WESTFIELD AREA Y BESTOWS YOUTH OF THE YEAR, GOLDEN VOLUNTEER AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING

The Westfield Area Y presented several special awards at their Annual Meeting. The Golden Volunteer Award was presented to Sheilah O’Halloran. The Golden Volunteer Award is the highest award the Westfield Area Y bestows to honor an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, involvement and service to the Westfield Area Y; and the Character Development Award was presented to John Cronin. The Character Development Award is given annually to an individual who has demonstrated particular dedication, involvement and service to the Westfield Area Y and to the principle of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Youth Volunteer Award was presented to Cameron Mitchell and Susanna Jaramillo. This special recognition is awarded annually to an achieving teen who participates at the Y.

Sheilah O’Halloran began her involvement with the Westfield Area Y as a member and joined the Westfield Board of Directors in 2007. She actively volunteers and participates in numerous programs and activities to support the Y and currently serves as Chair of the Westfield Area Y Board of Directors. While on the Board, Sheilah sits on Y committees such as the Executive and Executive Review, Board Development, Human Resources, Medical Advisory and Program Overview, notably serving as Chair of the Child Care and Youth committee for several years.

John Cronin became involved with the Westfield Area Y as a member and joined the Board of Directors in 2012. While on the Y Board, he actively participates in many programs and activities to support the Y, and serves on the Golf, International, Long Range Planning, Member Services, and Program Overview Committees. He currently serves as Chair of the Physical Programs Committee, which monitors the progress of the Y’s health & wellness, youth & adult sports, aquatics & competitive programs. John’s involvement exemplifies the four core values of the Y: respect, responsibility, honesty and caring.

Cameron Mitchell is sixteen years old and currently a junior at Plainfield High School. He has been actively involved with the Westfield Area Y’s Achievers program since he was 12 years old. His involvement with the Achievers program has included volunteering at the Y’s Men Christmas Tree Lot, the Rotary Pancake Breakfast, Lunch with Santa and Healthy Kids Day. In addition, Cameron has been a participant for the past two years in the Rutgers University Upward Bound program with a primary focus on college readiness and career development. He is also a member of the New Jersey Orators. Cameron is interested in pursuing a career in the Bio-Engineering field. Cameron would like to attend Rutgers University.

Susanna Jaramillo is a senior at Cranford High School. She has participated in the YMCA Youth and Government and Model United Nations programs for four years and served as a conference officer for both programs this past year. Through these two programs, she has been able to help plan state-wide “Day of Service” events at locations such as food banks, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. In addition, she periodically volunteers at her local nursing home, works with special needs children, and serves as a team captain and planning committee member for Cranford’s Relay for Life event. Last summer, she spent time reconstructing homes destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in Sea Bright. Outside of her community-service based activities, Susanna has been actively involved in her high school and serves as a coach with the Westfield Flyers. After graduation, Susanna will be pursuing a double major in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Westfield Area Y would like to congratulate Cameron, Sheilah and John on their exceptional achievements. The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Visit www.westfieldynj.org to learn more about Westfield Area Y programs. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.

Pictured here from left to right: Mark Elsasser, Westfield Area Y CEO, Golden Volunteer Award recipient, Sheilah O’Halloran and the former Westfield Area Y Board Chair, Nick Dovidio.