Portsmouth Christian Academy Recognizes Top Seniors From the Class of 2026

DOVER, NH — MAY 28, 2026 — Portsmouth Christian Academy (PCA) is pleased to announce its top-ranking seniors from the Class of 2026. This recognition highlights students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and strong character throughout their high school years.

Ava Buchanan, Valedictorian

Ava Buchanan is the daughter of Shiloh and Tim Buchanan of South Berwick, Maine. Ava will be attending Messiah University in the fall, where she will enter their 5-year Doctor of Physical Therapy program with a potential double major in Biomedical Engineering. She will also be playing women’s basketball at Messiah and was accepted into their Honors Program. Ava was also accepted to and invited to apply for the honors programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assumption University, Wheaton College (MA), New England College, Lycoming College, Albright College, Gordon College, Cedarville University, and Grove City College, and received the highest academic scholarship offered by each. She was also offered to play basketball at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Grove City College, New England College, Gordon College, Albright College, Lycoming College, and Mitchell College. 

Ava has maintained highest honors status all four years at Portsmouth Christian Academy and will receive the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish upon graduation. She served as class president her freshman year, as a small group leader during her junior and senior years, and as a Unity Prefect her senior year. Ava is a member of Portsmouth Christian Academy’s Missions Club, through which she served in Puerto Rico in 2024, and she is also active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Ava has been a standout on the basketball court, serving as team captain from her sophomore through senior year. She earned All-State honors all four years of high school, including First Team All-State from sophomore through senior year, and was named Player of the Year her senior season. She was also named Granite State South Player of the Year during her junior and senior years. Ava is Portsmouth Christian Academy’s all-time leading scorer for both male and female athletes with 1,614 points, the all-time leading rebounder with 729 rebounds, the female all-time leader in steals, holds the record for most points scored in a single season at 500 and most points scored in a single game at 52. She is a recipient of the Bill and Betty Vachon Sportsmanship Award, was named Portsmouth Christian Academy’s Female Athletic Performance of the Year in both 2024 and 2025 and earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Mike Lee Holiday Bash. 

Ava has received the Provost Scholarship and Honors Program Scholarship from Messiah University, as well as the Elks Foundation Scholarship for the state of Maine. 

Ava attends Eliot Baptist Church. Beyond basketball, she was part of Portsmouth Christian Academy’s runner-up state cross country team in Division III senior year and the runner-up state championship soccer team her freshman year. She played soccer during her sophomore year as well and ran track her senior year, qualifying for states in all events she currently participates in. In basketball she plays point guard and shooting guard, has competed with the Maine Firecrackers U17 S40 national basketball team, and previously played for Seacoast Thunder AAU basketball. Ava trains at Seacoast Kettlebell and works each summer as a nanny for her three cousins. She loves spending time with her family and being outside, and enjoys running, swimming, paddleboarding, and time at the beach. After college she aspires to own and run her own physical therapy business.

Kennedy Rengkung, Salutatorian

Kennedy Rengkung is the son of Jhony Rengkung and Vivi Gunawan of Rochester. Kennedy will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this fall and pursuing a degree in Engineering. Kennedy was also accepted at Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of New Hampshire, and Grove City College. 

Kennedy has maintained highest honors while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover. He was a member of the school math team for three years and participated in the state ARML team for two.  

Kennedy attends Grace Community Church, where he is a member of the youth group. He also serves on the church’s worship team, playing piano since freshman year. 

Maeve Bowden

Maeve Bowden is the daughter of Dawn and Kyle Bowden of Newmarket. Maeve will be attending Southeastern University in the fall and will be pursuing a degree in Kinesiology and studying in their Pre-Occupational Therapy program. Maeve was also accepted into the University of New Hampshire, the University of New England, Gordon College, Sacred Heart University, Lipscomb University, Messiah University, and Anderson University.  

Maeve has maintained highest honors while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover. She served as an Academic Prefect during her senior year where she and her co-leader were editors of their school newspaper, the PCA Post. Maeve was also a Small Group Leader, in Missions Club, and a member of Prom Committee from her Sophomore Year through senior year. She went on her Missions Club’s annual Spring mission trip to Puerto Rico three times, where they served throughout various communities.  

Maeve is a dancer at Dance Innovations Dance Center, where she has attended for the past 14 years. She has been on their competitive dance team for eight years and has been one of the team captains on her Team Council for the past two years. She has competed annually throughout New England and, additionally, went to a National Competition her freshman year at Foxwoods, and again last July in Cape Cod. 

Maeve attends Bethany Church in Greenland, where she has gone each Sunday morning to listen and take notes on sermons and also has been an active member of The Barn, Bethany’s youth group. Both of these, along with her school community and various spiritually transformational experiences, pushed her to get baptized in the fall of her freshman year, due to her desire to serve the Lord joyfully, with a public faith. 

Jason Hornbeck

Jason Hornbeck is the son of Jonathan and Stacey Hornbeck of Stratham. Jason will be attending Grove City College in the fall and will pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Robotics. Jason has maintained highest honors status while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover. Jason has received a Grove City Merit scholarship. Jason attends Hampton Falls First Baptist Church, where he is an active member of the youth group. He played the trumpet as first chair for nine years in both the jazz band and symphony. He has also played Euphonium, French Horn, Guitar, and Alto Saxophone.  

Caterina Hutt

Caterina Hutt is the daughter of George and Tonia Hutt of Rye. Caterina will be attending Liberty University in the fall and will pursue a degree in Exercise Science.
Caterina has maintained highest honors status while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover.

Caterina served as Spiritual Life Prefect in her Senior year and has been a small group
leader for two years. She was also the team captain of the cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field teams for three years. Caterina was a member of the mission team which served in Puerto Rico for the week of school vacation over the past three years. Caterina received the Liberty Academic Scholarship.

Caterina attends Bethany Church in Greenland, where she serves on Sundays and is an active member of the youth group. She made the All-State track and field team her sophomore year and has set three individual records as well as being a part of five record breaking relay teams. Caterina works part-time at Good Planet Apparel in Durham.

Brayden Leland

Brayden Leland, son of Todd and Melanie Leland of Dover, will attend Liberty University this fall to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering where he was also invited to join the Eagles scholar program. Other acceptances include University of New Hampshire, Gordon College, and Lipscomb University, receiving merit scholarships at each.

Brayden has attended Portsmouth Christian Academy since preschool and during his 4 years of high school, Brayden earned highest honors each semester while heavily involved in athletics. As an awarded scholar-athlete, he was a 4 year member of the varsity soccer team, played on the JV and varsity basketball teams in his freshman and sophomore years, and competed for 4 years on the varsity baseball team. Outside of school, he participated in three years of AAU baseball with NEB-NH as a pitcher and outfielder.

Brayden also served as the school’s athletic prefect, helping lead school spirit and team-building activities amongt his classmates. In addition, he participated in the school’s mission club, traveling to Puerto Rico to complete community service projects. He works year-round at Silver Street Dunkin’ and spends summers working as a landscaper with Hopkins Enterprises. And in his free time, Brayden enjoys a round of golf. 

Brayden has received the Turbo Cam Salt & Light Scholarship as well as the Lighthouse Credit Union Roger G. Marois Memorial Scholarship for 2026. 

Aislinn Ngamcharoenthana

Aislinn (Linnie) Ngamcharoenthana is the daughter of LeeAnna Ngamcharoenthana of Dover. Linnie will be attending Gordon College in the fall, pursuing a degree in Linguistics.  

Linnie has maintained highest honors status while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover. She has served as a team captain on the volleyball team for three years, was a small group leader for two years, and was also an academic prefect in her senior year. She was one of the initiators and editors of the new school newspaper, the PCA Post.  
Linnie has received the Salt and Light scholarship and was also accepted into the Global Scholars Program of the Gordon Honors Institute. She has also earned the New Hampshire Seal of Biliteracy – Gold, in Spanish.  

Linnie has spent time participating in music and theatre and was one of a group of students who competed with their show to win a spot at the New England Theatre Festival. She has enjoyed her time on the volleyball team over the past four years, along with her time performing through choir or musical theatre. Linnie strongly enjoys reading, writing, and learning languages

Malacai Summers

Malacai (Cai) Summers is the son of Derek and Kate Summers from Rochester. Cai will be attending Asbury University this fall and will be pursuing a degree in Sports Management. Asbury University was the only school Cai applied to.  

Cai has maintained highest honors throughout his four years of high school at Portsmouth Christian Academy. Cai was a small group leader for two years. He was also team captain for the varsity basketball and baseball teams in both his junior and senior year.  

Cai has received the Asbury Academic Scholarship and received a competition bonus for participating in an invite only scholarship competition. He also received the Granite State Scholarship for Athletes awarded by the New Hampshire Athletic Directors Association.  

Cai attends Durham Evangelical Church, where he is an active member of the youth group and serves once a month at the Seymore Osman Community Center. He plays basketball and baseball for Portsmouth Christian Academy. He was awarded Granite State Conference play or the year for men’s basketball back-to-back years and is a 1,000-point scorer. He also got first team all-state multiple years in both sports. Cai works full time over the summer for Plant Pro based out of Somersworth, New Hampshire.  

Chloe Tan

Chloe Tan is the daughter of Vince and Gina Tan from Stratham. Chloe will be attending Wheaton College (IL) in the fall, pursuing a degree in Music Education. She was also accepted to East Carolina University and the Eastman School of Music.  

Chloe has maintained highest honors status through every quarter of her attendance at Portsmouth Christian Academy in Dover. Throughout her high school career, she received eleven academic achievement awards. Chloe served as vice-president of the freshman class, president of the sophomore class and as one of the Fine Arts Prefects her senior year. On top of that, she has served as the Upper School Worship Team Student Leader beginning her sophomore year through her senior year.  

Chloe has received the Trustee Scholarship, Scholastic Achievement Scholarship, Banks Welcome Center Scholarship and Music Merit Award from Wheaton College. 

Chloe attends Bethany Church where she has served in Kids Ministry and Worship Arts. She is currently employed as a Worship Assistant Intern at their Kittery Point campus. Chloe is a prominent member of the Fine Arts program at Portsmouth Christian Academy. In addition to studying classical piano from the age of four, she began singing in PCA’s choirs in sixth grade, accompanying her middle school choir and conducting PCA’s high school choir, Voices. She was accepted into the NHMEA Classical All-State Festival as an alto in the mixed choir in her junior and senior years. Chloe has also been an avid participant in PCA’s drama program, performing in The Little Mermaid, Little Women, Cinderella and Newsies. She played Keyboard 1 for The Music Man and had the joy of playing one of the Narrators in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  

Bianca Wibowo

Bianca Wibowo is the daughter of Nixon and Julieta Wibowo of Somersworth. Bianca will be attending Baylor University in the fall and will pursue a degree in Health Sciences, as she is on the Pre-Med track. Bianca was also accepted at Wheaton College, Lipscomb University, Pepperdine University, Texas Christian University, Liberty University, and California Baptist University.

Bianca has maintained highest honors status while attending Portsmouth Christian Academy at Dover. Bianca was a part of the Missions Club, which recently served in Niagara Falls, New York. She also volunteered at Wentworth Douglass Hospital as a junior volunteer. Bianca has received the New Hampshire Food Industries Education Foundation Scholarship as well as a Baylor University Merit Scholarship. 

Bianca attends Rochester City Blessing Church, where every year, she helps fill and deliver backpacks to schools in the Somersworth community. She was a part of the Festival group for theater, which advanced to the 2026 New England Drama Festival, she participated in the spring musical for three years as a pit violinist, and participated in cross country, winter track, and spring track all throughout her high school career. Bianca works part time at Shaw’s in Dover. 

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Portsmouth Christian Academy has been inspiring students on the seacoast to maximize their potential for more than 45 years. PCA provides a nurturing educational environment that emphasizes Christ-centered community, outstanding academics, differentiated learning, and exceptional character. Located just minutes northwest of Portsmouth, NH on a beautiful 70-acre riverfront campus, PCA is a dually accredited, independent, college-preparatory, day school where young people from Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire in preschool through Grade 12 are challenged to thrive academically and grow as servant-leaders prepared to impact the world for good. For more information, please visit pcaschool.org.