60 Students Honored at PTA Scholarship Ceremony

Sixty Sachem students received scholarships at the 32nd annual Sachem Council of PTA Scholarship Awards Ceremony.  The students represent both Sachem North and East, but for one night they were just Sachem.

The scholarships awarded include the 2010 PTA Academic Award, the 2010 PTA Citizenship Award, both based on academic achievements and community service, and the 2010 Sachem SEPTA Scholarship Award, the Special Education PTA award. The recipients of the SEPTA award are nominated by their teachers and then chosen by a council of teachers and administrators. The Academic and Citizenship awards are both based on an application process.

All of the awards are primarily funded by the money raised at Sports Night, an event that takes place every March in an effort to unite teachers, students, administrators and the community.

"She is our shinning star," said PTA President Sue Brandes about Nancy Merkle, who runs Sports Night and provides the opportunity for the scholarships to exist.

Members of the PTA were recognized for all of their hard work and dedication-with candy.   Some "rewards" included Laffy Taffy for Second Vice President Stephanie Allen's cheerleader-like tactics to get the staff in gear, a 100 Grand bar for Treasurer Maria Grupinski's ability to manage all of the bank runs and Dots for Corresponding Secretary Nilsa Catalano's ability to "dot every I and cross every T" when composing thank you cards, and other notices the council puts out.

The night was filled with positive air all around and kept in tradition with the sachem community. Vice President of the board Rob Scavo, a graduate of sachem, was happy to be in attendance.

" I come to the events because it's so nice to see the kids being recognized and able to fund their future," he said. "It fills me with tremendous joy."

The six recipients for the SEPTA Award include: Dominigue Corelli, Douglas Cornell, Ryan Gut, Brian Jaffer, Isabel Perez and Casey Werner.

The 30 Academic Award recipients are: Josephine Chen, Bian Chung, Nicholas Cffaro, Zachary Coleman, Xenia Cravetchi, James Dantuono, Samantha Dayton, Keith DeBenedictis, Seda Donmez, Elizabeth Haussner, Brittney Lattanza, Danielle Lifavi, Diane Luebs, Marissa MacAneney, Nicholas Massaro, Ryan McCloskey, Megan McNulty, Marilyn Milin, Jennifer Mueller, Danielle Murrell, Nuttaporn Numsinvichietchai, Alyssa Quagliata, Aditya Ramesh, Benjamin Rasa, Sara Rizik, Viven Solomon, Joanna Staniewski, Jonathan Tsang, James Vierling, and Jason Wong.

The 24 Citizenship Award recipients are: Antonio Barilla, Robert Blount, Anthony Castoria, Matthew Corso, Alaina Cortesse, Nicole Costantino, Joseph Danisi, Genevieve Diller, John Ford, Erin Friel, Matthew Fritze, Patrick Giugliano, Michael Huber, Joseph Johnson, Pinar Kiran, Rebecca Logan, Lisa Luchsinger, Steven McClernon, Nicole Mieczkowaski, Alexa Papaemanuel, Christopher Roden, Amy Schafer,  Jacqueline Shine and Samantha Wilson.