— Benjamin Stage, son of Ryan and Amanda Stage of Hermansville, has earned the title of valedictorian with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.85.

He has volunteered his time in helping with Community Project Day activities, Adopt A Highway, various 5K races, Red Cross Blood drives, Community Schools Flag Football as a coach and referee, NCA Elementary Basketball Program and Special Olympics Basketball.

Stage was class president from ninth through 11th grade, student council his freshman year and is a member and current vice president of National Honor Society.

Honors and awards received in high school include Academic Excellence Award four years, Student of the Week, various academic awards, NCA Citizenship Award sophomore year and Homecoming King senior year.

Brody Mercier

His extracurricular activities include four years of basketball, where he earned Skyline Conference honorable mention and was a member of the 2024 District Championship Team; four years of football, where he earned Great Lakes 8 West All-Conference, First Team quarterback and All U.P. honorable mention his senior year, he was on the conference championship team this year, a member of the 2022 state championship football team and was selected to play in the U.P. All Stars Football Game; four years of track; and two years baseball.

His hobbies and free-time activities include fishing and hunting. Stage plans to pursue a bachelor of science degree in medical lab science with a minor in pre-medicine at Michigan Technological University.

— Brody Mercier, son of Adam and Melissa Mercier of Powers, has earned the title of salutatorian with a cumulative GPA of 3.76.

He has volunteered his time in helping with Community Project Day activities, the Hermansville Hustle, Turkey Trot 5Ks, Special Olympics basketball, umpiring Little League softball and baseball, and refereeing Flag Football and Pop Warner. He has also helped out with local Easter Egg hunts, Elementary Halloween Carnivals, along with helping at local basketball tournaments, and the church choir.

Mercier has been also been active in Healthy Youth Coalition and student council. He was class vice-president his freshman through senior year.

Ariana Veraghen

He has been on the honor roll ninth through 12th grade and has earned the Academic Excellence twice, along with various other academic awards throughout high school.

His extracurricular activities include four years of basketball, where he earned all conference; four years of football, earning all conference; four years of golf, earning all conference and All U.P., along with winning two U.P. Championships; two years of track; and one year of baseball.

During his free time, he enjoys hunting and being active, plus spending time with friends and family, with his grandpa at his shop and out at camp.

Mercier plans to attend North Country Electrical Line School in Escanaba this fall.

— Ariana Veraghen has earned the title of top honor student with a cumulative GPA of 3.63.

She has volunteered her time in helping with Community Project Day activities, Cheer Camp, Gold Medal tournaments, Red Cross blood drives, food pantry and Care Closet, elementary library, working youth wrestling, basketball and football tournaments.

Some of the awards and honors Veraghen has earned during her high school years include Academic Excellence Award, honor roll, and various class awards.

Her extracurricular activities include two years of track, three years of cheer and four years of volleyball.

Veraghen has been involved in student council and is the current president; she is also the senior class president.

In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, and working on hair and nails.

Veraghen intends to study mortuary science toward becoming a funeral home director.

North Central High School had its graduation ceremonies May 22.