Graduation beckons for the seniors of Weehawken High School next month. It will be time for the students to begin the next step of their lives, to either pursue a college education or join the work force. Most will go to college, where they will take what they have gathered in their four years at the high school and put the knowledge to practical use.
However, before graduation arrives, there are the many senior-related activities, the first of which took place Friday night when the school held its annual awards and Hall of Fame ceremonies.
More than 75 students were presented with awards for their academic achievement in the past year.
Leading the list of honorees is Angeli Leal, who received four awards, including the prestigious Academic Award, given to the student who has taken the most advantage of Weehawken High School. That student must have had the highest average, accumulated the maximum number of credits, and participated in extra-curricular activities.
Leal, who will be the valedictorian for the Class of 2001, also received the foreign language award for Spanish, the language arts award and the social science award.
“I think it’s important to have an awards presentation like this,” said Leal, who will attend Barnard College in the fall. “You want to encourage people to work hard and it’s nice to be recognized by the teachers and by your peers. Plus, your parents and friends are all there to see you receive the awards. High school is coming to an end and this is a nice way to get the final few months started.”
Kelvin Caraballo, the president of the school’s National Honor Society and the recipient of the art award, agreed.
“Throughout high school, we’ve all sacrificed our time and energy to receive good grades,” Caraballo said. “This is our way of being rewarded for all that time spent working, studying. It’s a great honor and I’m honored to be considered with such an elite group.”
In addition to the students receiving their awards, alumnus Judith Bryngil was honored as the latest inductee into the school’s Academic Hall of Fame. Bryngil graduated from Weehawken High School in 1976, went to the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, then to law school at Fordham University, but found a position in the New York Stock Exchange as the vice president of Market Trading Analysis and Market Surveillance for the NYSE.
Also honored were the future members of the Junior National Honor Society and the National Honor Society.
Penelope Santana is only a junior, but she will become a member of the officers for the National Honor Society next year and was a member of the Academic Team this year.
“It’s a very good experience for me to learn what it takes to do well as a senior,” Santana said. “It’s a fabulous honor for me. I think awards like this are very motivational and shows that hard work does pay off in the end.”
Weehawken High School Award Winners
Art Award – Kelvin Caraballo
Brown Book Award – Leslie Salazar
Business Award – Michael Maione
Chess Award – Chayanne Moya, Alex Chang and Byron Sanchez
Computer Technology Award – Gloria Velasquez
Drafting Award – Edwin Fermin
Drama Award – Carla Naya, Martha Frazier
ESL Award – Ricardo Arellano
Foreign Language Award – Spanish-Angeli Leal
French Award – Jorge Janampa, Samantha Pierre
Latin Award – Karla Paula, Pablo Veliz
Culinary Arts Award – Jenna Smith
Industrial Arts Award – Charlene Rogers
Journalism Award – Aurora Piacentino
Language Arts Award – Angeli Leal
Math League Award – Omar Elangbawy, Julissa Rodriguez
Music Award – Joel Rodriguez, Scott Burke, Lucas Abreu
Resource Program Award – Senior High-Sean McLaughlin
Elementary Award – Ann Marie Mendez
Science Award – Penelope Santana
Social Science Award – Angeli Leal
Video Editing/Broadcasting Award – Percy Chang
Seventh Grade Citizenship Award – Oscar Lee
Eighth Grade Citizenship Award – Martha Frazier
Academic Award – Angeli Leal