Six high-achieving juniors receive awards from prestigious colleges on May 15

A group of high-achieving students received Junior Book Awards from prestigious colleges at a ceremony on May 15 in the Career Center at Burnsville High School.

Each year, colleges present these awards to 11th-grade students across the country in recognition of their outstanding academic accomplishments, as well as their dedication to learning, leadership, school involvement and community service. Each award recipient receives a book that is connected to the college in some way, often written by a professor or graduate.

Burnsville High School students who received Junior Book Awards this year are:

• Meena Pothini — Columbia University
• Payton Medeiros — Dartmouth College
• Everett Dick — Harvard University
• Lorena Cortes Vasquez — Smith College
• Oliver Dineen — U of M Norman Borlaug Science Achievement Award
• Emma Cook — Yale University

Student Biographies

Meena Pothini

Meena is a high-achieving student who balances academics, athletics, arts, service and leadership. She takes honors, AP, and CIS courses and is completing her Associate of Arts degree while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. At school, she’s involved in symphonic orchestra, student council, National Honors Society, and Link Crew. Athletically, she is a three‑year varsity soccer and basketball player, a varsity flag football and Blaze Performance athlete, and captain for the upcoming soccer season. In addition to Burnsville sports, Meena is a 2nd degree black belt in karate and plays club soccer year-round. Since elementary school, Meena has been deeply passionate about community service. She leads several annual projects, including City of Savage’s City‑Wide Collection Drive, the “Hair‑riet” Bishop hair donation event, a body wash drive supporting youth experiencing homelessness, and the Harriet Bishop Service Club, which brings more than 70 elementary students together every two weeks to learn about the diverse community needs, leadership, and service through hands‑on projects. After high school, she hopes to attend a large university and pursue a career in sports medicine, sports management, or corporate law, with plans to continue her education through graduate or professional studies. 

Payton Medeiros

In her sophomore year, Payton had the opportunity to compete in the regional Minnesota State Science Fair—from there, she was one of the few selected to compete at state. One of her proudest vocational achievements, however, came this year as a junior. As a project for her Inver Hills Research Paper class, she was able to put together three essays, each centering on some aspect of neocolonial Native Hawaiian life (gentrification, alcoholism and curriculum reform, respectively). By chance, one of her mother's closest friends works closely with one of the foremost researchers whom Payton studied, Dr. Cynthia Greywolf. Their connection introduced Dr. Greywolf and Payton via email, and they have been able to start exchanging some of their works and papers. This aligns closely with what she wishes to do in the future; she hopes to work in journalism/creative writing and/or satirical writing within the scope of socio-economic inequities—working and writing in the realm of social and political sciences (following some of her favorite authors: Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, James Baldwin, etc.). Outside the classroom, Payton has participated (and plans to continue participation through her senior year) in softball. She also plays year-round club softball with the Minnesota Renegades. At Burnsville High School, she is a part of Link Crew, working with incoming 9th graders to make their transition from middle to high school as easy as possible. This is her first year as a member of the chess team. Since eighth grade, she has been a part of the National Society for High School Scholars. 

Everett Dick

Everett actively pursues a balance of advanced academics, artistic pursuits and a wide range of extracurricular interests. He maintains a 4.0 unweighted GPA as a participant in the Associate of Arts Degree Pathway and follows his creativity as a trombone in the wind ensemble, the top audition band at BHS, all while contributing to BHS varsity athletics in both soccer and track and field. He has exemplified his interest in STEM as a top scorer in Math League and by advancing to the state level in the Minnesota State Science Fair for both his poster project and his scholarly paper. Additionally, he is an eager volunteer for the National Honor Society and Link Crew. Community engagement and student support are his passions. In the classroom, he is described as a leader and role model for both his scholarship and helpful nature. Outside of school, he is a certified lifeguard and loves to travel, play soccer, and go on runs with his brother. In the future, he would like to continue his academic journey and social impact through pursuing higher education in the areas of science, mathematics and engineering. In college, he hopes to meet new people and gain key knowledge to positively impact his community. 

Lorena Cortes Vasquez

Lorena, a high-achieving student, balances high academic achievement and outstanding extracurricular activities. She actively maintains a 4.0 GPA while being enrolled in the Associate of Arts Degree Pathway at BHS, allowing her to complete a two-year degree while still in high school. She participates in track and field, TRIO Upward Bound, National Honor Society and Symphonic Orchestra. Out of a very select few, Lorena advanced to state level competition and participated in the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair. Through her former internship, GEOPaths, she has received hands-on field and lab work in environmental science and developed a strong connection to environmental issues and STEM work. Through her volunteer work, she has learned the joy of being able to give back to her community and uplift others. As one of Burnsville High School’s Blood Drive coordinators, Lorena has volunteered many hours and has helped BHS receive state recognition for top collectors of blood donations in the metro area. Lorena has received CPR certification and been named a BLS Provider through the American Heart Association, aligning with her future career aspirations. She has participated in highly competitive summer programs through the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, hoping to learn more about allied health careers and career planning. Following high school, she plans to pursue a career in medicine and potentially study in biomedical sciences. 

Oliver Dineen 

Oliver’s academic accomplishments include being on the A honor roll for his high school journey so far while being in college-level classes. He is also part of the National Honor Society and has volunteered in his community for more than 100 hours. After high school, his plan is to go to a building arts school in North Carolina to get a bachelor's in timber framing or carpentry. If not the trades route, he is also interested in going to a four-year college for business and swimming at the collegiate level. On top of school and homework, Oliver is involved in multiple activities outside of school. He is a swimmer for the high school swim team and a member of a swim club outside of the school season. He has been swimming for five years at two different clubs and four years on the high school team. He is a two-, going on three, year captain, and earned varsity letters all four years, Rookie of the Year, MVP, Blaze Award winner, All Conference Award winner, and a top 10 all-time BHS 50 free sprinter. He is a state finalist for high school and club swimming, and one of the highest-placing swimmers for the BHS team. Additionally, he is involved in DECA, where he was one of three state finalists this year. He pitched his business plan to a group of judges and was able to finish in the top twelve in the state. Finally, he participates and plays the cello in the top orchestra at BHS. 

Emma Cook 

Emma consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to academic excellence. She does this by maintaining a 4.0 GPA in accelerated courses at Burnsville High School, an effort that has been recognized through her receipt of a Student of Excellence award. Emma is driven by a genuine enthusiasm for learning and continually motivated to expand her knowledge and skill set across a variety of subjects, both inside and outside of the classroom. Beyond the classroom, Emma actively applies her capabilities through meaningful involvement in extracurricular activities. She’s a member of the softball team and also participates in a year-round club softball team called the Minnesota Stars. In addition, Emma is an engaged member of student council, Link Crew, Burnsville Strong, Letters of Love, and National Honors Society. These experiences reflect her leadership, collaboration and commitment to her school community. Additionally, Emma works at an afterschool daycare program, Project Kids, where she has discovered a passion for working with children and supporting their growth and development. This experience has inspired her future academic goals, as she plans to attend college and pursue a field in pediatric medicine, with hopes of studying abroad to further expand her academic journey and global perspective.