Sophia Thayer, a senior at Boothbay Region High School, has been selected to receive the 2014 Principal’s Award. The award, sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, is given in recognition of a high school senior’s academic achievement and outstanding school citizenship.

"Sophia is an outstanding young lady. She is a top student who consistently challenges herself academically," BRHS Principal Dan Welch said. "She has been a school leader since she was a freshman. Sophia has had so much success here at BRHS; she is a top-notch student, athlete and school citizen."

Besides her athletic success as one of the top cross-country runners in the state and as a fine Nordic skier, Thayer has excelled in the classroom and in the community. She is the valedictorian of the BRHS class of 2014, is the school's student body president and student school committee/board of trustees representative, a Hugh O'Brien Leadership Maine selectee, and a member of the YMCA Leaders Club. Thayer has also participated and volunteered in the AIDS Walk in Boston and been a Y-Arts and Boothbay Playhouse performer since age 7.

Thayer, Welch and other award winners and their principals will attend an Honors Luncheon at the Spectacular Event Center in Bangor on Saturday, April 5 at 12:30 p.m.

The Honors Luncheon recognizes these outstanding students with the presentation of an individual plaque and the awarding of five $1,000 scholarships in the names of Horace O. McGowan and Richard W. Tyler.

McGowan and Tyler were former Maine principals and executive directors of the association. This year an additional five $1,000 scholarships will be presented through the efforts of the MPA Scholarship Golf Tournament and support from Berlin City Auto.

The Principal’s Award is presented in more than 100 Maine public and private high schools by member principals of the Maine Principals’ Association, the professional association which represents Maine’s school administrators.

Thayer is the daughter of Kerry Lyons and Peter Thayer of Boothbay.