Missy Castleman, Dan Bree and Nathan White.
Super Achievers
DAVID TESSLER
MARC BLACKMAN
West Bloomfield High School
West Bloomfield High School
Tessler, salutatorian at
West Bloomfield High School,
will attend the University of
Michigan Honors College. His
plans include a year of study
in Israel while continuing
towards a career in medicine.
He is a National Honor socie-
ty member, Phi Beta Kappa
1-6 and placed first in the na-
tional French examination,
has been extremely active in
0 the United Synagogue youth,
serving as regional president
this year, and he tutors
Hebrew.
Blackman, class valedic-
torian, will attend the
University of Michigan,stu-
dying engineering. He has
been nominated for a U-M
Regents Scholarship, is a
member of the Debate Club,
the National Honor Society,
and Phi Beta Kappa. He plays
basketball at the Jewish
Community Center and loves
the Pistons.
Academics are balanced by other interests for
these high-ranking graduating seniors.
RONNA F. HALL
Special to The Jewish News
y sister's
dedication
to her stu-
dies keeps
me going
and is my main motivator,"
says Dan Bree, a graduating
senior from Andover High
School. Bree's sister, an an-
thropology student at the
University of Michigan, left a
big impact on Andover in the
area of drama and athletics.
"After seeing what hard
work and determination
brought to her," adds Bree, "I
realized that I don't need to
stand out to get noticed. I just
need to show what I can do."
What Dan does is theater. "In
theater I can really make a
statement. It is the perfect
place to let your feelings out,"
says Dan. "Performing gives
me a real satisfaction."
Nathan White, a senior at
Southfield-Lathrup High
School, says, "My parents
have been a real strong factor
in my academics. Lots of kids
don't have the support I have.
My father is very level-
headed, practical and
pragmatic. He has been my
tour guide to life.
"The values instilled in me
when I was little have paid
off. I am not afraid of hard
work. It brings self-
satisfaction, accomplishment
and later financial reward."
Gifted students have an in-
ner drive. Although most top
students have always had
their parents' support, they
78
FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1989
have succeeded academically
primarily for themselves.
Missy Castleman, from
Detroit Country Day,
describes herself: "I have
always been a perfectionist
and always do the best I app-
ly myself to do. If you know
you can do the work and get
good grades and then don't,
you will be disappointed in
yourself. It definitely took a
lot of work to do great at
Country Day."
Bree, White and Castleman
are among the outstanding
Jewish students from the
classes of '89 graduating this
month. Each of these
students is part of the top ten
in each class.
"The parents of highly
motivated students have sup-
ported and nurtured the
talent of their children, en-
couraged them academically
and socially from a very
young age," says Jim Wolfe,
Andover High School
guidance counselor. "That
talent has been nurtured by
teachers, counselors and
friends."
It is rare, say educators,
that a school will have effec-
tive students without effec-
tive parents. Likewise, a
positive school climate results
in high motivation in
students and staff.
Bree's parents never pushed
him on grades, never gave
him incentives. "They knew I
could do it," says Bree. "I'm
used to having things intense
and I deal with it pretty well.
I never do anything halfway.
I never quit, and I won't start
anything that I can't finish."
White's solution to
academic success came from
an early suggestion from his
music teacher. "When I asked
her how long I should practice
a piece I was learning, she
replied, 'If you can play it,
then play it! I just try to do
my best and I study some-
thing until I know it. When it
comes to studying, you can
only fool others, not yourself."
Self-esteem and competi-
tion are also contributing fac-
tors for top achievers.
Without positive feelings
about themselves, children
don't grow academically,
socially or personally. With
high self-esteem they perform
wonders.
Rachel Francisco, a June
graduate of Berkley High
School, was exposed to many
different things as a young
child. Trips to museums,
plays, and music have all
been a great part of her life.
Always a good student,
Rachel at 13 gained con-
fidence after attending a sum-
mer arts program at
Interlochen.
"I found so many bright
people who knew so much
about the arts, I really began
to fit in;" says Rachel. "I
realized that I could set my
goals in music and still be the
extraverted girl I was in
elementary school."
For Scott Chupak, competi-
tion is a force he thrives on
and has given him great
satisfaction beginning in the
sixth grade when he placed
6th in the state's mathe-
JILL KLIGER
REVA NELSON
Southfield-Lathrup High School
Southfield High School
Kliger plans to study com-
puter science and computer
linguistics at the University
of Michigan. She has received
a U-M Regents Alumni
Scholarship and a scholarship
award from the Elks Club of
Southfield. She holds three
letters in skiing, is a varsity
debater, a Thespian, involved
in forensics, and is the vice-
president of Student Caucus
and the Physics club.
Next fall, Nelson will be a
freshman at the University of
Michigan in the Honors Col-
lege. She has received the Phi
Beta Kappa certificate of com-
mendation. She has served as
president of the Beth Shalom
USY, tutors English and
math, and taught French in
an after-school elementary
program.
AMY FINKELSTEIN
TRACEY COHEN
Southfield-Lathrup High School
Berkley High School
Finkelstein is enrolled at
Michigan State University
next fall and hopes to study
advertising and eventually
produce more intelligent com-
mercials. She is a member of
the Latin club and a
Thespian.
Cohen will be attending the
University of Michigan and
plans to study zoology and
hopes to earn a doctorate. She
is a National Honor Society
member, a member of the var-
sity track team, has played
varsity tennis, junior varsity
softball and is part of the ski
team.