On Thursday morning, May 26, Wilton High School recognized several students for their academic achievements and community contributions during the annual Academic Awards Ceremony.
Also recognized was someone who has made an enormous difference in the lives of thousands of Wilton High School students — Mrs. Sue Mangan, a school counselor who puts the award ceremony together each year as well as shepherds seniors through the college application process. Mangan will be retiring at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, and her impact and contribution were recognized at the ceremony.
For the most part, the Academic Awards Ceremony focuses primarily on graduating seniors. There are juniors who win the first set of College Book Awards, but the majority of the ceremony recognizes seniors. Among the awards and scholarships are those bestowed by various Wilton businesses and service organizations, as well as those given in memory of Wilton individuals. There are also commendations for excellence in areas of study.
Eligibility for some of the awards often requires good grades and extracurricular participation as well as the submission of a well-written essay. The National Merit Finalists Scholarship winners are recognized for their high scores on the PSAT exams.
Among the award recipients were:
COLLEGE BOOK AWARDS Presented to juniors who show outstanding academic promise. (Presented by Principal Bob O’Donnell)
Brandeis — outstanding student committed to social action and civic engagement — Mia Cawley
Brown — combines academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression — Gayathri Kaimal
University of Chicago — outstanding student, visible in the school and in the community with a lively mind — Lukas Koutsoukos
Columbia — outstanding academic achievement (Presented by Linda Ciliberti, Kelly Holtz and David Wilock) — Connie Gao
Columbia University School of Engineering — outstanding scholarship in math and science — Joy Ren
Cornell — demonstrates the Cornell spirit by showing an awareness of cultural diversity while being an excellent student, good citizen and innovative thinker (Presented by Matt Hepfer) — Avni Gupta
Dartmouth — outstanding academic scholarship, strong character and positive contributions to the school community — Henry Rowley
Gettysburg — academic achievement in American history — Jackson Duncan
Harvard — outstanding academic scholarship (Presented by Michelle Cota) — Joshua Zheng
University of Michigan — outstanding achievement in creative writing (Presented by Cheryl Watson) — Phillip Shim
Princeton Alumni Association of Fairfield County — outstanding academic scholarship (Presented by Freda Boguchwal) — Vihan Jayawardhane
Sacred Heart — academic achievement while contributing to one’s community (Presented by Jim Sheridan) — Rishi Vaddiraju
St. Lawrence — academic achievement and significant commitment to community service — Riya Shah
Saint Michael’s — academic achievement with a social conscience — Jackson Carbonier and Fiona Conway
Smith — outstanding academic scholarship and commitment to making a difference (Presented by Karen Birck) — Keerthi Vijay
Suffolk — exemplifies a commitment to education and the school community — Nathan Downs
Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance — outstanding accomplishment and contributions to the Music Department (Presented by Kevin Cotelese, Malcolm Karlan and Troy Williams) — Lucy Beach
Trinity — outstanding achievement in English (Presented by Steve Sobolewski) – Lucy Corry
Tulane — embodies Tulane’s motto of “Not for one’s self, but for one’s own” and has a demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership and public service — Samira Ayoub
University of Virginia — well-rounded student representing the Jeffersonian ideals of scholarship, leadership and citizenship — Jordan Yee
Wellesley — exceptional academic scholarship and character while making significant contributions to school or community — Sydney Lillis
Yale — outstanding academic scholarship — Heather Plowright
APPOINTMENT TO THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT (Presented by Bob O’Donnell) Maxwell Andrews and Grant Masterson
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EDNA JONES MEMORIAL BOOK AWARD Recognizing a female member of the junior class who has demonstrated interest in government (Presented by Karen Birck) — Alexa Steckel
PTSA BOOK AWARDS Presented to seniors who have demonstrated the highest quality of performance in specific subject areas (Presented by PTSA vice president Laura Rowley, Associate Principal Brian Keating and the Instructional Leaders)
English — Rebecca Hsu
Business & Tech Ed — Business/Finnegan Bergin and Video Production/Joseph Eustace, Harrison Forland and Luke Medalla
Family & Consumer Science — Culinary Arts/Michael Arbisi
World Languages — French/Avery Baumel; Spanish/Ava Marini; German/Caelah Kennedy; Latin/Emily Mrakovcic; Greek/Alexandra Fordsman; and American Sign Language/Megan Hanny
Mathematics — Avery Baumel and Edwin Gregory
Theatre Arts & Public Speaking — Theatre Arts/Kennedy Thomas and Public Speaking/Matthew Ferrante and Garrett Moe
Science — Isabella Andjelkovic, Soham Damle and Olivia Newfield
Social Studies — Avery Baumel, Harrison Forland and Luke Schwartz
Music — Band/Michael Soojian; Choral/Gabriella Bloss; and Orchestra/Shriya Chelluboina
Art — Drawing/Hannah Pettibone; Sculpture/Ciara Garcia; Photography/Aidan Thornbrough; Ceramics/Caelah Kennedy; Painting/Sophia Shipman; Computer Graphics/Zachary Schwartz; and Fashion/Lila Fagel
Library Learning Commons — Joseph Eustace
Physical Education/Health — Physical Education/Gabriella Bloss and Health/Christian Furst
Support Services — Abilio Neves and Kennedy Thomas
School Counseling for Citizenship & Character — Ryan Giancola and Evangelia Papakosmas
SCIENCE AWARDS Presented for distinguished contributions and accomplishments in the field of science (Presented by Jim Lucey)
W. Gehret Kleinspehn Science Award — Presented to a senior showing strong interest, achievement and enthusiasm in all of the sciences and humanities — Gillian Lipsky
Society of Women Engineers — Presented for academic achievement in science and mathematics with an interest in pursuing engineering — Edwin Gregory and Elizabeth Vermeulen
The Wilton Land Conservation Trust Scholarship in memory of Dan Cappel —Presented to two seniors that have demonstrated a commitment to the environment, extracurricular activities, community service and academics — Gavin Fusco
The Wilton Land Conservation Trust Book Award (Presented by David McCarthy) — Jill Roberts
Wilton Garden Club Marybeth Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Award — Presented to a senior who has shown an interest and achievement in nature, horticulture, botany or ecology (Presented by Nancy Greeley) — Natasha Ring
MATHEMATICS AWARDS (Presented by Melissa Giovanniello and Christian Willaum)
Math Contest Honorees: AMC 12 Top Scorer — Anjo Therattil; AMC 10 Top Scorer — Eric Lu; AIME Qualifier — Eric Lu
Fairfield County Math League Top Performers — Anjo Therattil, Jack Leventhal, Advait Maheshwari, Arjun Patel, Arian Shah, Aiden Sharp and Sebastien Shaw
Fairfield County Math League Top Scorers — Arian Shah and Aiden Sharp
WORLD LANGUAGE AWARDS
World Language Scholar Award — To a senior who has studied and gained proficiency in three languages at Wilton High School, understands and appreciates cultural differences, demonstrates a sincere passion for languages and cultures of the world and plans to utilize several languages on a professional level — Alexandra Fordsman
International Club Award — For outstanding service to the International Club and for helping to bring cultural diversity and understanding to the students of WHS — Elizabeth Butler and Blaze Ricco
German Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany Award — For outstanding achievement in the study of German language and literature — Aislynn Conway
National German Exam Gold Medals — Christopher McCann, Mia Elias, Agni Tsirikou, Daniel Zubarev and Lukas Witzke
National Latin Examination Gold Medals — Latin I/Milan Petrosyan; Latin III/George Huberty and Nicholas Huberty; and Latin IV/Alexandra Fordsman
National Latin Examination Gold Medals, Summa Cum Laude — Latin I/Henry Mazzarulli and Milan Petrosyan (Perfect Score); Latin III/George Huberty and Nicholas Huberty; and Latin IV/Dana Wax
National Greek Examination — Introduction to Attic Greek (Perfect Score)/Agni Tsirikou; Highest Honors/Caleb Sharp; and High Honors/Aiden Sharp; and Beginning Attic Greek — Highest Honors/Avni Gupta; Homeric Greek/Odyssey — Highest Honors/Lukas Koutsoukas
INAUGURAL G. EVANS HUBBARD HISTORY ESSAY AWARD, WILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY — Presented to two WHS students to recognize excellence in historical scholarship and writing (Presented by Nick Foster) — Justine Biersack and Amelia Fleming
NATIONAL ECONOMICS CHALLENGE (Presented by Freda Boguchwal) — Individual Scores of High Distinction — Rishabh Bhandari, Joseph Eustace, Samuel Gioffre, Amelia Hughes, James Luce and Abilio Neves
NY FEDERAL BANK FED CHALLENGE (Presented by Freda Boguchwal) — Team Honorable Mention — Elijah Ackerman, Samuel Gioffre, Amelia Hughes, Jackson Duncan, George Hahn and Aditya Mital
CAREER PRACTICUM AWARD To a senior who has shown outstanding achievement in Career Practicum (Presented by Lorraine Morlath) — Leeland Wilf
CAPTAIN SAM POLIS AMERICAN LEGION POST 86 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP In recognition of academic achievement by a senior pursuing a technical career (Presented by Post Commander Post 86 Bing Ventres and Adjutant Tom Moore) — Brandon Astacio
THE JAMES B. WHIPPLE AMERICAN LEGION POST 86 STUDENT AWARDS Presented to two seniors in recognition of the possession of those high qualities of Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship and Service and a willingness to help others on their own initiative (Presented by Post Commander Post 86 Bing Ventres and Post 86 Adjutant Thomas Moore) — Isabella Andjelkovic and Ryan Leung
FAIRFIELD COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP Presented to a senior who exemplifies excellence in education, demonstrates leadership and is involved in extracurricular activities, including community service (Presented by Brian Keating) — Rubin Jha
WILTON YOUTH COUNCIL PEER OUTREACH LEADERSHIP AWARD Presented to an outstanding senior whose efforts in peer outreach have made a significant impact on making the high school a more caring environment (Presented by Ginna Yerrall) — Eli Ackerman
WILTON YOUTH COUNCIL AWARD Presented to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a genuine respect and sensitivity for others that reaches above and beyond the norm (Presented by Ginna Yerrall) — Tyler Casey
HUGH O’BRIEN HOBY FOUNDATION AWARD Presented to a sophomore demonstrating leadership and scholarship potential (Presented by Brian Keating) – Quin Silva
“YOUNG AMERICAN” LEADERSHIP AWARD Presented to a senior for outstanding citizenship and academic excellence (Presented by Donna Cole, Military Officers Association) — Grant Masterson
DAR GOOD CITIZEN AWARD Recognizes a student who possesses the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and shows patriotism in their home, school and community endeavors (Presented by Mary Bendix) — Eli Ackerman
DAR DRUM HILL SCHOLAR AWARD Given to students who demonstrate outstanding community service, academic achievement, and commitment to the ideals of patriotism, historic preservation and education (Presented by Mary Bendix) — Natasha Ring and Julian Pojano
WALTER R.T. SMITH STUDENT HISTORIAN AWARD given by The Wilton Historical Society Presented to a senior for outstanding achievement and interest in history and a record of community service (Presented by Catherine Lipper) — Rebecca Hsu
FAIRFIELD COUNTY BANK SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Presented to a senior whose good character is exemplified by service to WHS and the community (Presented by Carol Johnson) — Maya Mhatre
WILTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Presented to a senior who demonstrates leadership, volunteerism and community service (Presented by Carol Johnson) — Rhea Raghavan
GREGORY AND ADAMS AWARD Presented to a senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, character and achievement in the WHS Mock Trial Club (Presented by Brian Keating) — Avery Baumel
ROTARY CLUB OF WILTON BUD BOUCHER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Presented to two seniors who personify the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self” (Presented by Carol Johnson) — Robert Ballentine and Kathryn Stein
KIWANIS CLUB OF WILTON KEY CLUB COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Presented to the graduating WHS Key Club member who best exemplifies the core values, mission and character of the Kiwanis and Key Club International organizations, as a leader and models character, caring and inclusion. (Presented by Jeff Turner) — Malcolm McCormick
WILTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT JOHN J. CAHILL AWARD Presented for outstanding community service (Presented by Brian Keating) — Philip Avallone
WILTON WOMAN’S CLUB ELIZABETH STERNAD SCHOLARSHIP Presented for outstanding community service, strong character and leadership (Presented by Marnelli Chaves Martin) — Megan Hanny
THE WILTON FAMILY YMCA AWARD Presented to seniors who have demonstrated values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility to young people (Presented by Bob McDowell and Carol Johnson) — Raymond Bartels, Michael Colbert, Gillian Lipsky, Riley Luchetta and Malcolm McCormick
THE WILTON REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE LINCOLN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Presented in memory of Bud Boucher (Presented by Peter Wrampe and Toni Boucher) — Avery Baumel
THE WILTON DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE CIVIC LEADERSHIP AWARD Presented to two seniors based on their passion and dedication to participate in civic issues that improve the quality of life in their chosen communities (Presented by Tom Dubin and Victoria Rossi) — Avery Baumel and Olivia Newfield
THE WILTON GO GREEN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD To a senior who has demonstrated their passion for the environment and taken action to foster sustainable behaviors in their daily lives (presented by Tammy Thornton) — Katie Umphred
MID-FAIRFIELD COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS SCHOLARSHIP To a senior for their service of the greater community — Jack Dodman
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP AWARD Recognizes seniors who participate in school and community service, show a positive attitude, possess strength of character and promote citizenship through school and community activities (Presented by Brian Keating) — Catherine Adams, Ain Badami, Dylan Bender, Kaylie Berghaus, Anne Caldwell, Edward Davies, Vishnu Duriseti, Charles Fischer, Samhita Kakarlapudi, Morgan Lebek, Mahina Masaidova, Luke Medalla, Krithika Natarajan, Danielle Sallese, Rohan Shah and Mahika Shukla
EXCELLENCE IN EXTRACURRICULAR SCHOLARSHIP To two seniors who have impacted the clubs at Wilton High School through their outstanding leadership and mentorship (Presented by Cathy Campbell) — Bella Andjelkovic and Anjo Therattil
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HERFF JONES LEADERSHIP AWARD Presented to a senior who demonstrates outstanding leadership skills (Presented by Bob O’Donnell) — Jake Sommer
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS “LEADERSHIP AWARD” Presented to two seniors for outstanding leadership at Wilton High School (Presented by Bob O’Donnell) — Gracie Kaplan and Katie Umphred
THE FAIRFIELD COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS “SCHOLAR-LEADER AWARD” Presented to two seniors who demonstrate excellent scholarship and leadership (Presented by Bob O’Donnell) — Catherine Campbell and Ria Raniwala
CAPSS/SUPERINTENDENT’S AWARD Presented to two seniors for community service, academic ability and leadership service to the school and community. (Presented by Kevin Smith) — Megan Hanny and Olivia Newfield
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF BOARDS OF EDUCATION “STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD” Presented to two seniors who are recognized leaders at Wilton High School (Presented by Deborah Low) — Tyler Casey and Siya Yinti
DR. ROBERT J. JACOBS MEMORIAL AWARD In appreciation of students who “left their mark” for others to see (Presented by Bob O’Donnell) — Anjo Therattil, Your Academics tutoring program
THE “JACK” AWARD Given in memory of John A. Sussenguth to a graduating young man and woman who combine scholarship with leadership, who give of self with warmth and friendship, who are accomplished in the arts or athletics and who fulfill these ideals with a joy and zest for life (Presented by Brian Keating) — Avery Baumel and Christian Furst
THE CESAR JIMINEZ SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, WILTON HIGH SCHOOL PTSA To two students who display the same attributes as Cesar — each a friend to all, always willing to lend a hand to peers and faculty, not with the intention of shining the spotlight on themselves; these students are strong leaders who seek to improve the community; they are usung heroes (Presented by Nicola Davies) — Joseph Eustace and Leah Papakosmas
THE MELISSA McFADDEN MEMORIAL FUND SCHOLARSHIP Presented to two seniors who have successfully worked with children with disabilities and may intend to pursue this field in the future (Presented by Christina Rikhoff-Foley and Jack and Deborah McFadden) — Michael Colbert and Gillian Lipsky
WHITNEY SHERMAN MEMORIAL AWARD Presented to a senior who has faced extraordinary challenges with courage and determination, yet maintained a positive outlook and is an inspiration to all (Presented by the Alex Sherman Shalvoy) — Luke Schwartz
MATTHEW MYLES SHAW MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Awarded to a senior who has demonstrated the highest levels of integrity, selflessness and empathy combined with a positive attitude and sincere desire to be helpful to his or her peers (Presented by Wallace and Christie Shaw) — Ryan Giancola
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (Presented by Bob O’Donnell and Don Schels)
National Merit Commended Students — Alice Ding, Alexandra Fordsman, Rebecca Hsu, Matthew Huang, Amelia Hughes, Rubin Jha, Shivansh Khandelwal, Olivia Newfield, Rhea Pal, Sriya Peddinti, Julian M. Pojano, Melanie S. Rutherford and Elizabeth Vermeulen.
National Merit Finalists — Avery Baumel, Catherine Campbell, Gavin Fusco, Edwin Gregory, Rhea Raghavan and Ria Raniwala
National Merit Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Scholarship — Gavin Fusco
National Merit Scholarship Winner — Catherine Campbell
Congratulations to all of these outstanding students and to Mrs. Sue Mangan – you’re the best!