The Bayonne High School graduating Class of 2005 has it all: intelligence, talent and ambition. But most of all, it managed to set school records for the most scholarships offered by colleges.
Dr. Patricia McGeehan, superintendent of schools, said students this year were offered $8 million in scholarships, with half this amount offered to one student, Jerome Hays, who has been accepted to the Penn State University in the fall on a sports scholarship. Hays has been an outstanding member of the variety football team, the state championship football team, and two county championship basketball teams. He received all-county, all-state and all-American distinctions in football.
“Eighteen schools recruited him,” Dr. McGeehan said. “We have had guidance keep track of how much is offered in scholarships. This year’s tally was $8 million.”
McGeehan said this year’s graduating class was very talented and excelled in many areas including athletics, music, dance and art.
“There are a lot of leaders in this class,” she said, calling it “a stand up class.”
In his remarks for the Seniors Awards Dinner on June 8, Bayonne High School Principal Richard Baccarella said those honored typified the hopes and aspiration of the educational community.
“This is a high spirited class,” he said when asked for describe the class as a whole. “They are wonderful in many areas. The Circle of Ten performed at a very high academic level. Some of our students this year will be attending some of the finest institutions in the country including Cornell and Stanford. Some of even going to the best culinary schools such as Johnson and Wales.”
He said students in this case took advantage of one of the high school’s innovative programs in culinary arts. “It is a great program that didn’t exist a couple of years ago,” he said. “Some students have also been accepted into TV production classes. This is because of courses we offered here.”
Many of this year’s students from this class are going onto two and four year colleges. The school also had a record number who took Advance Placement honors tests.
Baccarella said he was particularly moved by the fact that many community people have sponsored scholarships – often in the memory of some loved one – and that family members still come to the dinner to hand the scholarship out.
“We still get most of the people to make the presentation,” he said. “That is a very great sign for the community.”
Highlights of this year’s award ceremonies included the valedictorian award given to Jimelle Aquino by the Richard A Kutkowsky Association and presented by former Bayonne Mayor Richard Rutkowski.
The Salutatorian Award was presented to Sujit Patel, and sponsored by the Eger and Seclow families.
Pawel Grezech and Brian Turner were the National Merit Scholar Commended students. Jennifer Vargas won the Nation Merit Hispanic Scholar award, and Robert D’Allession, Keith Kimbrough and Tara Smith won the Perfect Attendance Award. Vargas also won the Leadership Achievement Award which was presented by Dr. McGeehan.
The Circle of Ten – students who have been ranked in the Top Ten of their class included Jimelle Aquino, Sujit Patel, Brian Turner, Pawel Grezech, Trisha O’Connor, Sherif Faraag, Mark Galabi, Nathaniel Sharkey, Jonathan Burg and Ramoncito Ciro.
Tiffany Abrams won the Pablo Rivera Scholarship and the Robert V. Grahams Memorial Scholarship.
Jose Ahumada won the Bess Bramson Memorial Award. Sally Ali won the Herschel Silverman Poetry Award. Stephany Araia won the Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship. Jenny Baret won the Rochelle Henriques memorial Scholarship.
Nicholas Brancatella won the U.S. Marine Scholastic Excellence Award. Brandon Capiello won the Bayonne High School Hockey Parent’s Association Award. Carlos Castellanos won the Ben M.A. Kline Award, and Anthony Costa won a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Eli David won the Francis Wilton Memorial Scholarship. Gabrielle De Filippis won a Choral Ensemble Award. Steven Di Giorgio won the Mario Treonze Award, the Iron Man Award and the George J. Mellendick, Sr. Award.
Arthur Elam won the Bernie Ockene memorial Award and the Pierson Family Foundation Scholarship. Monique Ellison won the Dr. David Morris Award. Verna Endaya won the Latin Award.
Emily Esposito won the Forum Fitness Club/Concerned Citizens Scholarship. Nadia Estrada won a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship and the Rhode Island School of Design scholarship. Renea Fahrion also won a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Jessica Ferrer won the Mario Treonze Track Award. Erica Flowers won the Aubrey Taylor Scholarship. Shannon Force won the William and Catherine C. Jacobson Scholarship and the Ben M.A. Kline Award. Carmela Hernandez received the Foreign Language Award. Melissa Houghtalin received the Parent Teacher Student Association Scholarship. Tia Howard received a Choral Ensemble Award.
Angelique Jackson received a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship. Anna Kaczka received the Bernard Ockene Award. Keith Kimbrough received the Randy Capriola Scholarship.
Eileen Kiza received a Bernard Ockene Award, band Director’s Award, drama awards and the Louis Wigdor Annual Award.
Laura Klinck received the U.S. Army Scholar Athlete Award and a Faulty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship. Robert Kochanski received the State of New Jersey Directors of Athletics Association Award. John Krawiec received the Edmund Lyndeck Award, a Choral Ensemble Award, drama award, and a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Peter Leczynski received a Ben TV Crew Award. Mark Leszynski received a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship. Nino Leto received a Forum Fitness Club/Concerned Citizens Scholarship.
Marina Louie won a Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship. Jose Martinez won a Social Studies Award and the Barney Stock Award. Frank Mayhack won a Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship. Jennifer Mayor won the NJSIAA Women in Sport Award, the HCIAA Scholar Athlete Award and a District Director of Athletics Award.
Sandra Mejias won the Randy Capriola Scholarship and a Pablo Rivera Scholarship. Lee Meltzer won the Most Improved or Impetuous Youth Award, a Choral Directors Award, a Choral Parents Award and a Brotherhood Award.
Juan Metrio-Sanchez won the Italian Language Award. Simon Mina won a Rotary Scholarship. William Moran won a Ben TV Crew Award, the Semper Fidelis Award and a Band Boosters Award.
Robert Mullan won the Eleanor Kreta Foundation Scholarship, the Frank V. Acito Scholarship, a Louis Armstrong Award and a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship.
Courtney Nkwodimmah won a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship. John Norris won a U.S. Army Reserve Scholar Athlete Scholarship. Jesse Olander won a Herschel Silverman Poetry Award, a Music Faculty, Alumni Student Scholarship and the John Philip Sousa Award.
Mark Oleska won a U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award. Elian Ostorga won the Frank Tirrito Memorial Award. Arnaldo Padin won a Forum Fitness Club/Concerned Citizens Scholarship.
Daniel Padin won the New Jersey Foreign Language Teachers Association Award. Christopher Palmisano won the Max Lourie Tennis Award, SPORT Bayonne High School Scholarship Award and NJSIAA/ETS Scholar Athlete Award.
Toni Ann Palmisano won the Miriam Ciglio Music Scholarship and a Choral Director’s Award. Vincent Percella won Bayonne High School Hockey Parents Association Award. Diane Perrotta won the William Tassone Award and a Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship.
Alex Pinelli won a Bayonne High School Hockey Parents Association Award. Robert Queenan won a Parent Teacher Student Association Scholarship. Marques Robinson won a Pablo Rivera Scholarship.
Jennifer Rosales won a U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award. Brian Rubinsky won the Rotary Citizenship Award. John Ryan won a HCIAA Scholar Athlete Award.
Jeanine Santopietro won the Lauren Wendroff Scholarship. George Sbiliris won the Diane Skutnick Science Scholarship. Caitlin Schiable won a Bayonne High School Art Faculty Award.
Kim Scully won a Color Guard Award. Sylwia Siedlecka won a Faculty Student Alumni Scholarship. Matthew Singer won a NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Award.
Anthony Sisk won the U.S. Navy Scholar Athlete Scholarship. John Sisk won the U.S. Air Force Scholar Athlete Scholarship. Krystal Sital won the Public Speaking Award.
Tara Smith won the UNICO Brian Piccolo Award, the Friends of Thomas Banos Awards and a NJSIAA/EYS Scholar Athlete Award.
Amy Stewart won a Forum Fitness Club/Concerned Citizens Scholarship. Rafal Sypytkowski won the Polish Slavic Bank Award. Heather Szerszen won a Faculty Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Anthony Tadro won the Student Self Advocacy Scholarship. Stacie Tassone won a U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Scholarship. Ioanna Tsakso won the NJ Foreign Language Teachers Award and the Eileen and John O’Connell Science Award.
Anastasia Tumasova won a Faculty Student Alumni Art Scholarship. Damiam Vazquez won the Dr. Cornelia Scholarship and Spanish Award. Jennifer Vargas won the National Merit Hispanic Scholar Award, a Rotary Citizenship Award, the Teresa Seclow Award, a Student Activities Award, and the President of the Student Council Award.
Abimelec Velez won the Dorothy Lesky Memorial Scholarship. Maria Vira won The Cleveland and Gladys Youth Educational Scholarship. Jared Visco won the SPORT BSH Scholarship Award and a Music Faculty Student Alumni Award. Jane Yi won the Curves Scholarship.