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06/19/2019 08:30 AMShe may be following in her sibling’s footsteps—both her brother and sister were also class presidents—but it’s a pretty safe bet that North Branford High School (NBHS) may not see another spectacular student like Allie Augur for some years to come. She says her success is due to the support of her hometown.
In addition to being voted in as president of the NBHS Class of 2019 all four years of high school, Allie also went on to become the school’s top-ranked students and was named the 2019 NBHS valedictorian. Next year, Allie will play soccer for Boston College, the school to which she verbally committed following her freshman season playing goalie for NBHS.
In fact, Allie’s brought national recognition to her hometown, and her high school, through her play. In both her junior and senior year, Allie was named an All-American soccer goalie, making her one of the best not only in the state, but in the nation. In addition, as a senior, she was named Connecticut Junior Soccer Association (CJSA) Goalkeeper of the Year and CJSA High School Player of the Year, and was selected as the CJSA Coach’s High School All-American as a senior and a junior. In grades 10, 11 and 12, Allie was named to the All-State and All-New England teams as well as being selected as a New Haven Register All-Area member. In 2018-’19, she was an All-USA Preseason Girls Soccer team member. Allie served as T-Birds’ team captain her senior year.
While she’s experienced some incredible personal moments in her high school career, in her graduation night speech to her classmates on June 11, Allie wanted to express the magnitude of what has been experienced for her family of classmates during public school years together that have flown by (see “131 Graduates, 11 Words to Remember at NBHS 2019 Commencement” on page ).
We Are Family
“The one word I could use to describe us is a family, and the bond that we have,” says Allie. “We’ve gone through so much and we’ve grown up,” she says. “It’s amazing to be looking at our four years and further back, all the memories and moments, and where we grew up and it all started.”
A member of the storied North Branford Augur family (her cousins own the Augur farm), Allie also has had plenty of support in town from her extended family members.
“Everywhere I look, there’s a family membver, and everyone knows everyone,” she says, laughing.
Allie thanks her parents for their support and adds her brother and sister were an inspiration to her, especially when it came to running for class president.
“I knew I wanted to be president, because my siblings went to this high school and both of them were president,” she says of her brother Zachary (NBHS 2014) and sister Gabrielle (NBHS 2016).
Allie also pushed herself to work hard academically, but was not expecting to be named valedictorian, she adds, saying, “once they released the class ranks, I was completely shocked and surprised!”
Usually, NBHS graduation night includes speeches from the class president and valedictorian, but as both, Allie is glad to see that this year’s “words of wisdom” speaking duties went to her very good friend and classmate Jessie Kilburn, salutatorian and class secretary of the NBHS Class of 2019. Allie says she’s proud of every member of her class.
“I know that the Class of 2019 is so special and that each and every one of them are going to do something great,” Allie says. “It’s going to be sad to say goodbye to them, but seeing them a year or two years down the road, and what they’re going to do, is amazing to think about.”
Getting Involved
In addition serving as class president all four years, Allie was also president of the NBHS Environmental Club and a member of NBHS National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Student Council, Wounded Warriors Club, and Wellness Crew. Additionally, as a member of the NBHS Dream Team, Allie was one of about 40 students working throughout the school year as a role model/teaching buddy in classrooms with 4th graders at Totoket Valley Elementary School (TVES).
“It’s so great just to see them at that age, and imagine all the things that they could do, and hopefully they can see me and my classmates and see that anything really is possible,” she says.
Although she was busy as a high school athlete, scholar, and student leader, finding time to get involved in meaningful extra-curricular activities in her four years at NBHS was important to Allie, too.
“All of those really gave me a chance to give back to the community, but in different ways,” she says. “So that was really cool, having different avenues to reach out to hopefully touch the hearts of different people.”
Academically, Allie says she has always worked hard to achieve her personal best.
“For me, it definitely takes a lot of hard work!” says Allie. “I’m just not one of those people who goes into a quiz without studying. I study for hours—late nights and early mornings. For me, it was all worth it. There’s just that validation, that when you get that grade back, that you really did work hard for it.”
Allie challenged herself with six Advanced Placement (AP) classes while studying at NBHS. She says she feels the town’s public school system is giving students incredible opportunities to stretch their educational abilities through its instructional programming and educators.
“We have so many AP classes, and the teachers really try to push us, and they test us to our max. You’ll have moments when you’re sitting in class and you really aren’t getting something, but it’s that time when you push through it and are determined to understand it that’s the best feeling ever,” says Allie.
Always interested in math and sciences, Allie says taking AP Biology and AP Calculus this year solidified her plan to pursue the sciences while studying at BC.
“I’m thinking about majoring in biology, and whether that leads me to the pre-med track, or possibly physical therapy, that’s what I don’t know yet,” she says.
In Demand
While many high school valedictorians may get word of early acceptance from the university of their choice, locking in her future with BC early has been an incredible experience to carry through her high school years, says Allie. She verbally committed to BC’s team the summer after her freshman year.
“It eased the nerves that I knew where I was going to go, and it was just a matter of getting there,” says Allie.
Allie adds that being in the goal for the T-Birds for four seasons was an awesome experience.
“It was amazing to play for this town and this school, and to represent them on and off the field, and to be with the girls, and just to build the bonds,” she says.
She adds that she’s grateful for the support the school and the community has provided to her, and to her fellow students, to help them succeed.
“It truly does take a village and I realize that now,” she says. “To have that support and to be surrounded by people who lifted me up and encouraged me and pushed me to be the best is really awesome.”
Allie’s résumé carries a long list of academic and athletic awards and accolades bestowed upon her this year and throughout her high school career. Among her more recent academic honors, she received the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Award, the Harvard Book Award, U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award, AP Scholar Award, CIAC 2019 Scholar Athlete Award, and Yale-New Haven Senior Spotlight Award.
For Allie, every award has meaning, but there’s nothing more important than the knowledge that she’s had the support of her hometown of North Branford.
“Every award I’ve gotten has been a great honor, but for me, it just kind of goes back to representing North Branford,” says Allie. “I am who I am because of the people around me. I’m so thankful for my classmates, my friends, my family, my teachers, and coaches. They’re the people and the reason that I’m able to see the achievements that I have.”