NORTH SMITHFIELD – Students headed to Brown and Columbia Universities in the fall to continue their education and pursue their respective passions have been named the top two students in the North Smithfield High School Class of 2026.
Leah Goodwin is the valedictorian and Emerson Deschene is the salutatorian of the 126 student class, set to graduate in the courtyard of the Greenville Road school on Friday, June 5.
Goodwin, the daughter of Lynne Finelli and Devon Goodwin, participated in a variety of extracurricular activities during her time at the high school, with time focused on athletics, civics, volunteerism and more.
A singles player on the varsity girls’ tennis team from grades 9 through 12, Goodwin was awarded 2nd Team All Division for the 2024 season, and 1st Team All Division for the 2025 season. She also participated in unified basketball from grades 10 through 12.
During her senior year, Goodwin served as the treasurer of the National Honor Society, as well as captain of the school’s percussion ensemble. She also regularly competed on the school’s math team and was a member of the environmental club.
Goodwin has consistently volunteered with a number of organizations, including the Blackstone Valley Community Concert Band, Southside Community Land Trust and Revive the Roots.
During her junior year, this year’s top NSHS student was chosen to participate in the Secretary of State’s Rhode Island Civic Leadership Program as a civic liaison, and she received the Civic Leadership Award that same year. She worked as a page in the Rhode Island House of Representatives for the 2025 and 2026 sessions, and held an internship with the Rhode Island Bar Association in the summer of 2025.
In her senior year, Goodwin helped start the Rhode Island Chapter of the High School Democrats of America and became the vice chairperson, where she worked to promote civic involvement and Democratic ideas.
For her senior project, Goodwin created a club at North Smithfield Middle School modeled after the Civic Leadership Program. She set up meetings with various government officials, including state representatives as well as Congressman Gabe Amo, which allowed middle schoolers interested in civics to learn more about government jobs and proceedings.
In her free time, the Class of 2026 valedictorian said she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors and cuddling with her cat. She said she is incredibly grateful for the endless support she has received over the years from her friends, teachers, and family, especially thanking her parents for continuously motivating her, as well as her brother, Cooper, and best friends, Emma and Jordan, for always being able to make her laugh.
Goodwin plans to study political science at Brown University next year.
Deschene, the daughter of Kristen and Timothy Deschene, also has a long list of extracurricular activities from time at the four year school.
Deschene played on the varsity girls’ tennis team from grades 9 to 12, and earned All-Division First Team Doubles honors during her junior year, as well as the RI Sportsmanship Award during her senior year.
Since her freshman year, Deschene has lead an effort to increase environmental awareness at the high school, reviving the composting program and reestablishing the environmental club. Her efforts, alongside the administration, enabled the school to be recognized nationally as a Green Flag Eco-School and to win the 2025 Rhode Island Green Ribbon Schools Award.
Deschene has also worked with the community through the RI Student Civic Liaison program to promote civic engagement and education, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She earned the Hugh Grant O’Brien Youth Leadership Award in 2024, and continued volunteering for the HOBY Program the following year. She attended the Hugh Grant O’Brien Youth Leadership World Leadership Congress in July 2025, held in Chicago, as one of two representatives from Rhode Island, working alongside around 300 other young leaders from around the globe. Deschene won the Rhode Island Civics Leadership Award in 2025 and was a semi-finalist National Honor Society Scholarship winner in 2026.
This year’s salutatorian also regularly competed with the math team throughout her high school career, and is a member of the Class of 2026 officers and chamber choir.
For her senior project, Deschene founded the “LeadHer Learning” organization with the goal of making higher education more accessible for women across the country. She created a scholarship open to first-generation female college students pursuing a STEM degree. To further promote her message, Deschene held a Q&A at the state house with panelists, Sens. Jessica de la Cruz and Valarie Lawson, to help young women learn how to break into the political sphere and for young students to learn more about government in general. She said the experience was a great success, and that she hopes she can continue with the organization as she goes to college, helping many more women who desire higher education and highly regarded jobs.
In her free time, Deschene said she enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family. She said she is exceptionally grateful for her family, friends, and teachers, who have supported and motivated her throughout high school, especially thanking her parents, her sister Claire, and her extended family for their love and support.
Deschene will attend Barnard College of Columbia University in the fall, pursuing a degree in neuroscience as a pre-medical student.
