Needham Youth & Family Services presents...

Left to right Needham Business Representative, John Bulian from Boston Blinds, October RAY of Hope Ariana Nunez, Needham Youth & Family Services Clinician, Katy Colthart

October 2017 Recipient – Ariana Nunez

Ariana is a senior at Needham High School was nominated by Ruth O’Shea. Ariana is a member of her skills class at Needham High School since September 2016. “She immediately impressed me by her maturity and dedication to her academics, earning honor roll status this past term” stated Ruth. Along with a strong work ethic, she also showed empathy and encouragement to her classmates in her skills class. “She goes above and beyond her responsibility to help out a fellow student. On one occasion, we formed a “study group” to review for a test, and I’m certain that her classmate would not have “bought into” this group if she didn’t encourage him, “declares Ruth.

Ariana is as a member of the Red Cross Club at Needham High. Every year, they focus on different problems affecting people around the world. In the past years we have worked with homeless veterans and blind children in Arizona. They also use art as a tool to help people cope with the various issues they face. She is also a part of a group called The S.E.A.L (social empowerment active listeners). Seal is a group that focuses on making Needham High School better, stronger, welcoming, and an accepting community.

In addition to this, among her responsibilities, include family obligations to help out with her siblings after school. Her school counselor had this to say about Ariana, “She is bright and capable and often has to balance a lot of family obligations in addition to high school. Ariana is sincere, honest, kind, giving and has a tremendous appreciation for those who are less privileged and experience hardship. She has true depth of character and is more mature than most peers her age.”

During her free time Ariana enjoys stepping and dancing at Needham High School she has been a part of the Bomb Squad: This is a stepping/step-dancing group that uses a mixture of clapping and footsteps to create rhythms and visual formations that resemble military formations. The Bomb Squad performs at the NHS Pep Rally in the fall and other NPS events, as requested. The Bomb Squad is also invited to represent NHS at various events, namely the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in January last year at the First Baptist Church in Needham.

Watch the ceremony honoring Ariana at: https://youtu.be/uNTs7aGjE7k

For more information please visit www.needhamma.gov/youth/ray