BROOKSVILLE — Nick Pauliot is a fairly typical 18-year-old Hernando High School senior. At first glance.
He has a 3.1 grade-point average, plays football and is a wrestler and weight lifter. He hopes to earn a football scholarship to Webber International University in Babson Park.
Pauliot belongs to the business club, DECA and a senior class club called Class of '08. He likes math and would like to be an accountant.
All of this might seem unremarkable if not for the extraordinary circumstances he had to overcome to get where he is.
Pauliot has been shuffled among eight different living arrangements since he and his brother were taken from their home March 29, 2003. He remembers the date.
The moves included foster care, a boys' ranch, a safe house, an outreach facility (Brooksville's now-closed Transition to Independence), a return to his mother's and time with his grandmother. He moved between Florida and Wisconsin.
The upheaval began, Pauliot explained, when the brothers were removed from the care of their mother because of his younger brother's chronic truancy. They were put in a foster home together, but his brother stayed there for only three weeks. Pauliot stayed for more than 11 months.
While his brother was in a juvenile detention center, Pauliot was sent to another foster home. Then to the boys' ranch, then to his mother for a few months and his grandmother's home, both in Wisconsin.
"I lived in Wisconsin for seven months and returned to Florida," he said. He went to Safe Place to Be in Tampa, then to Tampa's United Urban Outreach. He was in Transition to Independence for about 20 months.
Now, Pauliot is in a foster home with three other boys and one girl. He settled into Hernando High School in the latter part of his sophomore year, where he struggled to keep his grades up. Moving as a freshman resulted in the loss of his grades for the second part of that year.
He is trying to become the first high school graduate in his troubled family. Going to college will be a first, too.
He was a Hernando High linebacker and twice was selected an all-county player. "I made it to the finals for all-state," he said, and was a Most Valuable Player. In wrestling, he was a state qualifier two times and this year earned the status of fifth in the state.
Pauliot's girlfriend, Heather Spradlin, 18, a fellow senior, hopes to attend Webber International and be a cheerleader for him. They have been together for a year and a half. He helps her with math; she acts as his secretary.
"I love dealing with numbers, and I wouldn't mind making (a lot of) money," he said.
Hernando High guidance counselor Melody Whitaker has plenty of praise for the ambitious young man.
"Nick is a very hardworking student,'' she said. "I just think, with his family situation and his life situation, he has accomplished a great deal. He has never given up.
"Everything he has set for himself, he's reached. I'm very proud of him. If more students were like him, it would be such an easy thing to be a guidance counselor."
>>If you go
The big day is here
Hernando High School graduation will be at 7 tonight in the gymnasium in Brooksville.
>>Class of 2008
Hernando High School graduates
VALEDICTORIAN
Caitlin Mary Geiger
Parents: Bill Geiger and Jane Maitski
GPA: 4.39
College: University of Central Florida
Field of study: Business administration
SALUTATORIAN
Rachel Ashley Lowman
Parents: Matthew and Beverly Lowman
GPA: 4.237
College: University of Central Florida
Field of study: Accounting
Rounding out the top 10
3. Mari Pothier
4. J. Morgan Rogers
5. Juliana Gordon
6. Donald McElroy Jr.
7. Samantha Pankow
8. Megan Jonas
9. Casey Adams
10. Robert O'Brien
Casey Franklin Adams
Daniel Dean Adams
Desiree Lashay Adams
Jessica Amanda Adams
Joshua Rhett Adams
Matthew Thomas
Alderman
Maria Alecia Anderson
Elvia Yuliska Arce
Robert Monroe Ashburn
Ethan Patrick Baldwin
Nathan Hall Baldwin
William Matthew Baldwin
Felicia Ann Ball
Timothy Robert Ball
Juan Diego Barreto
Jordan Ambyr Barrus
David Deon Battle Jr.
Brian Ray Baxter
Kelly Jo Beadle
Stacy Marie Beasley
Kyle Michael
Bechtelheimer
Kindall Marie Begley
Michael Lewis Behm
Brent William Bell
John Tyler Bennett
Kyle Edwin Beverland
Alicia Rose Bishop
Christopher Ron Bishop
Margaret Jane Blackburn
Michelle Susan Blue
Justin Shane Braswell
Kyle David Brooks
Antonio DeMarcus Brown
Joel Justin Brown
Matthew Kenneth Browning
Samantha Shea
Browning
Jamie Nicole Bunner
Alexandra Lynn Burgher
Daniel Edward Burns Jr.
Jessica Lynn Burns
Amanda Elizabeth
Cannon
Victoria Danielle Cannon
Antonio Chavez Jr.
Brittney Nicole Clark
Ryan Jay Clark
Amanda Christina Claville
Emily Sharlene Cochran
Jessica Diane Collins
Amanda Lynn Cummings
Casey Lynn Davidson
Carla Yvonne Davis
Nicole Marie Davis
Sayquan Marquis Davis
Mandy Aleshia Delgado
Ryan Jamal Denson
Shelby Jalycee DeRamus
Jason Ruben Diaz
Jessica Lynn Dixon
Edwin James Dubay
Branden Miles Durham
Daniel Edward Ebbecke
Erica Anne Ebbecke
Shane Michael
Eikenberry
Nadia Maria Estrada
Kasey Joseph Faltus
Britney Nicole Farley
Brittany Rachelle Fifer
Samantha Nicole Flynn
Carlos Antoine Ford
Shawanna Fayshon Frazier
Jasmine Michelle Freed
George Lewis Fribley III
Lamarkis Dwayne Gabay
Maggie Beth Garda
Caitlin Mary Geiger
Samuel Alan Gentile
Ashley Jordan Germain
Megan Irene Gillis
Joshua Andy Goff
Fernando Gomez
Tiffany Mercedez Goodin
Brittany Shawna
Goodwin
Juliana Lee Gordon
Margaret June Gordon
Jesse Lee Graham
Shalbetshla Lanette Greene
Jennifer Ann Gregg
April Rene Griffey
Eric Taylor Griffith
Lauren Ashley
Gunderson
Sarah Ashley Haimes
Melody Christine Hayes
Michael Allen Haynes
Crystal Rose Heath
Crystal Lynn Hemmer
Lewis Raymond
Henderson
Paige Chelsea Higginson
Bradly Hill
Jeffrey Edmond Hofstede
Jennifer Bera Hoover
Casey Isaac Hostetter
Nathan Nathaniel Howell
Krysta Patricia Anne Hughes
Wesley Charles Hughes
Arsenio Kortez Jackson
Francisco Jimenez-
Cisneros
Jeremy Jamar Johnson
Megan Nicole Jonas
Nathen Dale Jones
Ronald Lloyd Jorgensen
Curtis Malcomb Keith
Michael Becker Kern
Daniel Logan Kiefer
Richard Ratcliff
Killingsworth
Erika Lynn Knapp
Derek Michael Kraus
Jessica Marie Kreider
George Raymond Kurilla
Chelsea Evan Lashley
Anthony Richard Latorre
Erik Spencer Lawson
Kensie Kay Ledington
Elizabeth Ann Letts
Andrew Bryant Linton
Tamara Lynn LoBianco
Ari Lynn Lowman
Rachel Ashley Lowman
Amy Nicole Lynn
Tyler Michael Maier
Lyndsey Ann Marino
Katherine Marie Martin
Samantha Marie Maywell
Donald Robert McElroy Jr.
Brittany Klaire McGarrity
William Chad McGee
Cory Steven McKenna
Michael Walter Kilroy McKenna
Courtney Morgan
McKinney
Leanne Michelle
McKnight
Andrew James McNeal
Yajaira Paola Medina
Michael Raymond
Merced
Heather Christene Mills
Ashley Nicole Moore
Kyle Wendel Morgan
Anthony Neal Murray
Nicholas Anthony Nadella
Elliott Paul Nazar
Lamon Henry Neal
Ricky Dale Nelson II
Holly Elaine Nichols
Ryan Matthew Nicol
Kenneth Michael Noble
Robert Philip O'Brien
Sarah Marie Oesch
Sarai Ortiz
Kyle Cooper Owens
Adam David Paul Paine
Brittany Rose Panagiotis
Samantha Jo Pankow
Kursten Marie Parresol
Nickolas Vern Pauliot
Kasey Richard Pellage
Travis Phillip Penhale
Ryan Joseph Piermatteo
Sergio Pinzon
Jordan Platt
Andreal LaToya Plummer
Whitney Renee Porter
Mari Faith Pothier
Gina Marie Potito
Darris James Aubra Pratt
Tyler Owen Preston
Dustin Jonathon Pugh
Stephanie Marie Racine
Timothy Ryan Rags
Maria Jacqueline Ramirez
Kaci Leigh Ramsey
Jordan Patrick Reeves
Kyle Montgomery Rice
Rebecca Lynn Rich
Jared Andrew Rickett
Joel Alec Rivera
Koty Silas Roby
Matthew Lewis Rodriguez
Nikita Rodriguez
Victor Joseph Rodriguez-Puentes
Erica Addison Roessler
Brittany Anne Rogers
James Morgan Rogers
Ana Caren Rojero
Veronica Lynn Rojero
Denisse Ivette Romero
Taylor Michael Rotunda
Brittany La'Shawn Roundtree
Kaitlynn Rena Royal
Jerilyn Catherine Rumbarger
Aaron Dillon Saulnier
Jesse Lee Saxon
Kirt Alvin Schalow Jr.
Tiffany-Ann Nicole Scott
Shannon Amber Scranton
Tenicka La'Vette Scrivens
Megan Ann Shebosky
Brandon Michael Shepard
Brook Steven Shepard
Kyle Anthony Shinabarger
Breanna Elizabeth-Ann Shutt
Meagan Louise Silvis
Anthony Lee Sims
Sarah Elizabeth Sims
Nicholas Scott Sizemore
Christopher Francis Steven Smith
Haley Cristen Smith
Laura Nell Smith
Randall Smith
Tyler Andrew Solomon
Dustin Mark Solovitch
Heather Nicole Spradlin
Joy Lynn Stanberry
Kristian Alicia Stephens
Emily Rose Stevens
Alyssa Marie Stevenson
Margaret Ellen Stewart
Jacob John Stone
Joshua Eric Stone
Lacey Kaylene Strickland
Ryan Paul Strittmatter
Derek Daniel Sudduth
John Michael Sullivan Jr.
Derek Lee Sutton
Alana Emily Taglieri
Joseph Ross Tanner
Mia Rena Tawnsell
Roberto Tejera Jr.
Richard Paul Templin
Shane La'Ruance Thomas
David Allen Thompson Jr.
Megan Louise Thompson
Timothy Dean Thompson Jr.
Francis Carmine Turano
Olivia Carole Ussery
Alexander William Vazquez
Erich Richard Wagner
Christopher Michael Walters
David Wayne Walters Jr.
Javia Renee Washington
Ashley Dawn Westberry
Jesse Dawson Wheeles
Andrew James Whidden
Christopher Michael White
Amber Leeanne Wiggins
Shaun Michael Wilbourn
Abrill Renee Williams
Arielle Sherrice Williams
Clarence Williams III
Sabrina Megan Williams
Shatara Janay Williams
Andrea Rae Williamson
Amanda Lynn Wimett
Thomas Craig Wooten Jr.
Steven Edward Wyatt
Fred William Yealy Jr.
Kayla Deanna Yontz
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