Livingston Students Showcase Their Talent, Brains And ‘Unsung Heroism’

LIVINGSTON, NJ — There is no shortage of talent, intelligence and “unsung heroism” in the Livingston Public School District.

Over the past few months, several students from Livingston have made their community proud with accomplishments in the fields of community service, music and debate. Catch up with a few of their achievements below.

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UNSUNG HERO

Livingston High School senior Sezin Aykut was recently named as the school’s “Essex County Unsung Hero” for 2026.

Presented by the Essex County School Boards Association in partnership with the New Jersey School Boards Association, the award honors students who make a profound impact through “quiet leadership, exceptional character and service” – often entirely behind the scenes.

According to district administrators, Aykut’s story is one of “remarkable determination.” Joining the Livingston community as a ninth grader after moving from Turkey, she faced the daunting task of navigating a new culture and language. Rather than being deterred, Aykut mastered the ESL program in just one year – turning a challenging transition into a foundation for growth.

The inspiring youth embodies the spirt of the award perfectly, school administrators said:

“While Sezin doesn't seek the spotlight, her contributions speak volumes. Her influence is felt across many corners of LHS. As a leader in the Muslim Student Association, she was instrumental in organizing drives that collected over 60 bags of food and hundreds of essentials for local families. Whether she is coaching youth volleyball or leading younger peers through Science National Honor Society workshops, she leads with kindness and a genuine desire to see others succeed. Academically, she maintains a rigorous courseload in Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology with an eye toward her future goal of becoming a pediatrician.”

“Sezin represents the very best of our student body,” LHS counselor Devon Berger said.

“Her impact is felt through her steady leadership and her unwavering dedication to serving others,” Berger added.

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CARNEGIE HALL

As the old joke goes: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.”

Four students from Livingston Public School District recently won first prize in their respective age groups at the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition.

The talented students – Chelsea Meng, Leonardo Qin, Alexandra Zhong, and Katheryn Liu – are members of the Flying Strings Youth Ensemble.

Each performer was invited to showcase their artform at the Winners Concerts at Carnegie Hall on March 9 and March 10.

Each presented solo performances on traditional Chinese instruments. Chelsea Meng, a fifth-grade student at Burnet Hill Elementary School, and Leonardo Qin, a sixth-grade student at Mount Pleasant Middle School, performed on March 9 with solos on the guzheng and ruan. The following evening, Alexandra Zhong, also a sixth-grader at Mount Pleasant Middle School, and Katheryn Liu, a seventh-grade student at Heritage Middle School, performed guzheng solos.

The students’ musical development also reflects the strong foundation provided by Livingston Public School District’s music programs. Meng plays viola in the orchestra at Burnet Hill Elementary School. Qin plays guitar in the jazz band at Mount Pleasant Middle School. Zhong currently plays clarinet in the band at Mount Pleasant Middle School and previously performed on flute in band and violin in orchestra during elementary school. And Liu plays flute in the band at Heritage Middle School.

In addition to their school music programs, the students also study other instruments outside school—such as piano and ukulele—reflecting a musical upbringing that spans both Chinese and Western traditions.

All four students study with renowned musician and educator Yang Jin, the founder and president of the Chinese Musicians Association of North America. For concert and summer camp inquiries, contact Jin at yangjinchinesemusic@gmail.com

SPEECH AND DEBATE

A Livingston-based debate club recently turned in another successful performance at a prestigious national competition.

Earlier this year, the Omega Speech and Debate Club attended the annual Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This year’s competition – the largest in its history – brought together roughly 5,700 competitors and 1,300 judges.

Competing against the nation’s strongest debaters, Omega students rose to the challenge and delivered extraordinary results, their coaches said:

High school sophomores Gavin Zhao and Kevin Chen earned their Varsity TOC Bids, with both ranking Top 20 in Speaker Points — an exceptional accomplishment at the highest level of competition.

Livingston High School freshmen Jacob Heifetz and Vedant Baijal, following their Digital TOC Championship victory last December, once again earned tournament awards with outstanding speaker points, demonstrating their continued excellence on the national circuit. Even more inspiring was the breakthrough of our younger students. Just six months after their very first debate class, our middle school students achieved remarkable success at one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world:

Heritage Middle School seventh graders Aleya Sethi and Ananya Karthik advanced to Doubles, with Aleya ranking 6th Speaker out of 560 middle school Public Forum competitors

Heritage students Jason Zhang and Nakshita Gupta advanced to the elimination rounds

Heritage students Sanika Joshi and Lucy Zhu, along with Ryka Pal and Aarushi Sharma, Spatika Prasanna and Mishka Tripathi delivered outstanding performances in their very first national tournaments

“These achievements reflect months of hard work, resilience, expert coaching, and the courage to compete on the biggest stage in high school debate, as well as the unwavering support of their families,” club leaders said.

The club was established in 2020 by then-high school freshman sophomore, Matthew Zhang. For more information about Omega Speech and Debate Club, visit their website here.

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