Caps and Gowns

Nicholas Papazian

Parents: Robert and Gigi Papazian

High school: Manatee High School

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: Four years as an offensive lineman for Manatee High School football; bus boy at Ciao Italia since 2010; currently working at Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub; volunteer at Tidewell Treasures Thrift Shop; summer volunteer at Manatee Memorial Hospital; certified medical administrative assistant; student of the Medical Academy at Manatee High School; EMT shadowing experience; white “M” for academic excellence

College plans: Attend State College of Florida, then transfer to Florida State University

Dream job: Radiologist

Proudest accomplishment: “Being able to say that I played for the No. 1 football team in the nation.”

Connor Rattigan

Parents: Kevin and Angela Rattigan

High School: Pine View School

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: Volunteer at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 12th Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office, YMCA and Special Olympics; member of Pine View Save Darfur Club and History Club; debutante escort

Honors and Awards: National Junior Honor Society (officer); National Honor Society; National Spanish Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Rho Kappa

College Plans: Attend Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and pursue a degree from the Carroll School of Management

Dream Job: CEO of a major corporation or working at a prestigious firm on Wall Street

Proudest Accomplishment: “Being accepted to my dream college and making my grandfather proud.”

Hunter Parrish

Parents: Benny and Becky Parrish

High School: Manatee High School

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: Key Club, fishing and surfing

Awards and honors: AP program, Honor Roll

College Plans: University of Central Florida

Dream job: “Something I can perform from anywhere in the world.”

Proudest accomplishment: Raising money for the Leukemia Society over the past 13 years

Maxwell Moneuse

Parents: Chris and JoDene Moneuse

High school: Manatee High School

Honors and awards: Dan Molter MVP Scholarship

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: Baseball team for four years, avid fisherman and diver

College plans: Attend the University of North Florida, where he will play baseball and study engineering

Dream job: Playing in the MLB

Proudest accomplishment: Being able to play college baseball

Forest Balderson

Parents: Forest and Elain Balderson

College: Eckerd College, St. Petersburg

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: “I continue to write poetry, and I'm a contributing member of the Academy of American Poets. Lido Beach environment greatly influences my poetry. Also, I am pursuing a Master of Arts in grant writing, management and evaluation through Concordia University Chicago. My expected graduation date is January 2016.”

Honors and awards: “I received my Bachelor of Arts degree at Eckerd with high honors. In 2012, I was the recipient of the James Franklin Warnell and Dorothy J. Warnell Scholarship through the Community Foundation of Sarasota.”

Dream Job: A grant writing position with a local nonprofit organization

Proudest accomplishment: “I've published more than 20 e-books on Amazon Kindle, and much of my journalism, essays and poetry work has been published in magazines and literary journals.”

Brooke Cobb

Parents: Greg and Maryanne Cobb

High School: Bradenton Christian School

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: BCS Key Club; Adopt a Block

College plans: State College of Florida for two years, then transfer to Florida Christian College to major in ministry

Dream job: Working with preferably kids or young adults in the U.S. or internationally to share the Bible with them

Proudest accomplishment: “Definitely being a volunteer at Adopt a Block my senior year and getting to serve a wonderful neighborhood with a great group of people.”

Justin Gregorius

Parents: Patrick and Susan Gregorius

High school: St. Stephen’s Episcopal High School

Extracurricular activities, community service and hobbies: Harvard Model Congress delegate; member of Harvard Model Congress executive board; varsity baseball for four years, team captain; varsity basketball two years, member of captains club; certified scuba diver

Awards and honors: National Honor Society; National AP scholar with honors; Head of School List — GPA above 4.0; Spanish National Honor Society; Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony award of Social Justice — selected by Rochester University; Award of Excellence at Harvard model Congress; published author

College plans: Boston College

Dream job: Entrepreneur

Proudest accomplishment: Getting accepted to Boston College