West Essex Board of Education Honors Book Award Winners

The West Essex Regional Board of Education recognized seven West Essex High School juniors with Book Awards at its May 13 Board of Education Meeting.

The following students were honored: Anna George of Essex Fells: Brandeis Book Award; Maria Pomponio of North Caldwell: College of Holy Cross Book Award; Daniel Kenny of North Caldwell: Dartmouth College Book Award; Natalie La Spisa of Fairfield: Mt. Holyoke College Book Award; Emily D'Elia of Roseland: University of Pennsylvania Book Award and Juan Gomez of Roseland: Vassar College Book Award.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD

The Brandeis Book Award recognizes outstanding high school juniors committed to social action or civic engagement.  Candidates must be in the top 10% of the class and demonstrate a commitment to community service.

This year, the recipient of the Brandeis Book Award will go to Anna George.  

Whether she is in class, on the athletic field or working in the community, Anna gives 110% and comes back the next day ready for more.  Anna consistently earns the highest possible grades in a rigorous schedule of classes.  This year, she is tackling three Advanced Placement courses and four Honors level courses.  Next year, she will continue with four AP courses, including two of the most difficult that any school offers - AP Physics and AP Calculus.   Anna has a strong analytical mind and math is one of her favorite subjects.

Anna has a real appreciation for the importance of good communication skills and she is a contributing writer for the Wessex Wire.  Her real passion, however, is sports.  She has played on our Varsity Lacrosse team since her sophomore year and on our Varsity Soccer team since her freshman year.  Anna is happy to share her love of sports and volunteers to coach younger girls during summer lacrosse clinics.  On Sundays, you’ll find Anna serving dinner and packing food for families at one of Montclair’s soup kitchens.  She has been inspired by her uncle and cousins to begin her career by serving in the Peace Corps.  

I know that Anna will continue to set ambitious goals for herself - and then work hard to exceed them.  It is exciting to think about the many adventures that await Anna and I hope she’ll always remember that her journey started here at West Essex.  

THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS BOOK AWARD

Every year, The College of the Holy Cross recognizes outstanding students with their Book Award program. The recipient of this award is selected based on scholarship and personal qualities.  Each recipient should rank at the top of the junior class, should show a strong sense of commitment to the school and community, and should exhibit, through specific actions, sincere concern for others and a responsible attitude in all endeavors.  Recipients are selected without regard to religion, race, sex, or ethnic background.

This year, the recipient of The College of the Holy Cross Book Award will go to Maria Pomponio.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Maria for the past two years.  Academically Maria is a student of the highest caliber who will always possess that thirst for knowledge that reflects the very best of who she is.  She is someone who I believe will accomplish great things and contribute to the greater good of humanity which captures the Jesuit spirit at The College of the Holy Cross.  She is a leader among her peers who was selected to represent West Essex at Girls State this year in addition to being elected as President of the English National Honor Society as well as President of the Book Club.  She is a member as well as Team Manager of the West Essex Fencing Team and was recently inducted into the National Honor Society.  She will be completing an EMT course this summer to solidify her intention of studying medicine someday in the field of pediatric neurology.  Maria is a very special person who has had the strength to overcome many obstacles that have crossed her path in order to achieve academic excellence.  She is a scholar, a leader, and a role model for others.  Please join me in congratulating Maria Pomponio, this year’s recipient of The College of the Holy Cross Book Award.

THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE BOOK AWARD

The recipient of the Dartmouth Book Award should be a junior in the top 10 % of his/ her class who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and has made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.

This year, the recipient of the Dartmouth College Book Award will go to Daniel Kenny.  

Although he is only a junior, Danny has already made his mark at West Essex.   He is a conscientious student, a competitive athlete, a talented musician and a proven leader.  In addition to a demanding schedule of classes, Danny is a two season athlete.  He runs with the Cross Country team in the fall and has the second fastest time in West Essex history.   In the spring, he runs with the Track team.  His best event is the mile and he’s working to get his time down to 4.30 minutes.  Dan has been named to several all conference and all county teams in Cross Country and Track.  He was the captain for both teams this year and will serve as captain again as a senior.   Danny plays the trumpet in our band and brass ensemble but his favorite instrument is the piano which he studies independently.   Danny is quite an industrious young man and his greatest accomplishment in high school may well be time management.  He cobbles together a number of neighborhood jobs so that he can earn his own spending money.  During the summer, he works as a caddy and he has devised a clever strategy to ensure that he is at the top of the caddy list and goes out on the course almost every day.  

One of Danny’s coaches sent me a long list of accolades but summed it all up by saying, “Dan is an outstanding athlete, a great leader and an even better young man.”  We couldn’t agree more.

THE MT. HOLYOKE COLLEGE BOOK AWARD

The award should be made to a young woman in the junior class who has produced an excellent academic record and who has exhibited qualities of leadership and service in the school community.  She should be enrolled in an academically challenging college preparatory program that includes advanced placement or Honor classes.  She should exhibit a natural curiosity for learning and a willingness to take risks.

This year, the recipient of the Mt. Holyoke College Book Award will go to Natalie La Spisa.

It is such pleasure to introduce you to Natalie.  Natalie demonstrates a high regard for academic achievement.  From her first day at West Essex, all of her core courses have been at the honors or Advanced Placement level.  She plays doubles on our Junior Varsity tennis team and is an active participant in Key Club.  Her parents have inspired her with their love of art and culture.  She is an accomplished violinist; by her sophomore year, she was already playing first chair.   Natalie has a real appreciation for the beauty of her surroundings and strives to capture that beauty in her sketches and paintings.  Next year, she plans to take both Advanced Placement Studio Art and Advanced Placement Art History.  Recently, she has added photography to her artistic repertoire.  Our new Photography Club has been a wonderful outlet for her.  Students in the Photography Club not only have the opportunity to expand their knowledge, they also volunteer to photograph students and events.  Like so many teenagers, Natalie is captivated by film but she took her interest a step further.  As a middle schooler, she was an extra in two feature films.  During her freshman year, she had a small part in our fall play, The Crucible, and she hopes to make one more appearance on stage during her senior year. 

No matter what her vocation, I know that Natalie will find a way to incorporate her love of art.  Her many gifts and talents make her a most worthy recipient of the Mt Holyoke Book Award.

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BOOK AWARD

Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the University of Pennsylvania, first defined and implemented Penn’s fundamental educational philosophy in 1740.  A practical idealist, Franklin added a mathematics course to the traditional classical curriculum of his Academy of Philadelphia.  In the institution, Franklin envisioned that young people would study all the subjects that lead to “wisdom and virtue,” but they would be trained in the useful arts and sciences too.

Through its alumni associations, each year the University of Pennsylvania presents this award to a high school junior who best exemplifies the qualities and characteristics of Benjamin Franklin – a scholar innovator, and one who serves the community.

This year, the recipient of the University of Pennsylvania Book Award will go to Emily D’Elia.

I am proud to present this award to Emily D’Elia.  She is a focused young lady dedicated not only to academics, but to her community.  Her transcript will exude an extremely rigorous schedule and an extraordinary GPA through her high school years. As a junior, she will be completing AP Calculus BC and AP Chemistry, two of the most difficult courses at West Essex that are often Senior choices.   This being said, what is really commendable are the hours spent giving of her time and talent to others.  She is active in her church community, as well as her town, with highlights on fund raising for those in need. Emily’s Asian / American heritage has been instilled in her from childhood, and the appreciation she has for both cultures has spread to the understanding she has for the rest of the world.  Emily also has had wonderful experiences spending some of her summers in the Philippines where she volunteers her time in her grandparents’ neighborhood working with the children in need helping them to understand English.  Emily brought her love and compassion for these children to the West Essex Key Club where they did a Valentine’s candy gram fund raiser, “Hearts for the Philippines” to buy school supplies for each child.   Emily spoke to Kiwanis club members and they were so inspired that they are going to add to the school donations!

Emily has become active in our Italian Club, as well as our Orchestra and all its performances, and is looking forward to the opportunity of being Co- President of our Key Club next year. Emily continues to volunteer at summer camp in her town.  As part of Municipal Youth Guidance, she works long and hard with the projects and activities cast upon them, as well as mentoring younger students.

With thoughts of Financial Engineering as a major, Emily joyfully awaits the excitement of college. I know whatever she chooses, she will be successful.  She is an individual in the true sense of the word, and her self-confidence adds to the caring, motivated and sensible characteristics that make her stand out among the rest.  She will also be part of a summer program at Brown University this year where she will study DNA Biotechnology. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

The Jefferson Book Award program was established to recognize outstanding high school students during their junior year and to prompt these students’ interest in the University of Virginia.  The University was founded in 1819 by our third president, Thomas Jefferson.  He took such pride in the University that it was one of the only 3 achievements he asked to be cited on his tombstone, not even his US presidency was mentioned in his epitaph.  Thomas Jefferson promoted lifelong learning; students at UVA are referred to as “first years, second years, third years and fourth years” since one can never be a “senior” and thus, finished with learning.

This year, the recipient of the Jefferson Book Award will go to Stefania Lazar.

In keeping with Mr. Jefferson’s ideals, Stefania has excelled in a diverse array of courses - from AP Art History to Precalculus Honors.  Next year, she is challenging herself with six Advanced Placement courses.  Stefania speaks Romanian fluently.  She has pursued Spanish while at West Essex and will be taking AP Spanish  next year.  Hopefully, two of her other courses will be in the math department - she has requested both  AP Calculus and AP Statistics.  Math is her favorite subject and she is looking to major in Economics.

Stefania is one of our fencers and she competes in the epee event.  She enjoys fencing because it requires finesse and mental toughness.  In the spring, she competes in the shot put and discus events with our Track team.  During the summer, she volunteers at her town’s library.  She has been playing the piano for 10 years and is working to master Chopin’s Nocturnes.  When she has a quiet moment, Stefania loves to draw.  She’s a member of our Art Honor Society and completed a portrait for a little boy in Vietnam as part of the Memories Portrait Project.

The University of Virginia requests that the Jefferson Book Award be given to a well rounded student.  Stefania’s willingness to learn and grow, her commitment to academics, the arts and her school community make her a most deserving recipient.  It’s a pleasure to recognize her many achievements with this award.

VASSAR COLLEGE

Vassar College is a highly selective, co-educational liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley.  Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education and has a long history of curricular innovation.  Recipients of the book award should demonstrate superior performance in academics as well as personal strength and motivation as evidenced by their commitment to school and community activities.

This year, the recipient of the Vassar College Book Award will go to Juan Gomez.

Juan is the kind of student that every teacher yearns to see in his/her class.  He is curious and loves to learn.   He likes to discover how things work and why things happen.  His favorite classes are also some of the most demanding that we offer.  This year, he is doubling up in science with Advanced Placement Chemistry and Physics Honors.  Next year, I hope to be able to accommodate his requests for two math courses, Advancement Placement Statistics and Advanced Placement Calculus.  With his affinity for math and science, it’s not surprising that Juan is considering a career in engineering.  Juan speaks Spanish fluently and his outstanding scores on the PSATs qualified him for College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program.

Juan is active in our Key Club and participates in a wide variety of service projects.  His stepfather is a Kiwanis member and he often recruits Juan to pitch in with some of  their projects as well.  Juan is not afraid to take a risk.  He stepped out of his comfort zone and showed up for lacrosse as a freshman with no prior experience.  That first practice was one he’ll never forget but Juan loved the sport and persevered.  This year, he is playing midfield on the varsity team.  Juan has a creative side as well.  He loves to draw and his political cartoons often appear in the Wessex Wire. 

West Essex offers so many opportunities for students to grow and learn.  Juan has wisely taken advantage of these resources.  He is to be commended for his initiative and resolve.  It’s a pleasure to recognize his achievements with the Vassar College Book Award.