Sharing valedictorian honors are Nikolai Burgoon, Hailey Greenleaf, Andrew Larsen, Brent J. Mayes II and Brandon Truong. Salutatorian honors go to Carter Kassin.

— Nikolai David Burgoon is the son of Paul and Foz Burgoon of Iron Mountain. He has maintained a 4.00 grade-point average all four years of high school and is a four-year honor roll member.

He has been a member of the National Honor Society for three years.

Burgoon’s activities include three years of Key Club International, being Varsity Club class representative for the past three years, two years with the Academic Booster Club and a year with the Environmental Club. He also was on student council. In addition, Burgoon also played varsity hockey and baseball all four years, where he was captain for both sports this year and assistant captain for hockey his junior year.

HAILEY GREENLEAF

Burgoon volunteered for more than 100 hours in the community as well.

In his free time, he enjoys working out and watching and playing a variety of sports.

Burgoon plans to study finance and business, but is undecided on which university he will attend.

— Hailey Louise Greenleaf is the daughter of Bonnie and Shawn Greenleaf of Iron Mountain. She has been a 4.00 GPA student all four years and placed on the honor roll for seven consecutive semesters. She is a three-year National Honor Society member.

Greenleaf’s extracurricular activities include four years with Key Club; Science Olympiad – where she was a State Qualifier in 2022-23; Tri-Hi-Y; Youth in Government; Art Club; and Mountaineer Mindset, formally Be Nice. She was also a three-year member of the Coding Club, Drama Club, Environmental Club, band council, High School Quiz Bowl team, Varsity Club and Youth Advisory Council.

ANDREW LARSEN

Greenleaf participated in student council for two years, where she served as public relations officer for a year. She was a member of the FIRST Robotics Team 9733: Gold Diggers this year as safety captain, media lead and co-captain.

Greenleaf also received the College Board National Rural & Small Town Recognition Award in 2023, Wisconsin School Music Association Menominee River Conference Honors Band from 2022 to 2024, Code.org Ambassador for 2023-24, MTU Society of Women Engineers Certificate of Merit in 2023, National Center for Women in Technology Aspirations in Computing Michigan Affiliate Award in 2024 and Heisman High School Scholarship School winner in 2023.

Greenleaf was nominated to attend the MyLead student leadership conference at Michigan State University her sophomore

and was a Festival Disney Instrumental Workshop participant this year.

Greenleaf also played varsity tennis for three years, serving as co-captain one year and was an active member of the Iron Mountain High School Figure Skating team for two years, earning a U.S. Figure Skating Graduating Seniors Program SILVER Award for 2024.

BRENT MAYES II

Outside of school, Greenleaf has been a Norway band member for three years; participated in the Iron Mountain Skating Club for 13 years, where she has been a Learn to Skate USA Coach for two years; and is a Leader in Training at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp. Greenleaf still has been able to acquire more than 800 volunteer hours in the community.

Greenleaf is undecided on a college but plans to study robotics engineering.

— Andrew Mark Larsen is the son of Mark and Joanne Larsen of Breitung Township. He has been a 4.00 student all four years at Iron Mountain, earning a place on the honor roll for seven consecutive semesters. He has been a National Honor Society member for four years.

Larsen was selected as the Wisconsin Leadership Seminar representative for IMHS his sophomore year. He has been an active participant in student culture, serving as a four-year member of Science Olympiad; Youth in Government, where he was president this year; and YAC club, serving as meeting chair this year. He was captain of the High School Quiz Bowl team for three years and elected to student council this year, where he also was chosen as student representative to the Iron Mountain School Board this year.

He was an active member of the Business Professionals of America, where he qualified and competed at the national level in Anaheim, Calif.

BRANDON TRUONG

Larsen played varsity tennis for three years as well, including being on the team that placed second at U.P. Championships.

He has acquired more than 150 volunteer hours in the community.

Outside of school, Larsen works for Mrs. Deals, is a student intern at M.J. Electric and enjoys cooking. After graduation, Larsen plans to study computer science at the University of Michigan.

— Brent Josef Mayes II is the son of Brent and Amy Mayes of Iron Mountain. He has been a 4.00 student his entire high school career, maintained honor roll status for seven consecutive semesters and been a member of the National Honor Society for three years. Mayes’ school club involvement includes three years of Key Club, two years of Environmental Club and being on student council his junior year.

Mayes as a sophomore was nominated to represent IMHS at the MyLead student leadership conference at Michigan State University. He also attended the GenCyber cybersecurity conference last summer.

CARTER KASSIN

In addition, Mayes had technical internships with Trident Maritime Systems and Northpointe Behavioral Healthcare System. He has been a successful member of Business Professionals of America for three years, qualifying and placing nationally more than once, earning two third-place finishes.

Mayes has taken the maximum number of Bay College courses while in high school, achieving dean’s list status the past two years, and will graduate IMHS with an associate’s degree.

Outside of school, Mayes enjoys playing guitar and piano, reading American literature, recreational programming and taking ecology, entomology, botany and zoology photographs.

Mayes plans to study computer science but is undecided on the college he will attend.

— Brandon Le Truong is the son of Michael Truong of Iron Mountain and Mimi Balicki of Iron Mountain. He has maintained a 4.00 GPA all four years and honor roll status for seven consecutive semesters.

Truong was a three-year member of the Environmental Club, serving as vice-chair; Youth Advisory Council, serving as volunteer chair and student council, serving as secretary. He was also a four-year member of band and jazz band, serving as band secretary, and was selected for Honors Band.

Truong was a two-year member of the Esports team; Good News Club; youth and government; Health Occupations Students of America; Varsity Club, serving as co vice-president; and the Lake Antoine Board, serving as a Lake Antoine spokesperson. He was a one-year member of Drama Club, Mountaineer Mindset and Spanish Club. Truong also played varsity soccer for two years and varsity wrestling this year.

He has acquired more than 160 volunteer hours in the community.

Outside of school, Truong enjoys fishing, drawing, learning new things, arts and crafts, ping pong and sand castle building.

Truong plans to pursue a pre-medical degree at the University of Michigan.

— Carter John Kassin is the son of Russ and Joy Kassin of Breitung Township. He has been on the IMHS honor roll for four years and a National Honor Society member for three years, including NHS secretary this year.

Kassin has been an active member of the Youth Advisory Committee for five years, serving as the secretary chair this year. He is a four-year member of the art club, robotics club, jazz band, marching band, pep band and concert band, where he was the band council secretary and treasurer last year and band council president this year. He was selected for the Menominee River Conference Band in 2023 and 2024 and received a Division 2 rating on a solo at Wisconsin School Music Association District Festival in 2023 and 2024. Carter also was a member of Business Professionals of America for a year, placing eighth in C++ programming at the 52nd annual BPA State Leadership Conference. He has participated in Quiz Bowl for three years and has been a two-year member of Varsity Club, Key Club, Science Olympiad and the Esports team. He also participated in the Environmental Club, Youth and Government and Mountaineer Mindset. Kassin was on student council for a year and was selected as the Class of 2024 secretary and treasurer.

Kassin played varsity tennis all four years and was selected as the team captain this year. He has acquired more than 115 volunteer hours.

Outside of school, Kassin worked at Pine Grove Country Club for two years and participated in the Norway City Band for three years.

Kassin plans to study robotics engineering and is undecided on which college he will attend.

Commencement ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, May 24, at the IMHS stadium.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)

• Daily Newsletter
• Breaking News
• Obituaries

Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

• Yes
• No