Strang Students Honored as Positive Role Models

So much for kids not caring these days.

Students in the 6-8th grades at Mildred E. Strang Middle School proved that wrong exactly 124 times by earning recognition from the F. Cecil Grace Foundation for their kind acts through its "Operation Positive Role Model." The banquet of honor for the 124 recipients was held on Tuesday.

The F. Cecil Grace Foundation began its work over 18 years ago and achieved official not-for-profit status from the state in May 2008.  It was founded F. Cecil Grace, with the support of his wife, Boo Grace. The foundation focuses its efforts on promoting positive behavior among youngsters in school settings, and offering a solution to the ever-increasing threat posed by the obesity epidemic. 

It's proved so popular that this year's banquet had to be moved from the middle school to the a larger venue of Colonial Terrace because of the increase in the number of recipients over the years. Those who were named recipients earned the honor through acts of kindness and responsibility, and for having shown a positive influence or impact on the lives of others at school and in the community.   

"Throughout the year the students recognize their fellow students, unbeknownst to many of them," said Leo Sposato, Yorktown School District's director of communications. "At the end of the year is the culmination where everybody celebrates."  

The five eighth-graders who each received a $1,000 United States Savings Bond Commencement Scholarship from the foundation were also celebrated at the dinner. This year the number of executive winners to receive the awards increased from three to five students. They are Dana DeGennaro, Grace Farrell, Lauren Hannah, Marcel Legros, and Brianna McClure. 

"It's a complete honor," DeGennaro said. "I was so shocked to get it, but it means so much to me. Being a positive role model is so important and to be recognized is so amazing."   

She said people who can truly be role models are rare. The people who have influenced her to become one are her parents and she described them as role models themselves. 

"When you have the ability to become someone like that you have to grab it," DeGennaro said. "You have the impact to change the world."   

Dana's mother, Jill DeGennaro, said she and her husband try to be role models for their children when it comes to being kind.

"As a family, we try to go out, do kind things and be kind to each other within our house," she said. "It's just wonderful when you can put all you can into a child and it comes back 100 times, it's just incredible."   

When it comes to incredible, it's the norm in Yorktown because of the community, according to the middle school vice principal, Scott Shiland.    

"This is just one way to recognize them," he said. "I'm very fortunate to work in a building and work in a community where so many students are honored in this nature."