News

CHELMSFORD, MA (May 26, 2022) – Six seniors were recently honored as Chelmsford High School named its Lions Pride/Rotary Student of the Month recipients for the month of May, announced CHS Principal Stephen Murray.

Seniors Chloe D’Agostino and Abigail Rice were named from the Emerson House while Benjamin Hogan and Grace Mattsen were honored from the Hawthorne House, and Lyla El-Gamel and Aidan Phuong 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.

Chloe D’Agostino

An Honor Roll student in each of her semesters at CHS – including High Honors for two years – Ms. D’Agostino has been an exemplary student in challenging courses such as AP Biology, Precalculus, Forensics and Concert Choir, among others. She is a member of the World Languages Honor Society.

Ms. D’Agostino is a member of The Crescendos, an a cappella group at CHS, for three years, having led the group to the Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) Northeast Region Final for the third straight year in March. She is often active in performing at different events in Chelmsford.

Additionally, Ms. D’Agostino has also been a CHS Theatre Guild member for three years as well as a member of the Speech and Debate Team. She plans to attend Hampshire College this fall to study Psychoanalysis and music.

Ms. D’Agostino is the daughter of Eric and Janet D’Agostino.

Abigail Rice

Currently enrolled in four AP courses – Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Calculus and Psychology – Ms. Rice is a member of both the National Honor Society and the National English Honor Society, while achieving High Honor Roll status throughout her career at CHS.

A four-year member of the CHS swim and dive team, Ms. Rice was voted Most Improved Swimmer as a junior and was named the team’s scholar-athlete. She has also been a volunteer swim coach within the Chelmsford community.

Ms. Rice is also a freshman mentor, helping ease the transition for middle school students adapting to the high school. She plans to study neuroscience at Holy Cross this fall.

Ms. Rice is the daughter of Daniel and Kara Rice.

Benjamin Hogan

A National Honor Society inductee, Mr. Hogan is a four-year honor student at CHS and has thrived in challenging course work such as AP Calculus and Psychology, Honors Anatomy and Physiology, Honors Engineering and Biotechnology, among others.

Mr. Hogan is also a two-sport athlete, having helped the 2021 football team to an 8-3 record and an appearance in the MIAA Tournament last fall. He is also a member of the lacrosse team which looks to win its second straight Merrimack Valley Conference title and improve upon its MIAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance from 2021.

Within the CHS community, Mr. Hogan is a freshman mentor and a member of Class Representatives, meanwhile serving as a boy scout throughout school.

Mr. Hogan will study engineering at the University of New Hampshire this fall and plans a career in manufacturing and/or product design. He is the son of William and Sarah Hogan.

Grace Mattsen

Currently enrolled in AP Research, AP Literature and Composition and AP French, Ms. Mattsen is currently the president of CHS’s National Honor Society and is also a member of the English and French national honor societies. She was recently presented with the Excellence in History Award.

A fixture among the CHS Theatre Guild, Ms. Mattsen has served as the Stage Manager and the Chair of Stage Management on the Theatre Guild Board. Her work and direction has not been unnoticed as the Guild’s November production of Pippin has been nominated for 17 TAMY Awards by Mount Wachusett Community College’s Theatre at the Mount, including Best Overall Production, Best Stage Crew and Technical Excellence for lighting and sound.

Off stage, Ms. Mattsen has worked with Chelmsford Telemedia as an assistant producer and writer and the CHS Alumni Association as a writer. She is also involved with the Freshmen Mentor program and Student Executive Board and is a member of the winter and spring track and field teams.

Outside of CHS, Ms. Mattsen has volunteered with several community-based projects through the National Honor Society (including Haunt for a Cure), as well as with St. Mary’s Church. She plans to study Writing, Literature and Publishing this fall at Emerson College.

Ms. Mattsen is the daughter of Bradley and Paula Mattsen.

Lyla El-Gamel

A member of four national honor societies –the NHS, French, English and Tri-M National Music Honor Society – Ms. El-Gamel has earned inductions while thriving in challenging courses such as AP Research, AP French Language and Culture, AP Psychology and AP English, among others.

She is omnipresent within the CHS community, serving as president of the GIVE Club and as secretary of both the Executive Mentor Board and the Tri-M Music NHS. She is also involved with Class Representatives and regularly performs with The Crescendos and in several CHS Theatre Guild productions. She was recently nominated for the TAMY Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Catherine in the Guild’s production of Pippin.

Outside of school, Ms. El-Gamel volunteers with local church groups and missions. She plants to attend Temple University in the fall to major in Music Therapy and minor in Psychology.

Ms. El-Gamel is the daughter of Rebecca El-Gamel.

Aidan Phuong

With a rigorous course load that includes four AP classes, Mr. Phuong has achieved induction into three national honor societies including the NHS, English and French. His coursework this semester includes AP Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, AP Calculus and AP French Language and Culture. He recently earned the Seal of Biliteracy in French from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Mr. Phuong is also a member of the CHS swim and dive team as well as Class Representatives. He is also part of the CHS Door Project, a student group which paints murals on classroom doors that reflect teacher character traits.

Outside of CHS, Mr. Phuong swims competitively and works as a swimming instructor and lifeguard for the Billerica YMCA. He is also an avid keyboard player.

Mr. Phuong will attend UMass Boston in the fall where he will major in Biology. He is the son of Tai Phuong and Trang Le.

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.