Housatonic names Matsudaira valedictorian, Marks salutatorian

Housatonic names Matsudaira valedictorian, Marks salutatorian

Manny Matsudaira, left, and Tess Marks of HVRHS earned valedictorian and salutatorian in 2025.

Patrick L. Sulllivan

FALLS VILLAGE — Manasseh “Manny” Matsudaira of Cornwall is the valedictorian of the Housatonic Valley Regional High School Class of 2025.

He has five siblings, and his mother Rachel works at HVRHS.

Matsudaira will attend Harvard in the fall. He plans to study economics along with environmental science and public policy.

He said the idea for the combination of disciplines came from his experience with the Envirothon and his interest in conservation, the social sciences and economics.

“The economy and environmentalism sometimes clash,“ he said. “I want to find a way to help them align.”

Matsudaira has been active in sports, He is captain of the tennis, ski and soccer teams.

On his experience at HVRHS: “It’s very welcoming. It’s an accurate slice of the real world, and what you can expect in the future.”

Matsudaira is also one of 621 semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The semifinalists were selected from over 6,000 candidates expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2025.

Matsudaira said the letter he received said the finalists would be announced “in the next few months.”

Asked about what he does for fun, he rattled off extracurricular activities at school: Envirothon, Academic Bowl, band (he plays the euphonium, and the Night Choir.

He plays club soccer too.

And this:

“I love to cook.”

He explained that his mother is of Italian descent and his late father was Japanese.

So he is working on a fusion of the two.

“I try” he said modestly. “It’s a difficult thing.”

Matsudaira credits his family’s support for his success. “I have good role models.”

And he gives credit to his faith: “God is an important part of my life.”

Salutatorian

Tess Marks of Salisbury is the salutatorian of the Housatonic Valley Regional High School Class of 2025.

Marks will attend Tufts University in the fall. She plans to study theater and education.

Her parents are Kristen Neary and Keith Marks, and she has an older sister, Josie.

About the former discipline, Marks said she was introduced to theater at an early age, when Michael Baldwin, a family friend, organized acting improvisation activities at family gatherings. “That sparked it.”

She’s been involved in theater since the third grade, she added.

As for wanting to be an educator, she cited her mother, aunt and grandmother’s careers.

“I see a lot of value in education. I’ve gotten a lot out of it, and I want to give back.”

Marks is busy at HVRHS, as class president, with the Student Government Association, and club soccer. She played soccer and lacrosse in previous years.

She recently cohosted the Battle of the Bands with Andy Delgado. Those two also revived a tradition of a completely student-run theater production, “The Unwritten Show.”

Asked what she does in her spare time, assuming she has any, Marks said she has a big family and she likes to spend time with them.

She is also a self-admitted bookworm. Her favorite book? “The Door” by Magda Szabo.

Asked about her experience at HVRHS, she said “There are so many opportunities here. And I think the community is so supportive. I’ve gone with the Travel Club to the Galapagos Islands and I’m going to Thailand. We couldn’t do that without the community.”

Latest News

Rhys V. Bowen

LAKEVILLE — Rhys V. Bowen, 65, of Foxboro, Massachusetts, died unexpectedly in his sleep on Sept. 15, 2025. Rhys was born in Sharon, Connecticut, on April 9, 1960 to Anne H. Bowen and the late John G. Bowen. His brother, David, died in 1979.

Rhys grew up at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, where his father taught English. Attending Hotchkiss, Rhys excelled in academics and played soccer, basketball, and baseball. During these years, he also learned the challenges and joys of running, and continued to run at least 50 miles a week, until the day he died.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kelsey K. Horton

LAKEVILLE — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.

Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eliot Warren Brown

SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.

In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.

Keep ReadingShow less
Randall Osolin

SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.

He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.

Keep ReadingShow less