Montclair High School Student Earns Nod As ‘Unsung Hero’

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A senior at Montclair High School recently earned a nod as a 2023 “Unsung Hero” from the New Jersey School Boards Association-Essex County.

Hailey Brooks was one of 37 Essex County students who were recognized at the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) ceremony held at Science Park High School in Newark.

According to the Montclair Public School District, the Unsung Heroes program recognizes students who “make outstanding contributions to their schools and communities even though they are often overlooked under traditional student recognition guidelines. Unsung heroes and heroines can be people who make their school a better place because of their warm personality, their empathy and concern for others. They tend not to let obstacles stop them.”

Brooks, who was nominated for the award by MHS counselor Siobhan Meyer, certainly fits that description, district administrators said. As a sophomore in 2020 – just as the world shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic – she was diagnosed with cancer.

She was 15-years-old at the time.

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