Corey Ingham (photo above left) and Calvin Nau (photo above right) were the top two students of the Wheatland-Chili Class of 2018. Photos provided by Wheatland-Chili
BY JENNIFER CROWLEY
Two young men graduated Sunday at the top of their class. Beyond their academic achievements, Wheatland-Chili Class of 2018 valedictorian, Corey Ingham, and salutatorian, Calvin Nau, also have an impressive array of extracurricular and personal interests.
Ingham, the son of Jeff and Michelle Ingham, will be attending Alfred State in the fall to study Surveying and Geomatics Engineering. He says the major is attractive to him since he has long been interested in mathematics, mapping, and the outdoors. Ingham was also accepted into the Civil Engineering programs at Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Buffalo. His challenging academic course load included Advanced Placement (AP) courses in U.S. History, Biology, and Calculus. He also participated in the New Visions Emerging Professions program on the SUNY Brockport campus during his senior year which allowed him to take part in various engineering internships as well as some college courses.
Active in school extracurricular activities, Ingham was a member of National Honor Society and also played for a number of sports teams including Varsity Cross Country, Varsity Swimming, and Varsity Golf. In addition, he has been involved with the Boy Scouts and received the rank of Eagle Scout in 2015. In 2017 he went to Boys’ State, a summer leadership and citizenship program sponsored by The American Legion.
If that all isn’t enough, Ingham also held a number of jobs during his high school career. He worked with Wheatland Recreation teaching swimming lessons and also lifeguarded at the high school’s pool for both recreational use and the practices and meets of the modified swim team. During the summers he spent time working on a local farm.
Among his awards and honors, Ingham received the David Lazzar Monroe Professional Engineering Society Scholarship, the 2018 Young Citizen of the Year Award, and the Michael O’Laughlin Outstanding Senior Award. The new graduate says that as far as inspiration to keep achieving, his family has always encouraged him to reach his full potential. “They have always supported me and motivated me to do my best.”
Ingham’s favorite high school memory is ‘The Dash in the Dark Cross Country Race’ which was held at the beginning of every season. “It was always a great way to kick things off and a fun race to take part in,” explained Ingham.
Salutatorian Nau is the son of Jeff and Amy Nau. He will attend Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the fall to study Industrial Engineering. He is currently preparing to spend the summer with his brother who lives in Glennwood Springs, Colorado.
During his high school career, Nau also took challenging AP courses in U.S. History, English Literature and Composition, Calculus, and Biology. He was involved with the Varsity Swimming team and also ran long distance trail races outside of school. He recently completed a 37.5 mile race otherwise known as an ultra-marathon. As for volunteer work, Nau was active in the Chili Fire Explorers.
Nau has held a number of jobs while maintaining his academic focus. He worked at Good Guys Pizza in Chili during his sophomore and junior years. During his senior year he started working at the Artisan Coffee House in Scottsville and quite recently started a job at the new iKON ice cream shop.
In terms of academic recognition, Nau received the Daughters of the American Revolution Award for Good Citizenship as well as a number of awards of excellence for his top ranking high school class averages. As for who Nau cites as inspiration, it is an eclectic group consisting of Joe Rogan, a comedian and podcast host, the ultra-runner Cameron Hanes and most significantly his grandfather, a former Rochester firefighter.
When asked to share his favorite memory of high school, Nau had this to offer, “My favorite high school memory is more of an appreciation that I am graduating from such a small school. It’s a big family and there’s people that you may not love, but everyone is there for each other. I really am going to miss everyone because I have been with them all for most of my life. I know a lot of us tear up at the prospect that we might not see each other again,” he said.
