at the Charity Dinner will be able to enjoy Hor D'oeuvres; Antipasto Skewers; Spanakopita; Chicken Marsala; Garlic Bread; Caesar Salad; Chicken Broccoli Alfredo; Bolognese; Buttered Pasta; and Dessert with cookies and pastries.

The 43 Degrees North band is donating their time to entertain at the Charity Dinner, Hamilton said. It was created by three members of the band “Wednesday Night Project.”

The goal of this acoustic group is to share their love of music and performance with others in the community. Before forming this group all three members had various levels of performance experience and amalgamated their talents to create a very fun and entertaining trio. The music is an eclectic mix of country and classic rock songs that lend themselves to the sound and harmonies of the three performers.

Nick Gordon is a writer, podcaster, and voice actor. He is a founding member of Great Falls Comedy Club and a regular at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club, McCue's Comedy Club, and Empire Comedy Club.

Mark Turcotte is the founder of Maine Event Comedy and the Bricks & Bridges Comedy Fest. He was a finalist in the Funniest Comic on the East Coast Contest and has performed for the Gotham All-Stars Show in New York City.

The Presumpscot Lodge at 964 River Road in Windham is the gathering place for Masons from Windham, Standish and Raymond.

Currently the lodge has 280 members and is proud of its long history and charitable works for the community.

Formed in 1864, the first lodge building was located at Windham Hill and took its name after the Presumpscot River which played a prominent part in the town’s early formation. In 1887, the original Masonic building was dismantled and reconstructed at a location near 725 Roosevelt Trail in North Windham. That lodge remained at that location until 1970 when the current lodge building at 964 River Road was built. 

The history of Masonry in Maine goes back even further. In 1762, the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Grand Lodge of England (now the United Grand Lodge of England) issued a charter to form a Lodge in Falmouth, which eventually became Portland, at the request of several Masons living in the area.

In 1819, the people of Maine voted to withdraw from Massachusetts and form a separate state. There were 31 Maine Lodges at the time, active and thriving, who then met in convention and voted to follow suit and form their own Grand Lodge of Maine when the separation took place.

Hamilton says that Windham’s Masonic Lodge is made up of men who share similar values for their own well-being, and for the overall health and welfare of the inhabitants of their community. He said that Masons contribute time and resources to charity and participate in many outreach programs designed to better their community.

He said the Charity Dinner is yet another demonstration of Presumpscot Lodge 70’s commitment to making the community a better place to live.

“We also changed the scholarship requirements to give more students an opportunity,” Hamilton said. “We lowered the GPA required to 2.7 overall. Many top students will receive multiple scholarships when awarded on Scholarship Night, but academics are only one component to student success. Our scholarships will be based on many factors, including community involvement, athletics and more. We’ve opened it up to make these two scholarships available to even more deserving students.”

The Presumpscot Lodge 70 scholarships will be presented for the first time on Scholarship Night at Windham High School in June and Hamilton said that the Masons expect to present two scholarships annually thereafter.

To obtain tickets for the Charity Dinner event, call 207-318-4056 or 207-245-0234. <

Windham pitcher earns bullpen spot for Florida State League’s Daytona Beach Tortugas

By Ed Pierce

Windham’s Brady Afthim is yet another step closer in his quest to play Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds.

Brady Afthim of Windham pitches for the Daytona
Beach Tortugas during a Florida State League game
against Jupiter on April 2. Afthim was drafted by the
Cincinnati Reds last summer and is in his first full
season of playing professional baseball.  
PHOTO BY NADIA ZOMORODIAN/
DAYTONA BEAVCH NEWS-JOURNAL

After a solid showing during the Reds’ spring training in Arizona, Afthim, 23, was assigned to the Reds’ minor league team, the Daytona Beach Tortugas in the Florida State League, and appeared in the Tortugas’ first game of the season last week against Jupiter. He faced five batters and struck out two as the Tortugas defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads, 4-2.

A right-handed pitcher, Afthim signed with the Reds last summer for a $150,000 bonus after Cincinnati selected him in the 13th round of the 2025 MLB Draft last July. He graduated from Windham High School in 2021 and went on to a stellar career serving as the closer for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

While playing for Windham High under then WHS coach Cody Dube, Afthim racked up honors as Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, USA Today Player of the Year in Maine, and First Team All-Southern Maine Athletic Association as both a pitcher and a catcher. He also won the John Winkin Award designating him as the top senior high school baseball player in Maine in 2021 and he was named as the recipient of the 2021 Mr. Baseball in Maine Award.

The son of Shelly and Phil Afthim, Brady started playing baseball in the Windham Little League and his older brother Bryce, also pitched for Windham High School and played in college for the University of Southern Maine.

Throwing a fastball between 93 to 95 mph and touching 97 mph at times, Afthim can mix in a changeup when needed and he also keeps batters guessing by throwing a slider effectively.

He says he’s found playing professional baseball is different from college.

“The biggest adjustment for me, being someone who came out of college, has been the approach to pitching in games,” Afthim said. “In college the goal is to win. And priority number one for pitchers is to throw strikes, try to walk as little batters as possible, and be efficient. All things that make sense when you’re trying to win games. In the minor leagues, especially at the lower levels, it’s all development based.”

Afthim said he’s found that in minor league baseball, results come second to player development.

“So, for me, an example would be throwing my slider above 87 mph,” he said. “In college if I was throwing my slider above 87 mph and it was all over the place and my fastball was getting hit off the wall, that wouldn’t be seen as good. Seems pretty obvious. Here my goal is to throw that slider above 87 mph and it’s hit all over the place that would be seen as a step in the right direction. The mindset is eventually I’ll learn to throw that 87 mph slider in good spots, and then I’ll have a really good pitch to go to. So just understanding the process of developing into a better pitcher is the top priority and not necessarily my Earned Run Average or winning games is definitely a change for me.” 

Becoming an even better pitcher is something Afthim started working on after hearing his name called by the Reds in the draft. He initially spent time at Cincinnati’s training complex in Goodyear, Arizona last summer before being assigned to Daytona Beach in late August. Afthim appeared in two games near the end of the 2025 season for Daytona Beach, pitching 3 innings, striking out two and posting an EAR of 3.00.

The 2026 season started for Afthim in February, joining the Reds for spring training in Arizona and he even appeared in a spring training game for Cincinnati against the Cleveland Guardians on March 22. During that game, he faced five batters, throwing 23 pitches, 13 of which were strikes, and only allowing one hit – a home run by Cleveland’s Kyle Manzardo on a 93.1 mph fastball.

Now into the regular season, he’s been working with Tortugas’ pitching coach Jason Immekus to come up with some solid goals for him for the year.

“Obviously my goal is to stay healthy and just enjoy this whole process,” Afthim said. “It can be pretty challenging, but it’s been a blast so far and hopefully that continues.” <

Windham High student wins state oratorical competition to advance to national finals

By Ed Pierce

For Windham High School senior Corey Brackett, competing in the 2026 American Legion Oratory Contest is about more than winning the event. She’s been focused on discovering her voice, strengthening her character, and carrying forward the legacy of American democracy. Whatever she’s done, it’s worked so far and earned Brackett a trip to the National Finals in May and a chance at earning a $25,000 college scholarship.

Windham High School senior Corey Brackett, representing 
Field-Allen Post 148 in Windham, won the American Legion
Department of Maine High School Oratorical Contest on
Feb. 14 at Thomas College in Waterville and was
congratulated by Department of Maine Legion Commander
Leroy McKenzie. With her win, Brackett qualified for the
American Legion National Finals at Hillsdale College in
Michigan on May 15 and a chance to earn a $25,000
college scholarship. SUBMITTED PHOTO    

To reach the National American Legion Oratory Contest Finals at Hillsdale College in Michigan starting May 15, Brackett won the Legion Post 148 contest in Windham and then captured the district title at South Portland American Legion Post 35 in January. She then qualified for the National Finals by winning the American Legion Department of Maine State Oratorical Contest held at Thomas College in Waterville on Feb. 14.

Brackett says she first heard about the oratory contest in Windham from her uncle.

“I was meeting my Uncle Dave at the Windham Veteran Center after one of their meetings so we could drive together to get dinner,” Brackett said. “My uncle had told me to come inside as he had an interesting opportunity for me. I was then introduced to another veteran named David who told me about the oratorical contest. At first, I really struggled with picking what my oratorical should be about. The prompt itself is very broad, so it left much up to interpretation. I wanted to make sure I picked a strong topic that not only highlighted the importance of our constitution but how it applies today.”

The speech she developed centers on the importance of American citizens being aware of their rights so elected officials can pass laws that will protect those rights, and Americans don’t give them up so easily while also touching upon the importance of citizens to use their moral compass since the constitution was founded upon the need of a moral compass.

“It took me about a month to write it all, once I picked my topic,” she said. “I wanted to make sure I had plenty of information past and present to support the arguments I was making. I chose this specific topic because I wanted to pick something that was relevant to today while also highlighting the importance of the past. I wanted it to show how amazing our constitution truly is and how people need to take this, and their own lack of civil engagement and knowledge of their own rights more seriously.”

Having a love of history certainly helped Brackett to develop her speech.

“My favorite class I have taken at Windham High School would have to be AP U.S. history,” she said. “I’ve always loved history, but this class was not only great because it was taught so well by Mr. Poulin and allowed me to have a deeper understanding when it came to the timeline of this country than I’ve ever had before. Though at times the work could be grueling, I truly valued this class more than any other since it felt the most important. It gave me a deep dive into this country’s history, and a better knowledge of not only all the rights and freedoms we have today but the background to why they were put in place as well.”

She believes that there are two reasons why her presentation resonates with contest judges.

“One was the topic I chose. The prompt for this competition is quite broad but having a topic that touches upon the importance of the history of this, and how it applies today is definitely important,” Brackett said. “My other reason for success is I have a background in performing. I do musical theatre and the Windham Chamber Singers, which definitely helped me with my stage presence, and how I spoke. I felt confident when giving my oratorical as I am used to being on stage and having to project my voice and speak in a certain way so people cannot only hear me but hear me well.”

Her family, including her father Steve, her mother Susan, and her older sister, Sydney, are proud of her achievements in the contest. Her mother teaches fourth grade at Raymond Elementary School and will accompany her daughter while she competes in the National Finals in Michigan.

Since 1938, the American Legion Oratorical Competition has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.

The American Legion Oratorical Program is a speech contest for students who welcome learning and for the student who looks for an academic challenge and an opportunity to gain scholarship funding. The Legion's High School Oratorical Scholarship Program is a natural fit. Students learn valuable information about our country's constitution in a contest that has been held by The American Legion for more than 88 years.

The competition is a speech contest centered on the U.S. Constitution that provides winners with scholarship opportunities at all levels. Contestants are asked to speak on a topic of their choice related to the U.S. Constitution for eight to 10 minutes followed by a speech of about 3 to 5 minutes on a U. S. Constitution topic selected by the judges.

All high school students in Grades 9 to 12 in public high schools, private schools, parochial schools, military schools and home-schooled are invited to compete in the contest. Students who compete in the National Contest will receive at least a $2,000 scholarship with the final competition winner being awarded a $25,000 scholarship.

Brackett credits her uncle for not only alerting her of the contest opportunity but also supporting her as she prepared her speech.

“He would let me bounce ideas off of him, suggest an event in history for me to look at if he thought it would be helpful, and at one point let me run my speech for three hours straight with him,” she said.

Friends, family, and her teachers also helped Brackett to win the local, district and state contests.

“After practicing my speech in front of my family and the veterans, they helped me realized the importance of pregnant pauses for dramatic effect and that I needed to slow down at times,” she said. “Sometimes once I get to a specific point in my speech, I can get very excited and speed up at times. They helped me realize when I did this so I could correct it before the competition.”

Following graduation in June, Brackett will participate in basic training for the U.S. Air Force National Guard.

“After basic training, I will go to technical school where I will be training and learning to become an Aerospace Medical Technician,” Brackett said. “When technical school is finished, I am going to continue my schooling in Maine to focus on completing my nursing degree as doing it through the military allows me to complete around a year and a half to two years, instead of four. After all my education is finished, I will continue to serve in the Air Force National Guard while being either a Pediatric or an Oncology Nurse.”

When not in school, Brackett said she loves being outside in the summer months and riding a snowmobile in the winter.

“You can always find me paddle-boarding, playing pickleball and just hanging out on the pontoon in the summer,” she said. “I’m also a big people person so I love to spend my time hanging out with family or friends. A lot of my friends would say something that not a lot of my classmates know about me is my love for chess. I don’t think a lot of people know I like to play chess or even know how to play. I started to pick it up last year when a teacher at my school asked me if I wanted to learn. I instantly loved it.”

As for right now though, she’s continuing to get ready for the American Legion Oratory Contest National Finals and is not relenting on preparation for the event.

“I am going to continue practicing my speech throughout the week, and even potentially setting up some mock contests at the Windham Veterans Center to even better prepare for nationals,” she said. <

WHS students explore morality in upcoming play competition

By Dina Mendros

Windham High School’s one-act play entry for this year’s Maine Drama Festival will challenge audiences to reflect on morality, as 25 students bring the classic work “Everyman” to the stage next month.

Windham High School's cast of 'Everyman' gather following
a rehearsal at the school. The late 15th century English
morality play will be directed by CJ Payne and is the
school's one-act play entry for this year's Maine Drama
Festival which will be presented at South Portland High
School on March 6 and March 7.  COURTESY PHOTO    

The cast – supported by student crews handling backstage operations, sound, and lighting – is preparing the late fifteenth‑century English Catholic morality play under the direction of Christopher (C.J.) Payne.

Some 69 schools across Maine will compete at eight regional sites on March 6 and 7. Windham High School will perform at South Portland High School, while WHS itself will host the state festival for advancing teams on March 20 and 21. The New England Drama Festival will follow at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont, from April 30 to May 2.

Payne, who became WHS technical director in 2009 and theater director in 2023, cited the long history of the event. 

"The earliest Maine High School One Act Drama Festival dates back to 1931 and was held at Bath High School,” he said. “Windham has a plaque in the trophy case showing our participation going back as far as 1961.”

The author of “Everyman,” written between 1490 and 1510, remains unknown. Payne describes the play as both humorous and dramatic, using symbolic characters, such as Death, Fellowship, and Cousin, to explore deeper questions of human morality.

“The play centers on Everyman confronting death, which rarely arrives welcomed,” he said. “Because it was written in Catholic Europe, it uses symbols audiences then and now can easily recognize to examine what makes someone a good person and what Good Deeds that they’ve done in their lifetime.”

This production marks a shift for WHS theater.

“The time period of the script is a big departure from the shows we’ve done in recent years,” Payne said. “And this will be the largest cast Windham has taken to the festival in the last five years.”

Junior Ashlynn Cuthbert is assisting Payne as student director. She joined theater in eighth grade and says it has become a major source of joy.

“My primary role is to be a second pair of eyes for our director,” she said. “I weigh in on everything from costumes and sets to acting choices and blocking. CJ and I work together to make the show as powerful and seamless as possible. One of my favorite parts is helping other actors develop their characters.”

Cuthbert appreciates the collaborative nature of the production. “Every detail is discussed and sometimes debated until we find the best option,” she said.

Working on a script originally written in Middle English has also taught Cuthbert some valuable lessons.

“I’ve learned how important it is to truly understand and believe what you’re saying,” she said. “Bringing a character’s emotion into yourself is always important, but with this language, it’s even more challenging – and even more essential.”

She said that she hopes the performance sparks reflection.

“I don’t think it’s art’s job to tell an audience what to think or feel,” Cuthbert said. “Good art inspires people to have conversations with themselves about emotions and morals. I want our audience to leave contemplating what it means to be a good person—and, on a lighter note, thinking our show was really cool.”

According to Cuthbert, she plans to pursue law, specializing in prosecution or civil rights.

“It may sound far from theater, but both involve performance,” she said. “You’re standing in front of people, trying to capture their attention and take them on a journey. Both law and theater help people in different ways.”

Payne said he is excited to see what the students bring to the festival this year. “It’s rewarding to get students excited to perform for other schools,” he said. He chose “Everyman” because he wanted something different. “This show really fits the group of actors we have.”

The goal, he added, is always to deliver a production that exceeds expectations. “We hope to bring a professional‑level performance to the festival. Our actors and technicians always bring strong competition to the Class A sites. Hopefully the judges agree.” <