Penn High School Earns National Recognition for Music Education
Penn High School has been recognized by the NAMM Foundation as a 2026 Best Communities for Music Education school.
Now in its 27th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation honors schools and districts across the country for their commitment to ensuring all students have access to high-quality music education. The program celebrates efforts by teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community members who make music a meaningful part of a well-rounded education.
Penn is among more than 1,000 schools and districts nationwide to receive recognition this year. Schools are evaluated on factors such as funding, instruction time, participation, facilities, and community support for music programs.
This recognition reflects the strength of music education at Penn High School, where students have opportunities to participate in a wide range of programs, including choir, band, orchestra, and other performing arts offerings. Penn High School offers the Fine Arts & Communication Academy as part of its unique academy structure. The seven academy design provides Penn students with relevant and meaningful coursework taught in smaller, supportive environments where each student is known well by his teacher and peers. Nearly a third of Penn’s total 3,500 students are enrolled in the Fine Arts Academy with the majority being involved with music programs.
These programs are part of a larger commitment across the Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation to provide students with meaningful and accessible music education experiences from elementary through high school.
In P-H-M elementary schools, music class is part of the regular curriculum following state standards. Students are instructed in both vocal and instrument classes. Beginning in 6th grade, P-H-M students at our three middle schools (Discovery, Schmucker and Grissom) have the opportunity to choose choir, orchestra or band as their music elective. Students at Discovery also have the option of choosing Piano Lab. Schools from elementary all the way up to Penn High School also perform musicals.
This national honor highlights the continued dedication of Penn’s music educators, students, and community in building and sustaining a strong culture of music education to help support not only artistic growth, but also collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills.
Penn qualifies three teams for Academic Super Bowl State Finals
Penn High School qualified three teams for the Academic Super Bowl State Finals.
Team photos posted below.
The English, Fine Arts and Math Academic Super Bowl teams advance to the state competition on Saturday, May 9, at Purdue University.
Penn’s Academic Super Bowl Teams qualified for State at the Mishawaka Regional.
The theme for the competitions is the American Revolution.
English Team
Coach Candice Walther
Team Members: (State finalists)– Addison Singleton, Annabelle Neary, Logan Hubbard
Additional members — Allison Tessier, Kristin Kale, Graham Royer, Emma Laidig, Riley Miles
Fine Arts Team
Coach Ashlyn Graham
Team Members (State Finalists)–Anton Kozelichki, Joanna Lin, Mia Helm, Landen Hendricks
Additional team members — Sreeja Bhattacharjee, Riley Miles, Addison Schlundt
Math Team
Coach Paul McClelland
Team Members (State finalists)–Anthony Scott, Lilith Schommer-Pries, Eli Sanders-Fields
Additional team members–Sultaan Khan, Joshua Oh, Aidan Lee
ENGLISH TEAM
FINE ARTS TEAM
MATH TEAM
Penn names Valedictorians, Salutatorians for Class of 2026
Penn High School Principal Rachel Fry announced that 20 students have been selected to represent the Class of 2026 as Valedictorians and two students have been named Salutatorians.
Penn High School’s Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., Monday, June 8, 2026, at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Doors open for parents at 5:30 p.m.
Fiona Bao, Sreeja Bhattacharjee, Mehreen Buchh, Gavin Doster, Sultaan Khan, Angie Liu, Trenton Mager, Ishita Masetty, Joseph McQueary, Kelsey Meyer, Leo Ni, Joshua Oh, Roman Ramos, Marie Roach, Henry Smoker, Grant Spadafore, Amina Spahic, Jocelyn Teeple, Zoya Turk and Brooqlin Vargas were named Valedictorians based on their academic achievements.
Diya Lahane and Aidan Lee have been named Salutatorians.
Additional information showcasing Penn’s Valedictorians and Salutatorians will be posted at a later date.
More information on Penn’s Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony can be found here.
VALEDICTORIANS
FIONA BAO
Parents: Na Liu and Haidong Bao
Elementary School: Northpoint
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Indiana University – Indianapolis for Neuroscience; plans to become a doctor
Activities/Honors: Penn Tennis, Penn Symphonic Orchestra, HOSA (Future Health Professionals), Red Cross, National Honor Society, Technology Students Association
SREEJA BHATTACHARJEE
Parents: Dr. Jayeeta Dhar and grandmother Mrs. Maya Dhar
Elementary School: Walt Disney
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Attend the University of Notre Dame; plans to be a college professor
Activities/Honors: Spell Bowl (Captain), Social Studies Bowl (Captain), Fine Arts Bowl (Captain), Freshman Mentoring (Executive Board Member), Science National Honor Society (Executive Board Member), French Club (Executive Board Member), Spectrum Student Magazine (Editor), Kingsman Tutor, National Honor Society; AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Scholar Finalist, Rising Star of Indiana Class of 2026, U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate, Scholastic National Portfolio Award Winner, Scholastic Short Story National Silver Medalist, National French Exam Gold Medalist, Scholastic Regional Gold Key and American Voices nominee, Billy Michal Student Leadership Award for Indiana; Spell Bowl – State individual Gold four times, Team Gold two times, Team Silver one time, Team Bronze one time, Social Studies Bowl – State Team Silver three times, Fine Arts Bowl – State Team Gold one time, Silver one time
MEHREEN BUCHH
Parents: Asima Rashid and Basharat Buchh
Elementary School: Stanley Clark
Middle School: Stanley Clark
College/career plans: Indiana University; Neuroscience
Activities/Honors: Kingsmen Court Executive, Muslim Student Association President, HOSA (Future Health Professionals) Volunteer Coordinator, National Merit Finalist, State Speech Semifinalist in Original Oratory, Student Ambassador to the Board of Trustees, Notre Dame Multicellular Systems of Engineering Lab volunteer, Kingsmen Tutor, National Honor Society, Freshman Mentor
GAVIN DOSTER
Parents: Kiera Cope and John Doster II
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: First Year Engineering (Plan for Nuclear Engineering after) at Purdue University; plans to earn a masters and eventually a Ph.D in Nuclear Engineering/Physics to become a Nuclear Reactor Research and Development engineer
Activities/Honors: National Honor Society, The Air We Share Club, Penn’s Association for Children with Autism, Penn Boys Soccer; AP Scholar with Distinction, 2x Indiana Soccer Coaches Association (ISCA) Academic All-State, Indiana Soccer Coaches Association (ISCA) Boys Top Team Player, Purdue Design and Innovation Challenge Crowd Favorite.
SULTAAN KHAN
Parents: Maliha Khan and Mehdi Khan
Elementary School: Northpoint
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Attend Indiana University – Bloomington majoring in Neuroscience and Data Science and minoring in Mathematics and Statistics; plans to attend medical school after undergraduate studies
Activities/Honors: Math Competitions, Model United Nations, Technology Student Association, Freshmen Mentoring, Mathcounts Coach; National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Honor Society; Math Academic Super Bowl Team, Science Academic Super Bowl Team
ANGIE LIU
Parents: Ling Chen and Cheng Lui
Elementary School: Tarkington
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Study Business at the University of Michigan
Activities/Honors: DECA, National Honor Society, Key Club, MSA, KTI, Girls Tennis
TRENTON MAGER
Parents: Claudia Mager and Theodore Mager
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Indiana University – Bloomington to study Biochemistry; Ophthalmology/Scientific Research
Activities/Honors: Penn Concert choir, Rhapsody Show Choir, Penn Musical Theater, National Merit Scholar, Key Club, National Honor Society
ISHITA MASETTY
Parents: Ishita Masetty and Sivaprasad Masetty
Elementary School: Northpoint
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: University of Pennsylvania; pursuing dual-degree between Wharton School of Business (Economics w/ Statistics plus Data Science) & School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Electrical Engineering/AI); Startup/Quantitative Finance/Engineer
Activities/Honors: Captain of Indiana Academic Spell Bowl; Chapter Executive & State President for Indiana Technology Student Association (led 600-plus students and tripled statewide membership); President & Founder of Science Olympiad; DECA; Speech and Debate; Indiana Department of Health Youth Advisory Board Member (Advocacy & Policy and Community Health subcommittees); Mayor’s Liaison for the Mishawaka Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council; Youth Outreach Program Director for Asian-American Alliance, Inc. (organized Indiana’s first Asian youth leadership conference with 200-plus attendees from 22 schools); NASA SEES Summer Program/Research Intern (<2% acceptance rate); five-time Research Assistant at Notre Dame, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Indiana University (three-time published researcher); Leader and advocate for Indiana Women in Tech Week (helped coordinate 25-plus conferences and workshops statewide with 10-plus partners including Microsoft, Eli Lilly, and Ivy Tech, reaching more than 10,000 students; authored a children’s book implemented in 70-plus schools nationwide and sold 500-plus copies; youngest workshop leader at Indiana’s annual Computer Science Professional Development Week); Jane Street Program Participant in New York City.
Honors: NSLI-Y South Korea Summer Scholar (14/5,000-plus selected by the U.S. Department of State for a six-week study abroad program in Jeonju, South Korea); Indiana Academic All-Star & Rick Reed Academic Competitions Winner (1/40 selected statewide); NCWIT National Aspirations in Computing Award Winner (40/3,000-plus selected and flown out to Bank of America headquarters) & two-time Indiana Affiliate State Winner; United States Senate Youth Program Delegate (1 of 2 selected in Indiana; received an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet the President, Secretary of War, etc.); Coolidge Senator (100/5,000-plus selected; attended a weeklong program in Vermont); two-time U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Semifinalist; two-time South Bend Human Rights Commission Essay Contest Winner (first student in city history to win twice); Top 6 at National History Day International Competition; National Congressional Debate Qualifier; DECA SCDC 3rd place & ICDC Qualifier; 6x Spell Bowl State Champion (only student in state history); U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate; National Merit Scholar; two-time AP Scholar with Distinction; Class of 2026 Indiana Rising Star, National Technical Honor Society.
JOSEPH McQUEARY
Parents: Jessica Lamble and Jason McQueary
Elementary School: Walt Disney
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Plans to attend Purdue University – West Lafayette for Chemical Engineering; plans to pursue a career in Chemical Engineer in a cutting edge industry (fuels, pharmaceuticals, etc), then transition to leadership
Activities/Honors: Track and Cross Country for three years each, Debate, DECA, Key Club (VP), National Honor Society, Rocketry Club, Economics Club, The Air We Share Club, Introduction to Engineering Program at Notre Dame, Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council; AP Scholar with Distinction, Northern Indiana Conference All-Academic Team (Cross Country), Scholarship Award for the Engineering Program, College Board National Recognition Program
KELSEY MEYER
Parents: Teresa Meyer and Michael Meyer
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison; hopes to improve the sustainability of infrastructure
Activities/Honors: Technology Students Association, DECA, Science Olympiad, Key Club, Raised $2,700 for Water Wells for Africa, Kingsman Tutor, Technical Theatre, Cross Country Academic All-State, NHS, AP Scholar with Distinction, Penn Girls Cross Country, Penn Girls Track and Field
LEO NI
Parents: Ping Ni and Yao Tang
Elementary School: Northpoint
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Purdue University majoring in engineering; plans to work in engineering and pursuing a master’s degree
Activities/Honors: Penn Varsity Swim & Dive Team, Student-Athlete Leadership Council
National Merit Scholarship Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, two-time NISCA All-American, First-Team All-Northern Indiana Conference (Swimming), IHSSCA Academic All-State
JOSHUA OH
Parents: Hyeyoung Oh and Solomon Oh
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Plans to attend the University of Chicago, majoring in math and considering a double major in either computer science or economics; seeks career in Quantitative Finance
Activities/Honors: Debate Team Captain, Math Academic Super Bowl State Champion Team Member, Science Academic Super Bowl, Science Olympiad founding member, South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra 1st Violin, Ross Mathematics Program Alum, Questbridge Finalist, National Merit Finalist, DECA, DECA State Finalist, Odyssey Scholar, Debate State Competitor, Mathcounts Head Coach, MATHCON National Finalist, Trine Math Competition Team&Individual Advanced Division 1st place, SNHS, National Honor Society
ROMAN RAMOS
Parents: Alice Ramos and Roman “Gabriel” Ramos
Elementary School: Horizon
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Eastman School of Music – Double Major in Music Education and Music Performance; hopes to teach music at a public school
Activities/Honors: Marching Band, Advanced Jazz Ensemble (Top Jazz Band), Symphonic Winds (Top Concert Band), National Merit Finalist, Winner of PASIC High School Concert Snare Competition
MARIE ROACH
Parents: Clare Roach and Brandon Roach
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Plans to attend the University of Notre Dame to study Global Affairs and French with a minor in European Studies; hopes to work for the State Department as an Ambassador
Activities/Honors: Penn Girls Varsity Soccer, Penn Varsity Unified Track and Field, Indiana Honors Program in Foreign Language, Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellow, Student-Athlete Leadership Council Representative, French Club Co-President, National Honor Society Tutoring Chair, Model United Nations Executive, DECA, Kingsmen Tutor Intern, Kingsmen Building Bridges Co-Founder, National French Exam Silver Medalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, Excellent and Honorable Mention Awards at Ball State National Media Contest, ISCA Academic All-State Girls Soccer, First Team All-Northern Indiana Conference and Second Team All-District Girls Soccer
HENRY SMOKER
Parents: Jen Smoker and Phil Smoker
Elementary School: Meadow’s Edge
Middle School: Grissom
College/career plans: University of Notre Dame; Surgeon
Activities/Honors: Penn’s Association for Children’s Autism, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), Key Club, National Honor Society, Kingsmen Against Cancer, Penn’s First Aid Club, Penn Boys Track, Penn Boys Soccer; Junior Irish Boys Soccer Team, EMT Shadow, Youth Group Leader at Granger Student Ministries; Junior Marshall, AP Scholar with Distinction, and First-Team All-Northern Indiana Conference for Boys Soccer
GRANT SPADAFORE
Parents: Katie Spadafore and Scott Spadafore
Elementary School: Elm Rd.
Middle School: Grissom
College/career plans: California Institute of Technology, Computer Science Major / Robotics Minor; Robotics/Entrepreneurship
Activities/Honors: Programming, Robotics, Congressional Debate, CAD, Dean’s List National Finalist, ISSDA State Congressional Debate runner-up, Penn Robotics, Penn Speech and Debate, Mishawaka Youth Advisory Council
AMINA SPAHIC
Parents: Enisa Spahic and Muharem Spahic
Elementary School: Mary Frank
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Pursuing a Chemical Engineering Degree at Notre Dame with Minor in Spanish; Chemical Engineering and potential cosmetic chemist
Activities/Honors: Varsity Tennis, Cross Country, Speech and Debate Captain, Rocketry Founder, Dream Commission Society Executive, Technology Student Association Executive, Around the World Executive, Key Club
JOCELYN TEEPLE
Parents: Terri Witkowski and Christopher Teeple
Elementary School: Bittersweet
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Attending Purdue for Elementary Education; Becoming a Teacher and eventually going back for a masters in Administration to become a Principal
Activities/Honors: Cadet Teaching at Horizon Elementary School; Working at Prairie Vista Kids Club; Penn Association for Children with Autism Vice President; Handwritten Hearts; The Air We Share; Key Club; National Honor Society; AP Scholar with Distinction
ZOYA TURK
Parents: Sonia Turk and Aasim Turk
Elementary School: Northpoint
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Attend Purdue University, majoring in Neurobiology and Physiology; plans to follow the pre-med track in hopes of becoming an Oncologist
Activities/Honors: Penn High School Girls Varsity Soccer, Penn High School Girls Varsity Track (two-year Captain), DECA, Penn Student-Athlete Leadership Council Representative, Penn’s Association for Children’s Autism, Freshman Mentoring, Key Club, Hospital Volunteer- Infusion Center and ER, Non-Profit Co-President: Play It Forward, Medical Shadow in a Hematology Oncology Unit, 6 year Club Soccer Member: Jr. Irish Soccer Club, Attendee and Volunteer at Mini Medical University; State Champion: DECA Innovation Plan, Indiana State Career Development Conference, AP Scholar Award with Distinction Recipient, IATCCC Academic All-State First Team Track & Field, ISCA Academic All-State Girls Soccer, Honorable Mention All-Conference and Second Team All-District Girls Soccer
BROOQLIN VARGAS
Parents: Kimberly Greene and Sergio Vargas
Elementary School: Prairie Vista
Middle School: Schmucker
College/career plans: Purdue and join Air Force ROTC to later become a fighter pilot in the Air Force
Activities/Honors: National Honor Society,Vice President of Handwritten Hearts, Co-Founder of the Penn Anti-Vape Club, Penn Fellowship of Christian Athletes
SALUTATORIANS
DIYA LAHANE
Parents: Pravina Lahane and Sanjeev Lahane
Elementary School: Mary Frank
Middle School: Discovery
College/career plans: Indiana University Bloomington – Neuroscience/Pre-Med Track; plans to be a Physician
Activities/Honors: Red Cross Secretary and Co-Founder, Penn Assisting Seniors President, Kingsmen Tutoring Internship Executive, Symphonic Orchestra Violinist and Executive, Penn Tennis, Notre Dame Physical Chemistry Intern, Notre Dame Evolutionary and Ecological Research Intern, Saint Joseph Hospital Volunteer, AP Scholar with Distinction, ISSMA Regional Ensemble Gold with Distinction two times, ISSMA State Finals 5th Place, TSA First Place in On-Demand Video, TSA First Place in Audio Podcasting two times, and TSA Second Place in On-Demand Video two times.
AIDAN LEE
Parents: Sun Ae Min and Junghee Lee
Elementary School: Torrey Pines Elementary, Isidore Newman School
Middle School: Isidore Newman School, Discovery Middle School
College/career plans: Majoring In Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Purdue University – West Lafayette; plans to be an Engineer
Activities/Honors: Korean Club Treasurer (2024-2025); Korean Club Vice President (2025-2026); Chess Team Vice President (2025-2026), Scholastic Chess Indiana Team State Top Ten finish (ninth 2025, ninth 2026); TSA State Finalist 2 Gold Medals and 1 Bronze Medal; South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinetist (2022-2023, 2024-2026); ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Gold Medalist (2023-2026), 6 District Gold Medals (2023-2026), 3 State Gold Medals (2023-2025); ISSMA Band State Finals 2nd place in 2024, 4th place in 2025; Vaccine Awareness Club Vice President (2025-2026); Math Academic SuperBowl (2022-2026); Rising Stars of Indiana Nominee (2024); Science Olympiad Co-founder and Vice President (2024-2026), 2nd Chemistry Notre Dame Invitational, 5th Chemistry Regionals; Indiana All State Honor Band (2025). Trine University Math Competition (2023-2026), 1st Intermediate Individual (2025), U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad State Qualifier (2024), Math Counts Coach (2023-2026), Memorial Hospital Beacon Health Systems ER Volunteer (2025).
NHS sponsors Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 22
Penn’s National Honor Society is hosting a Blood Drive for students and staff only on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
– If you are 16 years old, you MUST have a parental consent form filled out to bring at the time of donation.
***If you do sign up, please do not sign up during a test or a quiz, and coordinate with teachers to make sure you are signing up for a time at which you do not miss any educational or instructional material.
ON BLOOD DONATION DAY:
- Drink PLENTY of water
- Eat an iron-enriched dinner before
- EAT BREAKFAST
- Not something light, but a hearty breakfast
- NO ENERGY DRINKS BEFORE
- This is VERY important to avoid
We work with the South Bend Medical Foundation (SBMF), so they will set up near Door C, and you can expect donating to take around 45 minutes. Do not be late since they work on a tight schedule. We hope to see you all donating!!!
For students who have more questions, feel free to contact hsmoker478@phm.k12.in.us
Here is an informational video.
Penn AP Drawing students earn Scholastic honors
Penn students present at State Science Fair
- Eleanor Niemier 9th grade: Cisplatin Effects on Gene Expression in Lung and Colon Cancer
- Viosa Hernandez 9th grade: How do iPhones, iPads and WiFi affect the development of living organisms? A case study of Raphanus Sativus and Lepidium Sativum
- Ethan Doane 12th Grade: Fighting bacteria with liposomes: a better way to deliver antibiotics
Penn Science Olympiad students earn Top 10 finishes at state
Penn Science Olympiad earned its first Top Ten finishes in two events at the Science Olympiad State competition at Northridge High School.
• Iniya Christopher & Alishba Syeda — 6th in Disease Detectives
• Joanna Lin & Emily Pearson — 8th in Botany
Penn’s season included a third-place finish at the Regional.
Sreeja Bhattacharjee earns Scholastic National Silver Medal
Penn High School student Sreeja Bhattacharjee is a 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards national winner.
Schafer Gear Works Names Penn Robotics Lab
The lab will now be known as the Schafer Gear Works Robotics Lab.
Penn Freshmen Explore Future Careers at JA JobSpark Expo
Approximately 300 Penn High School freshmen stepped outside the classroom this week to explore future career possibilities at the JA JobSpark Career Expo, held at the Century Center in South Bend.
Joining hundreds of students from across the Michiana area, Penn students took part in hands-on activities designed to introduce them to real-world careers and local industries. The interactive format gave students a chance to try new skills, ask questions, and begin thinking about their future paths.
Throughout the expo, students rotated through a variety of stations representing different career fields. They tested their skills in trades like masonry, construction, roofing, and electrical work. Others practiced detecting counterfeit bills with First Source Bank, analyzed fingerprints in a mock crime lab with the South Bend Police Department, or explored careers in healthcare through physical therapy and dentistry activities.
Students also experienced creative and service-based careers, including hairdressing, food preparation with Taco Bell and Arby’s, and even reading from a teleprompter with WNDU 16 News. Additional stations allowed students to take professional headshots, try out recreational activities like Frisbee golf, and explore products from local manufacturers such as Barletta and Lippert.
The trip was organized by Penn’s Director of Counseling, John Westra, whose efforts helped make this opportunity possible for students.
Experiences like JobSpark give students an early look at potential career paths while connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunities right here in the local community.
