By Jet Burnham | [email protected]

During his three years attending Riverton High School, Ethan Donahey kept busy with a rigorous academic schedule and a variety of extracurricular activities and sports.

“He is a well-rounded person who knows how to set goals, work hard and stay true to himself,” RHS counselor Natalie Bartholomew said.

Ethan explored his interests through involvement in Math Club, Science Olympiad, Kindness Crew, and the cross country and track teams, often holding leadership positions.

“One thing that I learned from high school is that the journey of achieving things can be more fulfilling than actually achieving things if you do it right,” Ethan said.

Ethan maintained a 4.0 grade point average while taking multiple college-level courses—four concurrent enrollment classes, nine AP classes, and an advanced Computer Science Program.

“For me, the secret to academic success is to have high expectations of myself and then make myself believe that I am capable of fulfilling those expectations,” Ethan said.

Ethan’s belief in himself and hard work earned him many awards and recognitions, including RHS Mathematics Sterling Scholar, National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist, the Silverwolf Medallion Award, and academic and athletic letters. He also qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam.

 “I believe all these achievements speak to Ethan’s work ethic—when he commits to something he will not allow anything to derail him,” Bartholomew said. “Ethan exudes maturity and dedication in all of his day to day activities and interactions.”

Ethan’s work ethic extended outside of school. He was actively involved in the Boy Scouts of America in which he earned the Life Rank. Ethan spent countless hours serving in the community and at school. Ethan’s favorite part of high school was participating in activities during Silver Rush, RHS’s annual charity drive.

“It's amazing to watch the student body come together and contribute to an amazing cause,” he said.

Bartholomew believes Ethan is well prepared for a successful life.

“To me, he exemplifies a young man who has goals and is committed to being successful in whatever he does,” she said.

After graduation, Ethan will serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then plans on majoring in mathematics at BYU with a double minor in computer science and physics.