West Essex Names Third Marking Period ShopRite Stars

West Essex High School Principal Gary Suda has announced the third marking period ShopRite STARS winners for the 2013-14 school year. They are Roseland senior Juan Gomez for academics, Fairfield senior Nicolette De Vincenzo for Leadership; Roseland senior Maria Alejandra Torres for the Arts; North Caldwell junior Kristina Soriano for Service to the Community and Roseland senior Erica Perrotta for Athletics.

Juan is taking five Advanced Placement Classes and took four last year. He received a 2140 combined SAT score and has a 4.64 GPA. Nicolette is the Senior Class Council President and served as class president her freshman and sophomore years as well. She is editor-in-chief of the Wessex Wire and vice president of the National Honor Society. Alejandra is a talented artist who enjoys creating works in regular pencil and colored pencil. Her works have been selected to be exhibited at the "Art Administrators of New Jersey Emerging Artists" show at Kean University and an art gallery in Maplewood, along with other students in the AP Studio Art Class. She is a member of the National Art Honor Society and has had drawings featured in the Roundtable West Essex literary magazine. Kristina has completed many community service projects with the Key Club, has worked more than $19,000 for typhoon victims in the Phillipines and has volunteered with the Special Olympics. Erica was named a Star-Ledger "top performer of the week" for lacrosse in 2012, is co-captain of the West Essex Girls Lacrosse Team and was Captain of the Girls Soccer Team this past fall. Last year, she was also named an All American for lacrosse. Erica plans to play lacrosse for High Point University in North Carolina.

Each marking period, Suda asks high school staff to nominate students for the ShopRite Stars program recognizing their accomplishments in academics, the arts, athletics, leadership and service to the community. Each student winner will have their photograph displayed in the High School main office and in the West Caldwell ShopRite. ShopRite will also make a $1,000 award towards Project Graduation.

The program was created by Mr. Ned Gladstein, the owner of ShopRite in West Caldwell in 1999 to recognize the accomplishments of West Essex High School students. The program has continued with much success.