Rio Americano Senior To Address Fellow Graduates

Carmichael Patch Whiz Kids:

Name:  Sean Shelton

School: Rio Americano High School

Accomplishment: Shelton, 18, was selected to address his fellow graduates at today's graduation ceremonies at Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium.

Key to Awesomeness: Shelton was selcted by student government leaders, including senior class president Kelley McCuen.

"I thought it would be cool to speak at graduation," Shelton said. "I feel like I'm a good reprsentative...but I've got my work cut out for me."

Shelton said he would speak about optimism.

"It's bittersweet but I hope I have a sense of humor," he said.

Shelton has played in Rio Americano's honors concert band, playing the piano and bass trombone. There are about 200 students in the band program, in four jazz and three concert bands, he said.

"The reason I go to this school is because of the band program," Shelton said.

The band has played at the Mondavi Center at the University of California, Davis, where Shelton said he will attend in the fall, as well as the Lincoln Center in New York City and Argentina. Each year, the band members go door to door in the Carmichael and Arden Park areas for their Playathon fundraiser.

Shelton also is a Science Olympiad coach at Arden Middle School.

At UC Davis, Shelton said he will study chemical engineering and hopes to minor in music.

"I wanted to stay in California and I don't mind staying close," he said. "I want to be a professor someday."

Shelton said he will look back fondly on his time at Rio.

"The biggest thing that strikes me is that some students are unappreciative of the opporunties they have at this school and in this area," he said, adding that he and his friends go swing dancing in downtown Sacramento, among other activities. "But everyone at this school gets along really well and the teachers do a wonderful job."