Barnegat, Stafford Students Honored As 'Unsung Heroes'

BARNEGAT-MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Thirty students from across Ocean County were honored at the Student Recognition Awards on May 4 as "Unsung Heroes."

What makes an unsung hero? According to the program, it is a person who does great deeds but receives little or no recognition. These students have overcome great difficulties and persevered.

Read More: 'Unsung Heroes' Of Ocean County Schools Honored

Dante Manzo, a Stafford Intermediate School student, and Angelique Antonelli, a Barnegat High School student, were among those honored for the work they have accomplished.

Manzo, a Stafford sixth grader, has been overcoming the odds since he was born. He was born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which is a birth defect where a hole in the diaphragm causes abdominal organs to move into the chest, disrupting normal lung development.

Despite this, Manzo comes to school with a smile every day, his teachers said. Kristin Ducker, the school's counselor, shared that when it came time to choose the award recipient, "the choice was easy."

Among educators in the school, there was an overwhelming response for one student: Manzo. He is resilient and shows perseverance, teachers said in a video about him.

"We are so proud of you, Dante," Eileen Brenna of the child study team said. She added that she and fellow teachers look forward to see what he does next.

Angelique Antonelli, a senior at Barnegat High School, only joined the school at the beginning of ninth grade, where she was "quiet" and "withdrawn," her case manager Sue Rogers said. In December of that year, she transferred out and went back to Central Florida until she was a sophomore.

After that, Rogers said that Antonelli began to come out of her shell. She said that Antonelli comes to school every day and works hard, but goes unnoticed.

Although Antonelli struggles with reading, Rogers said that she is "very resilient" and keeps going.

Antonelli plans to go to Ocean County College after graduation and study liberal arts. She also is interested in cosmetology.

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