Community Corner
Whiz Kid: Chelsea McDermott
Montville High Senior Valedictorian Serves Aces In Class, Volleyball
Name: Chelsea McDermott
Age: 18
School: Montville High School
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Accomplishments: Montville High School Valedictorian, CIAC Scholar-Athlete.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference didn’t need much time to search for a candidate for the female scholar-athlete winner at Montville High.
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Just one look at the top of the MHS academic class standing was all it took. The CIAC found a perfect scholar-athlete choice in senior Chelsea McDermott, the MHS Class Valedictorian and top setter on the girls’ volleyball team. McDermott has a perfect academic record, earning an A grade for every class she has taken at Montville.
"I'm extremely happy about the selection as scholar-athlete," McDermott said. "It's great that academic achievement is recognized as much as athletic achievement."
Keys to Success: "Being organized and having the will to do extra work and whatever it takes has helped me," McDermott said. "My parents taught me that har work leads to great things. You can do whatever you set your mind to."
This week's choice as Montville Patch's Whiz Kid, McDermott was honored along with Montville High male student-athlete Thomas Todd at the CIAC Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony May 1 in Southington.
Athletically, as a senior setter, McDermott led the Indians' girls' volleyball team to the Class M state tournament where they beat Bullard Havens in the first round, behind her 12 service aces and 11 assists, and lost to Jonathan Law in the second round.
McDermott also played basketball in a reserve role as a backup guard. Despite receiving limited playing time, she was a positive influence according to coach Derek Wainwright.
“She never complained about not playing,” he said. "It's never easy for a senior to not get much playing time, but Chelsea bought into the program and did everything she was supposed to do."
McDermott drew raves from Wainwright for drawing a charge late in a Montville win.
"I was never resentful about not playing and made positive contributions whenever I was called upon," McDermott said. "I enjoyed watching those girls play."
McDermott will attend Penn State University next fall and study chemical engineering.
