Here are their stories.
Libby Smith, Canton Preparatory High School, Class of 2022
Remind Libby Smith she’s an honors English student and you’ll likely catch her off-guard. It’s not something she’s used to thinking about, but her love of the English language is significant. That passion will take her to Eastern Michigan University in the fall.
Smith already has some valuable college experience as she’s participated in dual enrollment during her senior year.
“I was anxious at first, but my love of English courses kept me pushing through with excitement,” she said. “The workload was a bit intense, but that’s just how it is in college classes; besides, I had my English teachers here at Canton Prep to help me should I falter.”
She’s planning on pursuing a degree in Education and English.
“I’m going in exploratory as a member of the Honors College, but I’m fairly certain that I will pursue a degree in Education and English. It’s a passion of mine and I wish to share it with as many people as possible.”
Smith said there are teachers at Canton Prep who helped her with confidence, passion, and encouragement, but one who helped with each of those things was English Teacher Elizabeth Harsany.
“She pushed me to trust my abilities and pursue a more challenging curriculum, and I am extremely grateful that she did, as I wouldn’t have gotten what I needed from lower-level English classes. I feel the connections I built with my teachers has had the largest impact on me, allowing me to comfortably explore my skills.”
In addition to writing, Smith enjoys drawing, but her hidden talent is more vocal.
“One of my favorite hobbies that I keep between myself and a select few friends has to be singing. I wish I could write my own music, but I have yet to be successful. I’m working on creating a setup to record covers in my free time.”
Congratulations on graduation and good luck at Eastern Michigan, Libby!
Delaney Vesperman, Canton Preparatory High School, Class of 2022
Delaney Vesperman is a member of the National Honors Society and is planning to attend Wayne County Community College District before transferring to a four-year university to pursue a degree in finance or engineering. Her participation in varsity sports has made a significant impact in her growth.
“Playing volleyball, soccer, and bowling has taught me so many life lessons, and allowed me to meet so many different people,’ Vesperman said. “One of the most important things I learned though was to work as a team because when everyone works together, a team can be unstoppable.”
She credits Math Teacher Rachel Rebandt with helping keep her centered throughout her high school career.
“She only taught me my freshman year of high school, but I have only talked to her more each year,” she said. “She has always checked in on me with not just my grades and academic life, but also with my personal life and athletic life. She has always been easy to talk to and has always looked out for me.”
Vesperman is a people-person and enjoys being around those in her life, including her friends from sports team. She also excels at more cerebral tasks.
“A skill people don't know I have is that I really like working with numbers and thinking logically. Math has always been my strongest and favorite subject in school.”
Good luck on all your future plans, Delaney!
About Canton Preparatory High School
Canton Preparatory High School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Canton, Michigan, serving students in ninth through 12th grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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