Scarsdale Students Recognized at Award Ceremony
The end of senior year at Scarsdale High School is celebrated in a variety of traditional and meaningful ways such as prom, a senior luncheon, and graduation just to name a few. But just as in years past, this year, the celebratory season was ushered in by the annual SHS award ceremony which recognized over forty high school seniors not only for their academic, artistic, or leadership achievements but also for their kindness, integrity, inclusive nature and dedication to our District’s motto, Non-Sibi, not for oneself.
The joyful ceremony, held on Wednesday May 7th, was once again thoughtfully organized by a committee of faculty members and led by Assistant Principal Andrea O’Gorman who sought to create a non-competitive celebration of students from a variety of backgrounds and diverse accomplishments during their four years at SHS. While many students were recognized for their success in certain subject matters and other students were honored for their perseverance and commitment to growth and learning, every award recipient was applauded for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and their ability to inspire both their peers and their teachers.
In his opening remarks addressing the auditorium filled with the night’s award recipients and their loved ones, Principal Bonamo said, “The world needs people with skills and the confidence to make real changes, you are just the leader we are looking for.”
The evening began with Karine Schafer, Chairperson of the English Department, honoring four students who in their own unique ways, each demonstrated their passion for, and deep understanding of literature and the written word.
English Department Faculty Awards - Zane A. Kohn & Isabel Gray Needleman
Harvard University Award - Isabelle Hannah Josephs
Audrey McGinn Creative Writing Award - Zoe. M. Greenberg
Next to present awards was Ms. Dina Hofstetter, Chairperson of the Fine Arts Department. Ms. Hofstetter honored five students for their exceptional creativity, talent, and devotion to different areas in Fine Arts.
Excellence in Visual Arts 2D Awards - Yutong Deng
Excellence in Visual Arts 3D Award - Ryan S. Miller
Excellence in Media Arts Award - Quentin Elijah Chiu
Friends of Music & the Arts Excellence in Design Award - Camille Martine Helene Lombaerde
Art Department Faculty Permanent Collection Award - Isabelle Zhu
The Chairperson for the Mathematics Department, Ms. Maureen Ellison-Connolly, presented four seniors with awards for their masterful problem solving skills, their deep curiosity, and outstanding achievement in mathematics.
The Math Department Faculty Awards were given to Hannah Julia Wasserman, Maria Papazoglu, Noah Aaron Weintrob and Alexander Tian
In the field of Music and Performing Arts, Chairperson Ms. Lisa Forte honored six students for their passion, dedication, and their remarkable contributions to the SHS community.
Band Award - Giana Marks
Chorus Award - Sophia Wu
Orchestra Award - Yungeng Hu
Music & Performing Arts Department Award - Maria Rocha Leite Pimenta
Friends of Music & the Arts Drama Award - Louis H. Basso
Technical Studies Award - Amelia Juliette Grossi Romano
Ms. Nicole Pisano, Chairperson of the Science Department, announced the recipients of the Excellence in Science Award and the Department Faculty Awards, and noted these students’ deep understanding of the subject matter, insightfulness, and exceptional leadership skills.
Excellence in Science Award - Eli Solomon Tabak
Science Department Faculty Awards - Jessica Phoebe Katz, Stephen Zilong Cai & Chloe Liu
There were five awards presented by Social Studies Department Chairperson, Ms. Jennifer Maxwell. The first award she presented recognized the recipients for their achievement in impressive growth in the area of Social Studies. Maxwell described these students as stellar models of hard work, and touted their dedication and open-mindedness.
The recipients of the Social Studies Achievement Awards - Yutong Deng & Aidan Emmanuel Strovink
Maxwell went on to describe the recipients of the next awards as students who are thoughtful, brilliant, and demonstrate terrific civic leadership.
The Excellence in Social Studies Awards were given to Elliot Brown Eisenberg and Noah Aaron Weintrob.
The Social Studies Department Faculty Award was presented to Ryan Braff.
Ms. Mary Leech, Chairperson of the World Language Department, was on hand to present five awards to students who demonstrated a thirst for knowledge, a passion for culture and language, and showed mastery of a foreign language.
The French Award was given to Maria Papazoglu.
The Latin Award was given to Lucas Oliver Heidbreder.
The Mandarin Award was presented to Caitlyn Wu.
The Spanish Awards were given to Kelly Deng & Alexander M. Grinberg.
The World Languages Department Award was presented to Adrina Fard.
Next, the Chairperson for the Special Education Department, Ms. Eileen Cagner presented the Steve Corbin Academic Success Award to Faris Kaleem Amin. Cagner said the recipient had made an impact on the lives of their peers both in the classroom and on the track team and was recognized for his heart, determination, and sense of humor.
Director of Counseling, Mr. Oren Iosepovici, presented The Casey Ferrone Memorial Award to Jordan Ella Kefer who is known for her empathy, kindness, and positive energy.
Iosepovici also presented the Counseling Department Award which was bestowed upon Alexander Cyrus Akbarian who he described as owning true strength of character, enthusiasm for learning, and natural curiosity.
The Billy Safian Humanitarian Award, presented by Mr. Tim Seymour, was given to Jennifer Sarah Schwartz. Schwartz was described as someone who is always there for others and as a “teacher's dream student.”
Judith E. Weil Kindness Award was presented by Weil’s daughter Mandy Weil Lax in honor of her late mother. The Kindness Award was given to Jenna Grossbach who embodies selflessness, kindness, generosity, and empathy felt by both family and friends alike.
The Scarsdale Rotary Club Awards, presented by Mr. Serken Ceylan, were given to Avery Faye Dickstein, Kamila Tarek El Moselhy and Amelia G. Fader for their meaningful volunteer work and tireless acts of service to try to make the world a better place.
Ms. Diane Wrobleski presented the Retired Scarsdale Teachers’ Association Award to Ava Darcy Feldman and described Feldman as a role model and a natural leader who continuously performs at a highest level of excellence.
The Scarsdale Foundation Award, presented by Ms. Anne Lyons, was bestowed upon Arya Goyal for her distinguished contributions both in the classroom and in our school community. Lyons said Goyal, who leaves no stone unturned, is the definition of school spirit.
The Michael V. McGill Book Award was presented by Mr. Art Rublin, Chairperson for the Coalition for Scarsdale Schools. The award was given to Daniyal H. Naeem as they best demonstrated the values of Non-Sibi. Rublin applauded Naeem for being a courageous and selfless leader who cares deeply about the world.
The NYS Comptroller Award, presented by Ms. Carol D’Angelo and Dr. Michael Kumaresan were presented to Brandon Cascade & Raymond Bryant Tong and were recognized for their commitment to excellence and their dedication to improving the school community.
The NYS Office of the Attorney General Civic Ambassador Award was given to Adam Joshua Rublin. Rublin was recognized for his unique ability to listen to others and for his direct, positive impact in school and the broader community.
The NYS Office of the Attorney General “Triple C” Awards went to Monday Lerner & Isabelle Hannah Josephs who were recognized for being exceptional humanitarians who are thoughtful, inclusive, and compassionate.
Assistant Principal, Ms. Andrea O’Gorman, presented two awards during the ceremony. The first being the Dartmouth College Award given to Hannah Julia Wasserman for her excellence in service to school and community. Next, the Halliday Clark, Sr. Memorial Award was given to Juliana Beatrice Chavis for her leadership and service to the community. Chavis is described as someone who works hard to ensure the success and happiness of her peers.
To close out the touching ceremony, SHS Principal Mr. Ken Bonamo presented the evening’s last two awards. He first presented the Scarsdale High School Faculty Award to Noah Aaron Weintrob who Bonamo characterized as being a wonderful mentor to younger students and owning an unwavering commitment to excellence.
The Principal’s Award, the final recognition of the night, was given to Layden Hayes Kennedy. Kennedy was described as someone who approaches roles seriously while radiating positivity and owns a steadfast commitment to create an inclusive community.
Scarsdale10583.com offers congratulations to all of the students and their families and a heartfelt thank you to the faculty and community members who helped to make this special celebration possible.