After a successful high school career, canty and caring senior Coleen Burke will take her efforts to save the rain forest with her as she studies Radiology at Northampton. Burke has occupied her time throughout high school with musical theatre, various types of band and choir, as well as being the President of Ecology Club.  

Who will you remember most in Bangor and why? 

There are many people that I will remember from Bangor, but mainly Mrs. Price, Mrs. Laurito, Ms. LaBranche, Mr. DiMinico, and, this past year, Mr. Johnson. They have all played major roles in my past four years in many different ways; they have all been there to help and support me through the superb, and the not so good parts of high school. They have always been people I could go to for advice or help when I needed it. They are all amazing individuals that have made a major impact on my life and I will never forget them.  

What is your best high school memory and why? 

There are just too many to limit myself to choose. I enjoyed most of my time in the music department, participating in pep rallies and dances, and being an active member of the school over the past four years.  

What is your worst high school memory and why? 

Definitely the beginning of this year, it was a tough one, especially based on the action of some people who did not know how to handle my surgery situation well, but I powered through it.  

Which band could play the soundtrack to your high school career and why? 

Definitely Nancy Sinatra who sings “These Boots Are Made for Walking” because I spent almost my whole high school career in that medical boot. Mr. DiMinico used to say it was my anthem, and I would go to senior prom in a boot, unfortunately he wasn’t far off about that one.  

If there were a movie made about your high school days, which actor would play your part and why? 

I would love to have Keala Settle play me because she is an inspiration to me in the acting realms ever since I saw her in Waitress on Broadway, and then in The Greatest Showman (I am portraying her part from this movie for Broadway night this year as well).  

When you arrive at school in the morning, where is the first place you want to go and why? 

The first place I always go is Mrs. Laurito’s room when I come in for third block because she is always someone I enjoyed spending time with and having class with, and her classroom is right next door to my third block class.  

Who influenced you most during high school and why? 

My biggest influence for high school was definitely my older sister. She was in the school with me for two years and I kind of followed her and joined as much as I could like she did and I got to make a lot of connections with other people and staff by being super involved like she was.  

Where do you predict you will end up ten years from now and why? 

I think in ten years I will be living in either NYC (possibly Staten Island) working the night shift at a hospital in Manhattan, or somewhere on the west coast working in a hospital out there.  

Which event will you miss the most and why? 

I will definitely miss the dances. They were always so much fun and it was something fun to do on a Friday night. I also really enjoyed helping plan the homecoming dances and then once all the chaos was done going and enjoying the dance because it made all the effort worth it!  

What is your favorite quote to live by and why? 

“What’s meant to be will be.” I have taken this one to heart throughout these four years especially because there are always opportunities for just about anything in this school, especially depending on what you get involved with. Sometimes you will get positions, sometimes you’ll get parts in the musical, or a solo in choir, and so many people will get so upset over not earning those things, but what I always say and live by is if it was meant to be it will happen, if not there’s a reason for it.  

As president of Ecology Club, what has motivated you to want to save the Earth? 

I’ve always been really good at science and outspoken and forward about saving the planet so when I was offered the choice as Ecology for 5th block I jumped on board and started helping, and I stuck with it. It’s always great being around like-minded people and hearing their views and seeing what they want to do to try and improve the club and the earth.  

What is the biggest threat to rain forests? Why should we save the rain forests? 

The biggest threat to rain forests are people who are cutting down the trees. Throughout the past, people have cut down so many of the tree areas that the rainforest population has had a major decrease in just 20 years. We should save them because there are millions of species and organisms that are native to the rain forest, and can only survive there. If we don’t save them we will no longer have the red eyed tree frogs, sloths, rainforest Jaguars, certain butterfly species, and many other organisms unless they are kept in a zoo under the proper conditions, much like polar bears and penguins that are hardly surviving due to the ice caps melting. Rain forests are vital to the world’s ecosystem and we must do more to protect them, as so many conservationists and activists are attempting to do.  

What’s your favorite kind tree/plant and why? 

My favorite tree is a dogwood tree; their beauty is like none other. If you ever look at the petals they always grow in four with a maroon color that looks like it was painted on by water color paint towards the center.  

If you could communicate with Mother Nature, what would you tell her? 

If I could communicate with Mother Nature I would ask her on advice how to fix what we have done, and also I would thank her for sharing her beauty.  

What is something you wish you could change about the world? Why? 

I wish I could change how we as people across the globe operate. We need to keep the planet a positive and safe environment for everyone to live and maintain a symbiotic relationship with the plants and animals that were here before us, and that will most likely be here after us.