HCVSD Academy Student Gianna Cascio to attend Coast Guard Academy

Flemington, N.J. – Gianna ‘Gigi’ Cascio of Kingwood Township, N.J., will attend the competitive U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the fall and also play lacrosse. A senior in the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy (CSAEA) run by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD), Gigi essentially receives a $450,000 scholarship with her acceptance to the Coast Guard Academy.

“The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is among the nation’s elite undergraduate institutions, accepting approximately 300 cadets from thousands of applicants,” said Tanya Nalesnik, assistant business administrator for HCVSD and retired Coast Guard Officer. “Gigi built a strong resume of extracurricular and service activities, proved that she could succeed in an academically rigorous program through her success in the CSAEA, and benefitted from the advice and mentorship our district affords all students. She could have landed a spot at any one of our nation’s best colleges.”

Gigi ranked the Coast Guard Academy high on her list after attending a one-week program there this past summer, the Academy Introduction Mission (AIM). She immersed herself in the Academy lifestyle and left feeling deeply connected to the Coast Guard’s core values of “honor, respect and devotion to duty.”

“I seek to lead a life centered around these values,” said Gigi. “I also discovered from my experience at AIM that I am drawn to a regimented lifestyle and the knowledge that at the Academy, you are improving yourself mentally and physically through working hard and overcoming difficult times.”

“Gigi is a quiet leader; she leads by example by mentoring and inspiring others while consistently seeking ways to challenge herself and grow,” said Nalesnik. “Her leadership qualities – especially her integrity – make her well equipped to join the less than 1 percent of individuals in the country who earn the privilege of serving our nation as a Coast Guard Officer. I will be honored to call her a colleague when she graduates. More importantly, I’m proud to know she will be among our nation’s next generation of leaders.”

As a student in the first graduating class of HCVSD’s CSAEA, Gigi has worked diligently over the past four years in the classroom, tackling a rigorous curriculum that features college-level coursework, hands-on projects to address real-world business problems and a demanding capstone experience.

“As a student in the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy, I learned programming languages, basic coding and aspects of cyber security,” said Gigi. “Outside of the classroom, I had opportunities to attend conferences, visit college campuses and learn from experts in the field to help me better plan for my future. I plan to study cyber systems in college, and because this is a fast-growing field, the real life application of the knowledge that I hope to develop will most likely provide me with a myriad of opportunities upon graduation.”

This academic year, HCVSD transitioned the CSAEA to a custom-designed classroom in Voorhees High School from its original location at Delaware Valley Regional High School. CSAEA freshmen make up the first class to enjoy the redesigned space, with individual laptop computers, but also shared screens for collaboration. Work surfaces can serve one student or be arranged into two-, three- or four-student pods to resemble today’s flexible work environments characteristic of many tech companies.

In addition to the Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy, HCVSD operates two other full-time academies that focus on biomedical sciences and environmental science. The three academies are among five distinct schools offered by Hunterdon County Vocational School District to serve high school and adult students. The largest is Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School, the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult and Continuing Education school. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).

# # #

Photo Caption: Tanya Nalesnik, assistant business administrator for the Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD) and retired Coast Guard Officer, congratulates Gigi Cascio, a student in HCVSD’s Computer Science and Applied Engineering Academy, with her acceptance to the Coast Guard Academy.