By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — The realization that they could have a positive influence on someone else came to Shea High School’s top two students in different ways. Yet, it was that realization that pushed Erik Munsell and Leonard Kozyrev to succeed academically and be chosen as valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, at the school’s June 24 commencement exercises.

Erik Munsell, ranked number in a graduating class of approximately 214, is a member of the Rhode Island Honor Society, the National Honor Society, and the school’s Key Club and Math League. Trhohghout his high school career, he played varsity soccer and golf, and was a member of the swim team, and also served as captain in all three sports.
Munsell has dabbled in theater, most recently performing in the high school’s production of “American Idle,”  a spoof of the popular TV series, and has volunteered in the community at a soup kitchen and nursing home. He has also managed to find the time to work as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the Lincoln YMCA.
It was while teaching swim that Munsell said he first realized he could make a difference in someone’s life. “I thought it was cool to get a class that didn’t know anything about swimming, and then see the progress. And to see them realize that they can do it themselves. It makes me feel really good.”
Munsell credits his parents, Lauren and Peter Munsell, with providing guidance, but said he has always been “ambitious.” Of the achievements that made him the top student, Munsell said, “I have always been one to prioritize and structure my life.” He added that he thinks “anybody can do it, if they want to. It’s a matter of wanting to do it, and getting your priorities straight.”
Munsell is heading off to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall, where he plans to major in chemical engineering. He added that he chose this field because he feel he will “have the opportunity to make a difference in medicine.”
Leonard Kozyrev, ranked second in his class, emigrated from Latvia in 1998. His family settled in Pawtucket, and he enrolled in the private Jewish Community Day School in Providence, prior to attending Shea for his school years. “I came here at the age of 9 and didn’t know a word of English,” he stated.
However, Kozyrev proved to be a quick learner, adjusting to his new life and excelling at both academics and sports. He played baseball and basketball in his freshman and sophomore years. “But then I decided to focus on my studies,” he said.
That focus lead to his being selected for the Rhode Island Honor Society and National Honor Society. He also took part in Shea’s Public Administration Academy, where he learned how government fynctions, took part in the school’s “Mock Election” and worked at the polls in last fall’s election.
Kozyrev has also done some volunteer work in the community, including serving as an assistant coach for the Jewish Community Day School’s baseball team. “They had their best season last year,” he noted, proudly.
While, like Munsell, he decribes himself as “self-motivated,” he also said that his family’s long and arduous struggle to get out of Latvia and come to the U.S., and the sacrifices that they made, had a huge bearing on his will to succeed. “I felt like, I need to thank them. And I think the best way is to exceed in everything. The least I could do is do well in life...do my best and not slack,” he added.
Kozyrev, the son of Yelena Kozyreva, will be attending Bryant University in September, where he plans on majoring in marketing and business.