For most students, high school is about getting through classes, but for Clara Sweetland and Mark Poulin, it is about helping people. That dedication earned the two Woodland seniors the prestigious Superintendent’s Award, an honor reserved for those who pair academic excellence with a profound commitment to their community.

The Superintendent’s Award is a high bar to clear.

“The Superintendent’s Award is awarded to a male and female student for community service, dedication to helping others, scholarly achievement and leadership,” Poulin said.

Poulin and Sweetland have both demonstrated academic success throughout their careers at Woodland. Poulin is enrolled in several AP classes, including AP Physics and AP/ECE Calculus BC, the most challenging math course offered at the school. Sweetland also works hard to keep up challenging academic standards.

“I’ve been in all honors classes since freshman year,” Sweetland said. “This year and last year I took two ECE classes, and this year I’m in a lot of AP and ECE classes.”

While their course loads are demanding, their commitment to community service is equally rigorous. Both Sweetland and Poulin are multi-sport athletes, making the achievement even more impressive.

For his community service, Poulin assisted the Junior Hawks football team, contributing more than 140 hours after his own practices.

“For me, getting community service was a challenge because after a long football practice, I really just wanted to go home,” Poulin said. “I was tired and worn out, but I realized that the Junior Hawks liked having me there and I enjoyed it as well.”

Sweetland focused her service on her peers. 

“I’m a big part of Best Buddies, so I got a lot of my community service hours from that,” Sweetland said. “I’m also the vice president of that club.” Sweetland also earns service hours through various bottle and can drives held by her sports teams.

Between their academic achievements, athletic balance, and community leadership, the two seniors have proven to be exceptional choices for the honor.