Every graduating class has a personality. Each group of graduates leaves behind a mark by which those that follow can remember it. Some classes seem to excel in sports; others excel in academics. The Class of 2007 of Bayonne High School seems to be marked by school spirit.
While the class had its share of academic successes, as marked by valedictorian Jeremy Jerschina, salutatorian Fatima Misbah, and the rest of the class’s Circle of Ten (see page 1), this class will be remembered by how well they responded to its social events.
“If we had a school spirit event, these kids turned out,” Principal Richard Baccarrella said. “We had more people at some of the events this year than we had in many years.”
Such activities are designed to bring together a class and a school, so graduating ceremonies on June 20 will likely be more tearful than in years past.
“This class had some success in sports and in academics, but they stand out most in school spirit,” Baccarrella said.
While the Circle of Ten received a lot of attention over the course of the year and has a special place of honor as the top 10 students from the graduating year, many other students were honored at this year’s Senior Awards Ceremony, held on May 31.
Nora Abdel-Aziz received the Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Pedro Alberto received the HCIAA Scholar Athlete Award.
Alison Antisz received the Advanced Placement Scholarship Award, the HCIAA Scholar Athlete Award, the Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship, and the Student Activities Award.
Travis Artz-Grodzickyj received the De Sena Family Scholarship Award, the William and Catherine C. Jacobson Scholarship, the Coral Parents Award, Dance Captain Music Award, a Miriam Giglio Music Scholarship, the Music Faculty, Student Alumni Scholarship, and the Shia Saltzman Drama Award.
Anna Ayum received the Dr. David Morris Award.
Melissa Azzarrella received the Student Self Advocacy Team Scholarship.
Kasey Balla received the William C. Lane Memorial Art Scholarship.
Patricia Bargielski received the Class of 1940 Award.
Jennifer Bodayle received the DeLuca Family Scholarship, the Max E. Lourie Tennis Scholarship, the NJSIAA/ETS Scholar Athlete Scholarship, the Iron Woman Award and the Friends of Thomas Banos Award.
Sarah Bolis received the Eileen and John O’Connell Science Award.
Erica Buonacquista received the NJSIAA Woman in Sport Award.
Crystina Burnett received an Edward J. Bloustein Scholarship and the President’s Volunteer Service Award Silver Medal.
Rashad Callaway received the Bernard Ockene Memorial Basketball Award.
Frances Candelaria received the Student Self Advocacy Team Scholarship.
Charles Cao received the Max E. Lourie Tennis Scholarship.
David Carmona received the Rochelle Henriques Memorial Scholarship.
Marlena Castro received the Cleveland and Gladys Young Educational Scholarship, the Choral Director’s Award, and the Music, Student Alumni Award.
Hye Sung Cho received the William Tassone Award.
Thomas Ciancia received a De Sena Family Scholarship.
Michele Cole received the Lauren Wendroff Scholarship.
Konah Collins received the French Language Award.
Kayla Colon received the Lauren Wendroff Memorial Dance Scholarship.
Brandi D’Esposito received the Choral Ensemble Award.
Amanda Daghli received the Leadership Achievement Award, the Art Faculty Award, the PTSA Award and the Rotary Citizenship Award.
Jessica Devenuta received the Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Randi Drogin received the Faulty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship.
Margaret Egnatowicz received the Randy Capriola Scholarship.
Aurora Estevez received the Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship.
Edward Finck received the Pablo Rivera Scholarship.
Nicholas Fisher received the Athletic Trainer’s Award.
Goldie Fishman received a Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship.
Taylor Good received a President’s Volunteer Service Award Silver Medal.
Sean Gray received a Student Self Advocacy Team Scholarship, the “Bee Spirit” Award, and the Rotary Citizenship Award.
Raymond Greaves received a Faculty, Student, Alumni Art Scholarship.
Jonathan Hall received the Band Director’s Award and a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship.
Thomas Harrington received the BHS Hockey Parents Association Award.
Mickey Hennessey received the Daniel Janes Scholarship.
Vanessa Iskander received the Bayonne Writer’s Award.
William Jakubowski received the William Lane Memorial Scholarship and the BHS Hockey Parents Association Award.
Samantha Keenan received the Dr. Mitchell Mutterperl Award and the Diane M. Skutnick Memorial Scholarship. Jaclyn Klask won the Herschel Silverman Poetry Award.
Maciej Lewandowski received the Frank V. Acito Memorial Scholarship, the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship, and the Orchestra Award.
Cristiana Louro received a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship and the 2007 Semper Fidelis Award. Toniann Mariano received a “Bee Spirit” Award.
Stephen Mayer received a Choral Ensemble Award and a Drama Award.
Fidel Medina received a Student Self Advocacy Scholarship.
Karina Mejia received a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Mikhail Mendoza received a Student Self Advocacy Scholarship.
Amanda Meys received the Photography Club Award.
Toni Ann Moench received the Ken Ray Smith Memorial Scholarship Award.
Filpe Mora received a Louis Armstrong Award and a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship.
Alison Murphy received a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship.
Joseph Norton received the Frank Tirrito Memorial Award, the SPORT BHS Award, and the District Director Athletics Award.
Sara Omar received the Band Boosters Scholarship, the Band Directors Award and the Color Guard Award.
Anthony Petrillo received the UNICO Brian Piccolo Award.
Daquana Prescott received the Dr. Cornelia Scholarship.
Sydney Roda received the Art Award.
Joshua Rodriguez received the Frederic Chopin Piano Award.
Nicole Rosa received a Faculty, Student Alumni Art Scholarship, and the Rhode Island School of Design Award.
Danielle Sakowski received a Ben-TV Production Crew Award.
Steven Sala received the U.S. Army Reserve Honor Scholar Athlete Award and a Max E. Lourie Tennis Scholarship.
Alexander Santiago received a Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship.
Stephanie Santos received the Italian Language Award.
Daniel Sautkin received the school award for perfect attendance as well as a U.S. Marine Reserve Scholar Athlete Award.
Marco Sedrak received the Pablo Rivera Scholarship.
Gaurav Shah received an Art Award.
Jamie Smith received the Scholar Athlete Scholarship in memory of Enzo DeLuca, the Lawson Family Blue Collar Student Athlete Award, a Max E. Lourie Tennis Scholarship, the Principal’s Athletic Scholarship in memory of George Strydio, the Brian Piccolo Award, the NJSIAA Distinguished Athlete Award and the Friends of Thomas Banos Award.
Angela Soini received a “Bee Spirit” Award.
Jonathan Soto received the Cleveland and Gladys Yount Educational Scholarship and the New Jersey Foreign Language Teachers’ Association Award.
Gloria Strauss received the Robert V. Graham Memorial Ceramics Scholarship.
Christina Sullivan received the Drama Award, a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship, and a National School Choral Award.
Joseph Tadros received the Bernard Ockene Business Excellence Award.
Harry Taylor received the Most Improved or the Impetuous Youth Award.
Josmauri Tejdea received the Northeast Conference Award and the Ben M.E. Kline Award.
Stephanie Torres received a Ben-TV Production Crew Award, the Barney Stock Award, a Choral Directors Award, a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship and the Louise and Sara Wigdor Annual Award.
Dimitrios Tsakos received an award for perfect attendance, the Mario Treonze Track Award, the George J. Mellendick, Sr. Award and the Brotherhood Award.
Stamatia Tsakos received the Mario Treonze Track Award, the Robert V. Graham Memorial Ceramics Scholarship, and the Brotherhood Award.
Bianca Vazquez received the U.S. Army Reserve Honor Scholar Athlete Award.
Evan Wexler received a “Bee Spirit” Award.
Westley Wykowski received the Latin Award.
Saba Zahid received the Science Award from the Fireman’s Mutual Benevolent Association.
Kelley Zagarowitz received the District Director of Athletics Award.
Molly Zervoulis received the Mathematics Association of America Award, the Richard J Malanowkski Scholarship, the Dance Captain Award, a Music Faculty, Student, Alumni Scholarship, the Bess Bramson Award, and the National John Philip Sousa Award.
Vincenzo Zimbardi received the NJSIAA/ETS Scholar Athlete Award.