Chelmsford High School April 2022 Students of the Month

Chelmsford High School Announces April 2022 Students of the Month

CHELMSFORD, MA (May 13, 2022) – Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for the month of April, announced CHS Principal Stephen Murray.

Seniors Siya Gunda and Rahil Patel were named from the Emerson House while Lily Daigle and Nicholas LaCava were honored from the Hawthorne House, and Griffin Hart and Mahamaya Pai from the Whittier House.

Sponsored by the Chelmsford Rotary Club for more than 30 years, the Student of the Month program recognizes outstanding students from each of CHS’s three academic houses – Emerson House, Hawthorne House, and Whittier House – for their achievements in and out of the classroom.

Siya Gunda

A member of both the National Honor Society and French National Honor Society, Ms. Gunda has been omnipresent in the CHS community the last four years. A High Honor Roll student, she is enrolled in courses such as AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, Calculus, Writing for College, and Publication Production, among others.

Currently the Editor-in-Chief of the 2021-22 CHS Yearbook, Ms. Gunda also serves as the President of Lead Like a Girl, a club that organizes workshops that empower young women; and the Vice President of the Student Council. Outside of CHS, she is a volunteer at the Chelmsford Senior Center and the Dwarkamai Temple in Billerica. She has also given her time at the House of Mercy Food Shelter, Lowell Transitional Living Center, and the We Care Charity Center.

Her campus and community involvement has garnered awards, including the PRIDE Award for her devotion to academics and volunteerism; and the Lion Volunteer Service Award for the Leadership Conference. A photography enthusiast, she received first place in the 2020 Massachusetts Audubon Great Outdoors Photo Contest in the category of ‘People in Nature.’

Ms. Gunda is currently interning as a junior marketing analyst at Measured. She will attend the University of Massachusetts as part of the Honors College this fall and plans to major in marketing with a minor in either photography or graphic design.

Ms. Gunda is the daughter of Nilesh and Jaishri Gunda.

Rahil Patel

The recipient of the CHS Highest Academic Achievement Award four straight years, Mr. Patel has achieved at the highest level. Among his many plaudits, he is an AP Scholar with Honors and captured second place in the Kendall M. Wallace Greater Lowell Regional Knowledge Bowl. Additionally, he received the First Robotics Chairman Award as a freshman and sophomore.

Mr. Patel is currently enrolled in rigorous courses such as AP Biology, AP Calculus, Honors Anatomy and Physiology, Forensic Science and Criminal Justice, among others. He is equally devoted to the campus community with his involvement in the GIVE Club, varsity swimming (for which he earned Most Improved Swimmer as a sophomore and junior) and as a peer tutor.

Additionally, Mr. Patel is a member of the First Robotics Team and the MIT High School Studies Program (HSSP). His volunteerism extends to the Chelmsford Public Library as a shelf reader; the ISSO Temple, Lowell General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Mr. Patel will attend the University of Massachusetts where he will major in biochemistry and molecular biology and minor in economics. He is the son of Niti and Sachin Patel.

Lily Daigle

A High Honor Roll student and standout in the CHS community, Ms. Daigle has been among the most active students on the CHS campus. A member of the National Honor Society, she is enrolled in three AP classes – Government, French and Literature and Composition – along with Calculus and Honors Concert Choir.

An accomplished singer, Ms. Daigle is the co-president of The Crescendos a cappella group and recently led it to the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) Northeast Region Semifinal round for the third straight year. She is also a member of the Poetry Club, for which she serves as president, and the business editor/lead photographer for the Yearbook. Additionally, she has also been a Freshmen Mentor for the last two years and serves on the staff at The Voice, the student-run newspaper of CHS.

Outside of campus, Ms. Daigle owns her own photography business, Pictures of Lily Photography. She will attend Simmons University this fall and plans to major in film and minor in business marketing and French.

Ms. Daigle is the daughter of Wayne and Lisa Daigle.

Nicholas LaCava

Having achieved High Honor Roll each semester of high school, Mr. LaCava is omnipresent among the music programs at CHS, having been a member of the Marching Band and the Jazz Band all four years as a percussionist. He has also performed with the CHS Pit Orchestra for several musicals and plays as well as the All-Town Wind Ensemble.

In February, Mr. LaCava earned All-State Ensemble honors from the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) and performed at the MMEA All-State Concert at Symphony Hall Mar. 5. In November, he earned MMEA All-District for the second straight year. As part of the Senior Capstone Experience, he interned under McCarthy Middle School Band coordinator Sean Wright.

Along with his passion for music, Mr. LaCava is involved with Leaders in Motion Everywhere (LIME), the Freshmen Mentor Program and the Melting Pot Club.

Academically, Mr. LaCava has thrived in courses such as AP Music Theory, Honors Precalculus, Honors Physics, Honors Band and Modern World Literature. He is an inductee of both the National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Mr. LaCava will attend the University of Massachusetts this fall, where he will major in Music Education and Performance. He is the son of Michael and Jessica LaCava.

Griffin Hart

An accomplished student-athlete and National Honor Society member, Mr. Hart has maintained Honor Roll status all four years of high school and currently carries a challenging course load which includes AP Environmental Science, AP U.S. Government and Politics, Calculus, Sociology and Studio Art.

A four-year member of the CHS football and rugby teams, Mr. Hart was an All-Merrimack Valley Conference standout on the gridiron for the Lions, who posted an 8-3 record and advanced to the MIAA Division 2 State Tournament.

Off the field, Mr. Hart has volunteered for Chelmsford Pop Warner and several ‘Learn to Play Rugby’ clinics. He has also been involved with several town cleanups and works with Summerfest through Chelmsford Community Education.

Mr. Hart will attend Stonehill College in the fall where he will major in Sports Management and continue his football career. He is the son of Alan and Erin Hart.

Mahamaya Pai

A High Honor Roll student in each of her terms at CHS, Ms. Pai has thrived in her coursework which includes four AP courses: Research, Environmental Science, Literature and Composition and U.S. Government. As a sophomore, she was selected to the MIT HSSP program.

A NHS inductee, Ms. Pai is active in several campus organizations including Student Council, Class Representatives, Freshman Mentor Program, and the Mock Trial Club. Outside of CHS, she owns and operates her own jewelry company which creates jewelry out of recycled materials. She has also volunteered her time with causes such as Table of Plenty, the Chelmsford Food Pantry, NA Tree and the NE-SRS Brundavan Temple in Lowell.

Ms. Pai will attend the University of Massachusetts Honors College in the fall where she plans to major in microbiology and philosophy and later to pursue a law degree. She is the daughter of Kamakshi and Shreesha Pai.

 

About Chelmsford Public Schools

The Chelmsford Public School District provides all students with multiple pathways to optimize their own potential for academic excellence, leadership, and social and emotional wellness. The mission of the Chelmsford Public Schools is to educate, engage, prepare, and empower well-rounded and knowledgeable learners to PERSEVERE through challenges, demonstrate RESPECT and INTEGRITY in their words and actions, are DEDICATED to their community, and display EMPATHY as global citizens while discovering and pursuing their full potential. This PRIDE-driven culture enables all members of the school community to support the growth and development of students. For more information, please visit www.chelmsfordschools.org.