Ethan Martin plans to attend George Washington University; Chelsey Deacon will move on to James Madison University
Ethan Martin and Chelsey Deacon will both be moving south next fall to attend college.
But, first, Palmyra High School’s valedictorian and salutatorian will address their classmates, families and friends at the school’s graduation ceremony. The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the football field.
Martin, 18, of Riverton, the school’s valedictorian, said finishing at the top of the class took some work. He has had to earn good grades in a lot of advanced placement and honors classes, but, now, he has time to relax a little bit.
“There’s not much work left to do,” Martin said in an interview a week before graduation. “It’s just relaxing. I’m just enjoying it.”
Chelsey Deacon, also 18, of Riverton, echoed Martin’s sentiments, saying she enrolled in rigorous courses in all of her four years at the high school.
“I feel accomplished and grateful for all the opportunities I had,” she said.
In addition to excelling in the classroom, Martin and Deacon both had accomplishments on the field.
Martin competed on the school’s tennis team. This year, the squad finished with a 15–3 record and won the Burlington County Scholastic League’s Freedom Division title for the first time since 1964.
“That was pretty cool,” Martin said. “It was probably one of my favorite memories from Palmyra (High School).”
Deacon played on the high school’s soccer team and formed bonds with her teammates.
“I was on it (the team) all four years, and then, by the end of the season each year, we were just one big family,” she said.
Deacon said one of the other highlights from her time at Palmyra High School was the homecoming dance and spirit week. She was part of a group that started gathering decorations for the dance far in advance.
In the fall, Deacon is planning to attend James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. She will be studying mathematics.
“I wanted to go to a bigger school that’s farther away because I’ve been in New Jersey my whole life,” Deacon said. “So I wanted to expand my horizons and go into a new culture.”
“I chose that major because I just like math,” she added. “It’s what I’ve always been good at.”
Martin will be heading to Washington, D.C. to attend George Washington University, where he plans to study international affairs.
“I chose George Washington because I knew I wanted to be in a big city,” he said. “I toured George Washington, and I really liked the feel of it.”
Martin is interested in history, politics and geography, and he said international affairs encompasses all of those topics. Plus, the university is right in the heart of the nation’s capital.
“It has a great program for international affairs, and because it’s in D.C., it has access to a lot of things,” Martin said.
