By Adrian Dale

On the evening of Sept. 27, seniors Ryan Clark and Alina Merlak were crowned this year’s Mount Vernon High School King and Queen.

Queen Alina Merlak is very active at MVHS. She is a member of the high school’s soccer and cross country teams, and is involved in the fine arts as a member of choir, jazz choir, the spring and fall musicals, the fall play, and speech. She is a cheerleader, a member of the Thundering Herd, and serves on the student council.  “If I hadn’t tried different activities I wouldn’t have figured out what types of things I love to do now,” she said.

Outside of school, she works at the Mount Vernon Pool as a lifeguard. Merlak thought it was fun to be part of the process and hopes she was elected for being nice.

Clark also participates in many activities at MVHS. He is on the football, wrestling, baseball, and track teams. He is in concert and jazz choir and the spring musical, and is a member of FCA. Outside of school, he is the president of the Mount Vernon Trailblazer’s 4-H Club, and he is a mass server and greeter at St. John’s Catholic Church.

Clark is a Mount Vernon native. He said, “It’s a great honor to have been elected to represent the student body.” He believes his coaches have had the biggest influence on him during his high school career, as “They are always pushing me to be the best I can be in both sports and in life.” He believes people voted for him because he is such an active member of the community and the school.