We are happy to announce that this week’s new “Senior Spotlight” for The Flying Onion is…..Will Conklin! Will has worked tremendously hard over these past four years, serving as a model to his peers and helping to make DHS a friendlier place.
To start off, Will is a running star. Will was the NEC and Salem News Runner of the Year for the past cross country season. Along with that, Will and the rest of our cross country team won the D2 State Championships for the first time in school history, and won first place against Gloucester last school year in the NEC Championships.
Will stays consistent with his practices and learns from his past mistakes so he can become better. During his time here at DHS, he has broken multiple records, including the 5k school record, the Home Course record, the fastest time ever ran in the NEC race (5K), the school record with his teammates (JJ Rooney, Sean Moore and Charlie Garlin), the Distance Medley Relay, 4×800, and the 4xMile D4 State Record (also with his teammates). Will is hoping to break the mile and two-mile school record this upcoming season. He has shown a spike of improvement every year and with his hard work, he has a good chance of doing this. But beyond his talents in running, Will is also very involved in other aspects of DHS.
In addition to his accomplishments in track, Will holds many leadership positions at Danvers High. He currently serves as president of the Student Council and as treasurer for the National English Honor Society. He is also a member of the World Language National Honor Society, and has been a Community Leader for the past two years. Lastly, Will is a member of DECA, in which he has helped facilitate the INVEST event for DHS seniors, the new rebranding of the Credit for Life.
Aside from his involvement in these various activities, Will is also one of the friendliest faces at Danvers High, with a smile and quick hello for everyone he sees. J.J. Rooney, one of Will’s closest friends, spoke to his character.
“He is such a great guy. He’s super friendly and always supports his friends,”J.J. said. “He’s also such a dawg – Will works hard for everything he puts his mind to.”
Will’s senior English teacher Mr. Christian Mielcarek added his thoughts as well.
“Will is a responsible, diligent student; he is always positive and amiable,” Mr. Mielcarek said. “[As an athlete,] Will can run long distances at an impressive speed. And he’s reliable and mature in a way many students are not able to achieve while still in high school. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching Will for two years, and I am routinely impressed [by him].”
With so much going for him, Will has been recruited by, and has commitment to, UMass Lowell. Here, he will continue his track career next fall, alongside his friend, J.J. Rooney.
We will all be cheering him on with his future endeavors and wish him the best of luck.
