IN OUR SCHOOLS

Clinton Sunrise Rotary honors North Hunterdon seniors for service beyond self

Staff Report
@MyCentralJersey
The first recipients of the Clinton Sunrise Rotary Leadership Award,  North Hunterdon Seniors Jessica Mitchell and Kyle Hensler.

May is International Rotary Youth Service Month and the Clinton Sunrise Rotary Club celebrated the month with two different honors to students who excel. 

A $3,000 scholarship was awarded to North Hunterdon Polytech Senior Erin Shaw. Her parents Robert and Maureen Shaw, and Polytech Coordinator of Student Services Tanya Nalesnik presided. 

"As usual, the selection process, which is based on numerous factors, was difficult with many exceptional candidates from Polytech. However, Erin Shaw stood out above the rest with her extracurricular activities and especially her community service”, said Kevin Gillman, youth coordinator for the club. “Service to the community is a key principle for Rotarians.” 

Along with Kevin, Rotary President MaryBeth Sullivan, also presented the First Annual Leadership award to North Hunterdon seniors Jessica Mitchell and Kyle Hensler.  This award goes to seniors who display outstanding leadership qualities and are members of the North Hunterdon Interact Club. The Interact Club is a Rotary International sponsored High School Club with ideals that follow the same Avenues of Service that Rotarians follow. The Clinton Sunrise and North Hunterdon Rotary clubs co-sponsors Interact at North Hunterdon High School with both Anthony Petraglia and Dina Marron as the school’s Interact Facilitator’s.

“We are so pleased that we are able to support the next generation of Leaders with our new program," Rotary President Mary Beth Sullivan said.

The Clinton Sunrise club also mentors students through a longstanding program at Polytech called Bridging the Gap under the guidance of Commercial Art Teacher Teresa Diaz. The program is under way currently and will end this month with an awards ceremony at Polytech’s Career’s Cafe on Central’s campus. 

For more about the club and its activities, visit www.clintonsunriserotary.org or contact Rotary at 908-279-0112. Meetings are at 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at the Clinton Fire House on New Street in the Town of Clinton. 

Belmont University

The following Central Jersey residents at Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee, traveled the world for Maymester, summer study abroad experience across the world: Denali Dunuwila of Princeton, Rebecca Hull of Basking Ridge and Reece Young of South Plainfield. 

READ: The good things students are doing in Central Jersey and beyond

READ: Education news from around the region

LOOK and READ: Ongoing coverage of the Class of 2018 graduation exercises

Bound Brook American Legion Post 63 

Giles Biondi American Legion Post 63 of Bound Brook has awarded their 2018 annual college scholarships to Bound Brook High School seniors Houston Ward and Eduardo Vargas Gutierrez.

Scholarship Committee Chairman Tom Synnott along with committee members; Post 63 Commander Robert Newell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Post Financial Officer Ben Auletta and Legion member Lee Politica selected the two students.

Bound Brook High School senior Houston Ward recipient of the Giles Biondi American Legion Post 63 of Bound Brook 2018 annual college scholarship.

Houston Ward, who was previously selected by Post 63 to attend the 2017 New Jersey Boys State, has two grandfathers, an uncle and father who served in the U.S. military. In the fall, he will attend the University of Delaware and intends to seek a career in medicine. Along with his high academic achievements, he currently ranks number eight in his 119-member high school class. Ward has participated in numerous co-curricular community service and work experiences.

Bound Brook High School senior Eduardo Vargas Gutierrez recipient of the Giles Biondi American Legion Post 63 of Bound Brook 2018 annual college scholarship.

Eduardo Vargas Gutierrez immigrated to the U.S. from Costa Rica in 2012, and is anticipating earning his U.S. citizenship. Along with his many co-curricular activities including membership in the extremely successful Bound Brook High School Robotics Team, he also has extensive contributions in voluntary and community service activities together with multiple job experiences.

Choosing two candidates out of the field of highly qualified students presented to the committee by BBHS Guidance Department Secretary Kathleen Jordan, proved to be extremely difficult. “Their levels of scholastic achievement along with strong records of school activities and community service make us extremely proud of the quality of the children graduating in Bound Brook,” Trustee Chair, Auletta said.

All veterans of honorable service during a wartime period, and those currently serving on active duty, are eligible to belong to The American Legion. Congress chartered The American Legion in 1919 as a veteran’s service organization and the organization is soon to reach its 100th birthday. Since its founding, The American Legion has remained focused on activities that serve veterans and their families, youth, their local communities, state, and nation.

Brevard College

Jillian Barrett Kaulius of Hillsborough received a bachelor's degree in wilderness leadership on May 5 from Brevard College's 165 commencement ceremony.

Bucknell University

The following Central Jersey residents at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, were named to the spring dean's list: Harrison Berger, Maddie Boone of Warren, Connor Cairoli of Lebanon, Lauren Caldas of Watchung, Andrew Capuano of Westfield, Kathryn Chesebrough of Skillman, Nicole Cirra of Basking Ridge, Riley Coopersmith of Lebanon, Toby Cozzolino of Annandale, Roland Crystal of  Scotch Plains, Maddie Davidian of Skillman, Kristen Davis of Dunellen, Callie DeWitt, Jamie DeWitt of  Basking Ridge, Michael Drabich of Hillsborough, Emma Dresner of Basking Ridge, Charlie Duryee of Whitehouse Station, Matthew Elander, Molly Farrell of Basking Ridge, Maggie Fischer of  Bernardsville, Kevin Flynn of  Watchung, Emily Gagis of Bernardsville, Annie Girton of  Asbury, Dani Goldberg of Lambertville, Camryn Goldstein of Warren, Gabriella Gomes of Dunellen, Lauren Gross of Hillsborough, Catherine Higgins of Watchung, Krysta Holman of Princeton, Kortney Klingert of Basking Ridge, Christian Klipstein of Califon, Julia Knox of Whitehouse Station, Meghan Kovac of  Warren, Victoria Lach of  Hillsborough, Douglas Lachenauer of Warren, Brian Lapham of Scotch Plains, Millo Lazarczyk of Whitehouse Station, Olivia Loggia of Westfield, Jessica Luis of Belle Mead, Morgan McAlister of Westfield, Emily Mell of Far Hills, Austin Mendez of Warren, Amber Mironov of Pittstown, Lena Miskulin of New Providence, Jake Papa of  Califon, Gwen Paul of  Frenchtown, Christina Pierson of Flemington, Ari Rosenzweig of Scotch Plains, Brian Rubenstein of  Berkeley Heights, Samantha Salazar of Basking Ridge, Lynette Santhakumar, Kate Sidlowski of Warren, Jenna Slusar of Annandale, Eric Spala of Berkeley Heights, Logan Stiles of Watchung, Cricket Treanor of Pottersville, Bennett Turner of Skillman, Matthew Vira of High Bridge, Ian Vogel of Flemington, Jake White of Princeton, Sophia Yan of Basking Ridge. Students must achieve a grade point average of 3.5.

Curry College

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees on May 20 from Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts: Owen Gregory of Plainfield, bachelor's degree in the arts; and Katherine Sheridan of Hillsborough, bachelor's degree in the arts, also named to the spring dean's list. In addition, the following residents were name to the spring dean's list: Christine Ezeigwe of Princeton and Brandon Pierson of Neshanic Station.

Delaware Valley University

The following Central Jersey residents at Delaware Valley University participated in the 17 annual North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge (NAISC) conducted April 12 through April 14 in Visalia, California: Amanda Wengryn of Ringoes and Sarah Fenwick of Hillsborough.

Bridgewater: Eisenhower Intermediate School

Several students from Eisenhower School in the Bridgewater-Raritan school district were among the nearly 150,000 students worldwide to participate this year in the Math Olympiad Program. They participated in a series of five monthly contests of five problems each from November to March, and practice sessions under the supervision and coaching of Michele Hecht and Karen Popadiuk. They guided students to solve unusual and difficult problems and to think creatively. Michele Hecht is a sixth- grade math teacher and Karen Popadiuk is the fifth-grade AI math/science/Social Studies teacher at Eisenhower Intermediate School.

Forty eight of the Eisenhower mathletes won national awards for excellence in grades 4 to 6. Jonathan Jentis earned the Dr. George Lenchner Medallion, awarded for a perfect score of 25 points. A gold pin was awarded to three of the students who placed in the top 2 percent, and a silver pin was awarded to 16 students who placed in the top 10 percent. Overall, Eisenhower had approximately 50 students who placed in the top 50%. 

The two Eisenhower teams (fifth and sixth grade) were named to the National Math Olympiad Honor Roll for scoring in the top 10 percent of all 5,000 participating teams 

This program has provided thought provoking problems that stretched the abilities of the students, strengthening their mathematical foundation. The students responded to the challenge with eagerness and enthusiasm. 

Far Hills Country Day School

Georgia Zaiser has been named assistant head of school at Far Hills Country Day School in Far Hills beginning July 1. Zaiser is currently the director of the Upper School, a role she will retain.

Far Hills names Georgia Zaiser of Glen Gardner, Assistant Head of School.

With close to 25 years of experience at Far Hills, Zaiser brings a deep knowledge of school culture and history. Zaiser has served in a variety of leadership roles, including History Department Chair, Grade Level Coordinator, Vertical Team Leader, Faculty Mentor, and SSAT Administrator. Both of her sons are also graduates of Far Hills —classes of 2012 and 2016.

Zaiser’s interest in leadership began at the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools’ Leadership Institute. She has comprehensive knowledge of social media literacy and adolescent issues. Her insights have been shared in numerous school publications, and various parent, student, and teacher presentations. She looks forward to spending time at the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning this summer studying the mind, brain, and education.

Zaiser is a graduate of Dickinson College and received her master's degree in education from Dowling College. She began her career teaching in an urban setting in Northwest Chicago. For more information about Far Hills, visit fhcds.org.

Franklin Woman's Club

The Franklin Woman’s Club recently announced this year’s scholarship winners: Gabriella Consiglio, Anjana Nair, Karinna Rao, Sierra Schiff, Maitri Shah, Summer Thompson and Madison Whiting. These recipients were selected based on their scholastic achievement, community service, school activity participation and displays of leadership along with letters of recommendation. Students were honored at the annual Franklin Woman’s Club dinner on May 15, conducted at The Venue 518 in Bound Brook.

Scholarship winners: Left to right; Anjana Nair, Maitri Shah, Madison Whiting, Sierra Schiff, Summer Thompson, Gabriella Consiglio and Karinna Rao

Funds for college scholarships were raised through the Franklin Woman Club’s annual Tricky Tray fundraiser. Each of the honorees, all high school seniors from Franklin Township, will receive a one-time award of $1,000. The club will also donate funds toward a scholarship for an Elijah’s Promise Culinary School student.

The Franklin Woman’s Club has been offering scholarships for more than 25 years. This year, the club dedicated their scholarship awards to the memory of Kim Thorne, who served as the FWC Co-President for the 2017-2018 club year.  

The following Franklin Woman’s Club members reviewed all applications and selected recipients as part of their Scholarship Committee responsibilities: Tracy Muse; Education Chair, Phyllis Beals, Lisa Casazza, Sharon Coney, Nancy Gale, Sherice McQueen, Joanne Murset and Sheila Snell. 

The FWC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan and nonsectarian service organization, is committed to improving the community through volunteerism. In addition to community initiatives, the club also features frequent social and educational events for enrichment. To learn more about the club, become a member or check out upcoming fundraising events such as the Paint & Sip Night scheduled for Friday June 15 at Wine and Dreams, Somerset and the Wine Tasting at Old York Cellars; Sunday October 7, visit www.franklinwomansclub.com,  email inquiries to: franklinwomansclub@gmail.com or call 732- 844-9002. To follow the club’s activities on Facebook visit:  http://www.facebook.com/.franklinwomansclub

Franklin Woman’s Club Meetings are conducted at Franklin High School, 500 Elizabeth Ave., Somerset, on the secon Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.;September through May, with some off-site meetings.

Gettysburg College

The following Central Jersey residents at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, received their degrees on May 20: Alexa Arnold of Warren, Glenn Benson of North Plainfield, Mackenzie Cronce of Stockton, Bradley DeMartino, Patrick Decker of Westfield, Patrick Fay of Bernardsville, Elizabeth Fox of Westfield, Anna Hollander, Sarah Lattime of Princeton, Alyssa Lepik of Martinsville, Savannah Llewellyn of Plainfield, Philippa Lumsden of Belle Mead, Sabrina Marell of Flemington, Madison Martino of Lebanon,Christopher Massos of Pittstown, Caroline McDonald of Skillman, Joseph Meyer of Lebanon, Joseph Scaglione of Westfield

Immaculata High School

Immaculata High School recently hosted its first Legacy Breakfast for Alumni parents and their children, who are currently attending the Immaculate Conception Parish’s K-12 school system. Only 25 parishes nationwide have a K-12 program and the Somerville based parish has been educating students at Immaculate Conception School since 1957 and at Immaculata High School since 1962. Nearly 100 alumni currently have students in one or both schools.

Immaculata High School recently hosted its first Legacy Breakfast for Alumni, parents and their children, who are currently attending the Immaculate Conception Parish’s K-12 school system.

“Our Legacy Breakfast was a gesture to thank our alumni parents for their commitment to Catholic education. But it was also to recognize the value these alumni have placed on the education that they received at these two schools, so much so that they wanted their children to have the same experience,” said Stacey Mezzacca Geary, class of 1991, advancement associate, who coordinated the program. “We started the morning in the Immaculata Chapel for Mass, followed up with a group picture, and then shared lots of memories, as we enjoyed the refreshments.”

Anna Trapani Ferreira, class of 1980, whose daughter is a student at ICS, was pleased to attend. “When I visit Immaculata High School, I think of family and tradition. Being in the Immaculata Chapel feels like home. It makes me think of my siblings, my parents, other family members who attended IHS and the friends that I made and still have until this day."

“Having my daughter following in my footsteps is such a special feeling and I’m glad she was able to be with me for the Legacy Breakfast. I hope this will be a new tradition to celebrate with my daughter and husband. I know she will experience special relationships just like I did. Friends become family at IHS.”

Kate Schmeider McCabe class of 92, who has children at both schools, echoed Anna’s sentiments. “What was so poignant was the continuity of the experiences from each Spartan, the great friendships we made, the fulfilling services we accomplished, and the Spartan Spirit weeks we all enjoyed. As we were walking out, we each said to one another ‘Yes, those were four of the greatest years of our lives and we are so grateful that we can give our kids the opportunity to experience the same!’” 

Principal Jean Kline, herself an Immaculata graduate, along with her husband, two daughters, and four family members, addressed the gathering. “There is no greater tribute to Immaculate Conception and Immaculata High School than when alumni choose to send their children to their alma mater. We take immense pride in educating generations of ICS and IHS families. It is so gratifying to hear how our graduates have embraced our school’s four pillars (faith, scholarship, service, and friendship) and how they encourage these concepts with their children. Our legacy parents are the part of the Spartan heritage and traditions that make our schools extraordinary and we look forward to seeing more  legacy parents next year.”

Lebanon Valley College

Anna Evanko of Glen Gardner, received a bachelor's degree in art and visual culture on May 12.

Miami University

Ringoes resident John Mondoro, a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. spent the winter semester in Thailand as part of a study abroad group.

Mount Saint Mary Academy

Mount Saint Mary Academy junior Grace Gordon from Annandale, and sophomore Melanie Valliciergo from Mountainside have earned grants to study in Italy this July for 12 days from IACE (Italian American Committee on Education).

Left to right, are: Melanie Valliciergo and Grace Gordon

Both students submitted multimedia projects on Italian cinema and its ties to Umbria and Narni, Italy and they were recommended for the grant by Teresa Sengel, World Language Department at the Watchung-based academy, and Italian teacher Giuseppina Lane. After being selected along with 19 other students from the Tristate area for this honor, they attended the IACE Summer Programs Award Ceremony on the evening of May 14, at the Consulate General of Italy in Manhattan.

Every year, only 20 students are selected to study in Umbria and they are given the opportunity to spend two weeks in Narni, where they take full immersion language classes in the morning and participate in local cultural and recreational activities such as pasta-making and pottery-decorating in the afternoon. Students also participate in full-day excursionstol Italian cities.

“Grace and I created videos that went with the theme of Italians and the Internet – “L’Italiano e la rete, le reti per L’Italiano,” Valliciergo said.

"In this program, not only will they improve their already sharp Italian skills advance exponentially, but in the fall, they will share what they learn about Italian culture and language with students in Italian AP and Italian 3," Sengel said.  

Nazareth College

Nicasio Gristina of Annandale was named to the spring dean's list at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York.

Raritan Valley Community College

Work by Raritan Valley Community College Engineering and Visual Communication majors was recognized on a national level at a recent Engineering conference, conducted April 27-28 at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

RVCC Engineering student Esther Hiamang earned Second Place honors (Graduate Division) at the American Society of Engineering Education’s 2018 Northeast Section Conference for her paper, Contactless Magnetic Gears – A Project Based Learning Approach to Understanding Magnetic Gear Systems.”

A paper by RVCC Engineering student Esther Hiamang earned second place honors; Graduate Division at the American Society of Engineering Education’s (ASEE-NE) 2018 Northeast Section Conference. The paper, “Contactless Magnetic Gears – A Project Based Learning Approach to Understanding Magnetic Gear Systems,” will be published in the Conference Proceedings.

Hiamang, a resident of Easton, Pennsylvania, who is studying civil engineering at the college, presented the work with RVCC Professor Peter Stupak. She conducted her research with Stupak during the fall 2017 Semester.

The conference also featured a paper highlighting a collaborative, interdisciplinary work created by RVCC’s Authentic Engineering Experience Team and Professor Darren McManus' Visual Design class. The paper, “Backpacking Tent Light – An Engineering/Visual Communication Interdisciplinary Product Development,” describes the Backpacking Tent Light that provides 30 minutes of green-energy, battery-free illumination for backpacking in a mountain-tent environment. The paper’s authors include Adam Walton of Hillsborough, Tyler Sarno of Flemington, Rachel Geiler of Pittstown, Kimberly Tsui of Hillsborough, Laure Turlybekova of Summit and Erick Hernandez of Stewartsville, as well as McManus.

The Engineering student team consisted of two second-year engineering students participating in an Authentic Engineering Experience course where they were asked to design, prototype, build and deliver a real product to a real customer — in this case, RVCC Professor Darren McManus — n one semester. The Visual Communication student team, composed of nine Visual Communication majors enrolled in the fall 2017 Visual Design 1 course, were each tasked with developing a complete graphic identity for the product. This included a unique product name; a logo; corporate collateral, such as business cards, envelopes and letterhead; a series of print advertisements; and product packaging based on the envisioned target market for the product.

For additional information about the Authentic Engineering Experience at RVCC, contact Professor Peter Stupak at peter.stupak@raritanval.edu.

Pennsylvania College of Technology

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees on May 12 from Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania:

Matthew M. Hober of Basking Ridge, associate's degree in building construction technology

Codey M. Leh of Frenchtown, bachelor's degree in welding and fabrication engineering technology, cum laude, dean's list.

Nicholas S. Perna of Frenchtown, bachelor's degree in construction management, dean's list.

John W. Timmerman of Pittstown, associate's degree in electrical and  mechatronics engineering technology

Stephen J. Varga of Stockton, associate's degree in diesel technology

ALSO: The following residents were named to the spring dean's list: Gregory D. Babbert of  Flemington,   Taylor L. Johnson of Whitehouse Station, Kavitha R. Kolangaden of Belle Mead, Noah A. Landon of Glen Gardner,  Christian J. Perna of Frenchtown,  Tom E. Wentz of Glen Gardner.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Student-athlete Steven Collins of Flemington was honored with an institute award at the Class of 2018 president's banquet, which was conducted on May 14 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Southern New Hampshire University

Raymond Bragin of Pittstown was named to the winter president's list at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.7-4.0.

The College of New Jersey

Tara Manz of Flemington received a master's degree in teaching from The College of New Jersey. She has a dual bachelor's degree in special education and history also from The College of New Jersey. She started working as an autism teacher in Hillsborough in early May for a class of seven 3-4 year olds, all boys.

The Wardlaw+Hartridge School

Meet the new Upper School student council executive officers at The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison who were elected recently by their peers. From left, Vice President Logan D'Amore of Scotch Plains, president Stanislav DeLaurentiis of Plainfield and Secretary/Treasurer Neil Shah of Edison.

ALSO: On Saturday May 12, the Middle School Robotics Club and Upper School Robotics Team from The Wardlaw+Hartridge School in Edison participated in the Botball Tournament in Rahway.  Although this is the sixth year that the middle school competed, it was the first year for Upper School. During the year, teams built autonomous robots using Lego components and metal parts. New team members learned how to code in C language, while returning members took their code to a higher level with variables, functions and Boolean logic.  

In the run up to the tournament teams collaborated on documentation detailing their project plan, mechanical design, code analysis and lessons learned. Both teams earned perfect scores on these documents. During the tournament teams contended in seeding rounds then double elimination challenges against 23 teams. 

“The competition is really enjoyable and a great bonding experience. This year, we did really well, scoring over 20 points each round,” Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield said.

After a long day of head-to-head challenges, the team’s dedication and cooperation paid off. The W+H Middle School team placed eighth and the Upper School team placed 12th.

Middle School team members: Faizah Naqvi of South Plainfield and Shiv Tickoo of Scotch Plains (captains), Robin Zhong of Edison, Nate Valcourt of South Plainfield, Feisal Kiiru of Edison, Naischa Puri of Edison, David Flateau-Jones of Scotch Plains, Andrew Kojima of Woodbridge, Charlie Silver of Rahway, Naomi Valcourt of South Plainfield, Joanne Ding of Iselin and Kayla Martel of Winfield Park.

Upper School team members: Mark Zhang of Edison and John Papetti III of Elizabeth (captains), Steven Li, Mike He and George Zhong of Edison, Rihan Sajid of Carteret, Alex Caiola of Westfield and Armaan Kapoor of Millburn.

Trine University

Michael Meisenbacher of Basking Ridge was named to the spring dean's list at Trine University in Angola, Indiana. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

University of Evansville

Steven Rubel of Princeton was named to the spring dean's list at the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.5.

University of Kansas

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas: Robert Scott McHenry of Branchburg, bachelor's degree in civil engineering; Vincent Michael Fiorentino of Somverville, bachelor's degree in biochemistry.

Warren Township Schools

Warren Township students from Mt. Horeb School, Woodland School, Angelo L. Tomaso School and Central School put their passion for reading to the test on May 30, during the annual Battle of the Books competition conducted at Mt. Horeb School. 

The Reading Rock Stars from Angelo L. Tomaso School from left to right:
Vincent Popolo, Candence Sintra, Ayush Lal, Michael Samayaoa and Sophia Nehmer

All grade 5 students from each elementary school have been preparing since November by reading or listening to as many as 15 books from a selected reading list. “Shoeless Joe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure” by Dan Gutman, “The Familiars” by Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson, “The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis are among the list of books selected for the grade 5 students. 

The library was filled with spectators who came to witness this district wide competition. After 12 rounds of very specific questions pertaining to each of the books on the selected reading list, the Reading Rock Stars from Angelo L. Tomaso School came  in first place answering the most questions correctly, including knowing the authors’ names for each book. 

Each team of students displayed their very best effort during this impressive showcase of reading comprehension. Teammates worked collaboratively to come up with the best response for each question. The team captains of each of the 4 teams answered all of the questions in a clear and confident manner and all participants were enjoying the experience. The library media specialist from each elementary school, Christine Burkhardt, Susan Jackson, Kate Zaleski and Lindsay La Neve, coordinated the event. 

Westfield High School

Five Westfield High School students achieved the highest score possible on the April 2018 ACT standardized tests, according to recent reports received by the school. The students receiving a top score of 36 are: Ian Gurland, 10th grade, Math; Julianne Aronson, 11th grade, English and Reading; Brianna Hatch, 11th grade, Science, STEM, English and ELA; Jennifer O’Connell, 11th grade, Reading; Brooke Sullivan, 11th grade, Reading.

ALSO: National Spanish honor society members are:

Fourteen Westfield High School students were inducted into La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (the National Spanish Honor Society) on May 10.  From left, first row holding flag are Julianne Aronson, Kamryn Lombardi, Aiden Cascio and Alison Brown.  Second row:  Savannah Stewart and Ava Maurillo.  Back row:  Matthew Paden, Madeline Reynders, Meghan Kobrin, Nicole Boutsikaris, Sarah Ward, Inna Gorelik, Liam Dougherty, and Sean Root.

ALSO: National Italian Honor Society members are:

Eleven Westfield High School students were inducted into La Società Onoraria Italica (the National Italian Honor Society) on May 10.  From left, first row holding flag, are Jill DeBenedetto, Danielle Bonelli, Maria Biegler and Julia Souza.  Second row: Hayley Tomasso, Jennifer O’Connell, Daniella Deis, Avery Conrad, Emily Serpico and Bridget Scaglione.  Not pictured:  Nicolas Guerriero.

University of Notre Dame

Christine Arcoleo of Bridgewater was named to the spring dean's list at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business in South Bend, Indiana. Student must achieve a grade-point average of 3.73.

Wilkes University

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on May 19:

Christina Gambino of Basking Ridge, bachelor's degree in biology

Heather Lorincz of Bridgewater, bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Tammy Mendell of Annandale, master's degree in nursing

Julia Mentzer-Yarlett of Califon, master's degree in education

Nicholas Ruggiero of Califon, bachelor's degree in communications studies

Grace Sanzalone of Mountainside, bachelor's degree in criminology

Daniel VanBrunt of Fanwood, bachelor's degree in communications studies

Michael Venditto of Pittstown,  doctor's degree in pharmacy.

York College Of Pennsylvania

The following Central Jersey residents received their degrees from York College of Pennsylvania on May 12:

Stacey Choy of Warren, bachelor's degree in criminal justice

Zachary Rothenberg of Scotch Plains, bachelor's degree in behavioral science

Lida Shamsaei Gil of Berkeley Heights, bachelor's degree in political science

Kimberly Massa of Stirling, bachelor's degree in hospitality management

Melissa Rechter of Belle Mead, bachelor's degree in English literary studies, cum laude 

Cody Burd of Lambertville,  bachelor's degree in accounting

Tyler Josbeno of Hillsborough, bachelor's degree in mass communications

Devon Benz of Milford, bachelor's degree in psychology

Timothy Moore of Whitehouse Station, bachelor's degree in sport management

Haley Cooney of Whitehouse Station, bachelor's degree in marketing.

ALSO: The following were named to the spring dean's list: Jack Byrnes of Bernardsville, Grace Carlsen of Bridgewater, Gina Cillo of Ringoes, Haley Cooney of Whitehouse Station, Sean McQuade of Hampton, Timothy Moore of Whitehouse Station, Julia Oostdyk of Asbury, Melissa Rechter of Belle Mead, Marisa Soteropoulos of Flemington, Nicholas Thomsen of Skillman. Students must achieve a grade-point average of 3.50

Student and School news appears Fridays. Email:cnmetro@mycentraljersey.com