Salutatorian Canova Is July's Student of the Month

July Student of the Month is Christopher Canova, proud 2011 graduate of .

Canova is a friendly, intelligent and mature student who was the Salutatorian of the Class of 2011. He's earned the second highest grade point average of his 300 classmates, a 4.42.

He will attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he earned a significant scholarship to study chemical engineering.

Canova has the option of adding a fifth year at Cornell to earn his Masters degree in chemical engineering, tuition free.

When he joins the workforce, he plans to enter the field of pharmaceuticals to help develop drugs for those in need of new and different medicines.

Canova earned a special recognition during commencement, when he was awarded the prestigious Florence D. Scioscia Memorial Scholarship.

His drive to succeed not only helped him academically, but also made him a well-rounded student, as he was captain of the varsity soccer team, played trombone in the Jazz Band, was on the Hi-Q and Science Olympiad teams, played tennis and actively participated in the annual Dance Mara-THON.

When asked what advice he could give to the incoming freshmen Canova offered this, “Springfield has great schools – Get involved and take rigorous courses. Learn to manage your schedule and work hard to achieve great things.”

The faculty and administration at Springfield High School share high praise for Canova. 

“Chris possesses a maturity of thought and mastery of language that make him a dynamic force in the English classroom. He has the ability to share his knowledge in ways that enlighten rather than overwhelm. His empathetic and intellectual responses raise the level of conversation for his peers. Chris is a young man with a quiet strength, a strong voice, and a solid character,” said Aidan Brett, language arts teacher.

“Chris is a genuine intellectual. His classmates benefit from his willingness to share his depth of understanding about challenging topics,” Bill Harley, from the math department added.

“Chris was a valued member of the Science Olympiad team," said Joe Zumpano, chemistry teacher.

"Often the phrase ‘A pleasure to have in class’ is used, but I can’t think of a student in my 33 years of teaching who fits it better than Chris. He earned a silver medal at the 2011 Science Olympiad meet. Chris is the type of individual to whom I would entrust the most difficult of tasks, secure in the knowledge that it would be completed in a timely, exemplary manner.”

“Chris is a perfect example of an SHS graduate. With hard work and high expectations, great things shall be accomplished,” Principal Frank McKnight said.

For these reasons and many more, Christopher Canova is recognized as the Springfield School District July Student of the Month.