Board of Education awards scholars, athletes
National Merit Commended seniors Samuel Filson, Jacqueline Howard, Eric Jardine, Mohak Laad and Kirsten Van Renz receive their Board of Education awards.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, students were honored for their academic and extracurricular achievement at the Board of Education awards ceremony.
“The Board of Education awards are some of the top awards that the school district gives,” Dr. Greg Mathison, head principal said. “Overall, it’s the way the Board of Education honors top students.”
Numerous students received awards pertaining to National Merit, a program based on how well a student performs on the ACT or PSAT.
Dr. Mathison said many students were up for rewards as a result of their efforts on the PSAT and also extra-curricular activities.
“We have well-rounded students and national merit is just one indication of the great kids we have here,” Dr. Mathison said. “It shows that our academic expectations and rigor is high, so year in and year out we have people who win this honor.”
Eric Jardine, senior, is commended for National Merit and attended the Board of Education awards.
“I took the PSAT and I got a score of 211, which is right above the cutoff,” he said.
Jardine said he wishes he had done better and placed as a semifinalist because that would qualify him for more scholarships.
Jardine said he looks forward to employing the skills he learned from the PSAT in the future.
“It’s taught me how to take tests better,” Jardine said. “Those critical thinking skills help in interviews and things like that.”
Kristen Fleher, senior, attended the awards along with the varsity cheer team, who placed second in State.
“We practiced almost every day after school, and we worked really hard,” Fleher said.
Fleher said she thinks the team’s hard work ended up paying off, and she’s pleased with her, as well as her teammates’, achievements.
“I’m proud of everyone on the team,” Fleher said. “Everyone’s accomplished a lot this season, either personally, or within their group. We’ve worked together really well.”
Megan Clince, senior, was commended at the awards as part of the softball team, which finished the year with its best ever record.
“We went the furthest that any team has ever gone.” Clince said. “If we hadn’t come together like we did we likely wouldn’t have gotten that far.”
Clince said softball has been prominent in her life ever since she began playing.
“For our team, it’s more than a game, it’s family,” Clince said. “I’ve played it for my entire life and I’ve met so many people who I consider family and lifelong friends.”
Allison Licavoli, junior, attended the awards as part of the golf team, which finished first in State for the first time in school history.
“Last year we all knew each other,” Licavoli said. “So because we were all comfortable with each other, it helped us to bond more as a team throughout the season. “
Licavoli said the district awards were a great way to end their season.
“It was definitely a fun time for all of us to be together with everyone else who had a successful season,” Licavoli said. “I think we were all really excited to relive that excitement.”
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