2 NCHS Students Receive State Leadership Awards

From New Canaan Public Schools: New Canaan High School seniors Caroline Ciofi and Gray Farley were named the 2019 CABE Student Leadership Awards winners for New Canaan Public Schools. The awards program, presented annually by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) is a program designed to honor students who exhibit exemplary leadership skills. Both students were introduced to the Board of Education at this week’s BOE meeting by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi.

Caroline Ciofi has an interest in journalism and communications and was one of the
three editors-in-chief of NCHS’s Courant student paper. Her favorite class throughout
high school was her physics class taught by Paul Reed. She is very active in cross
country and ran the 800 in track. Caroline will be attending the University of Notre Dame
in Indiana in the fall, where she’ll join the business school majoring in law with a
journalism minor.

“Caroline is dynamic, engaging, active, and, in all ways, quite impressive,” said Dr.
Bryan Luizzi, as he introduced her to the BOE. “At NCHS, Caroline immersed herself
into our program, our school, and our culture, and I am wholeheartedly confident she will
do the same when she arrives in South Bend in late August.”

Gray Farley, while participating in NCHS’s science research class, traveled almost two
hours each way to work in a science lab studying DNA sequencing. It was an experience
he describes as one of the very best he’s had at NCHS. Gray’s other favorite classes in
high school included Biology with Mrs. Reka Cebulsky, AP Government with Michael
Joshi, and AP Statistics with Roger Hansell. He also participated on the NCHS boys golf
team. Gray will be attending Stanford University in California to study physical
engineering.

“Gray is curious, interested, and engaged as a learner,” said Dr. Luizzi, introducing him
to the BOE. “He is a truly amazing student and person, and I think Stanford is lucky to
have him.”

The criteria for receiving the CABE Student Leadership award includes a willingness to
take on challenges and commit to a project, the capability to make difficult decisions, the
ability to work with others, understand issues clearly, and honor a commitment, and to
exhibit diplomacy and a concern for others.