In article after article, we’ve covered the many gifts and talents our Wilton High School students have demonstrated in more subjects than just one. This past month alone, GOOD Morning Wilton has published stories about stellar musical performers who received scholarships to attend the YoungArts program, about talented athletes who won the State Basketball Championship Title, about students who volunteer, and about students who help solve issues within the high school itself. Today, we’re thrilled to write about the many WHS scholars who were recognized yesterday, Thursday, May 29, for their academic achievements and community contributions at the annual Academic Awards Ceremony.
For the most part, the Academic Awards Ceremony focuses primarily on graduating seniors. There are juniors who win the first set of PTSA 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 as well as book awards given by the Wilton High School PTSA.
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:
National Merit Commendations: Nicole Amato, Nathan Briglin, Ryan Curtis, Julia Davatzes, Rachel Davison, Nicholas DiCorato, Ian Erickson, Aaron Friedman, William Glynn, Cassidy Haas, Vivian Hong, Charles Jankowski, Katherine Kahal, Neel Kaushal, Geoffrey Keating John Ryan Kettle, Kyra Lin, George Mgaloblishvili, Erica Miskinis, Miranda Morris, Jeremy Philbrick, Riley Quigg, Jason Rothstein, Patrick Ryan, Neal Sarup, Sarah Stroup, Connor Sweeney, Caroline Taverna, Jackson Ward and Kaitlyn Zheng
National Merit Finalists: Daniel Xie, Jeremy Brewer, Evaline Xie, and Grace Nickel
National Merit Scholarship award winners: Evaline Xie and Grace Nickel
Wilton Women’s Club Scholarship Elizabeth Sternad Scholarship: Alika Zangieva, Julia Davatzes, Morgan Donnell and Madison Gillespie
Nicholas Zinicola, Class of 1996 Memorial Scholarship: Mairead Deacy
Jamie K. Wilson Memorial Scholarship: Kristen Godin and Annie Wilson
Melissa McFadden Scholarship/The Wilton Family YMCA: Carter Vail and Sean Deidrick
2015 U.S. Presidential Scholar (Two scholars from Connecticut and 141 students from across the country were selected): Evaline Xie
Governor’s Scholars of CT: Jessica Kobsa
Career Practicum Award: Kallie Spinola
CSCPA Award: Matthew Shifrin
National Economics Challenge, David Ricardo Division, 1st Place, CT: Carlos Hernandez, Tyler Innes, William Ruefenacht and Brady West
Chartwells Student Scholarship: Cristina Salatino
Reynolds & Rowella “Strength in Numbers” Scholarship: Ryan Eberhardt and Daniel Ryan Sullivan
Captain Sam Polis American Legion Post 86 Memorial Scholarship: Ryan Eberhardt
Fairfield County Community Foundation Excellence in Education Award: Nicole Amato
Wilton Youth Council Awards
- Peer Outreach Leadership Award: MaryJane LaSala
- Wilton Youth Council Award: Trevor Huffard
Hugh O’Brien Foundation Award: Jackson Walker
“Young American” Leadership Award: David Craven
D.A.R. Good Citizen Award: Darden Livesay
Wilton Historical Society Award: John Kaelin
Mid-Fairfield County Board of Realtors Community Service Scholarship: Neal Sarup
Fairfield County Bank Scholarship Award: John Kaelin
Wilton Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Award: Nicole Amato
Gregory and Adams Award: John Kaelin
Rotary Club of Wilton “Service Above Self” Awards: Alexander Ackerman and Jacqueline Cooke
Georgetown Lions Club Frank A. Clark Scholarship: John DeMattia
Wilton Volunteer Fire Department John J. Cahill Award: Julia Davatzes and Alika Zangieva
Wilton Family YMCA Award: Caroline Costello, Sean Dedrick, Miranda Morris, Isabella Palacpac, Alyssa Rubsam, Madeline Srivastava and Haley Taroli
Wilton Bulletin Journalism Award: Alika Zangieva
Future Global Leader Award: David Craven
American Citizenship Award: Erin Cunningham, Madison Gillespie, Meaghan Herlyn, John Ryan Kettle, Makenna Pearsall, Hayden von Hoffmann, Jackson Ward and Daniel Weisman
National Association of Secondary School Principals/Prudential Spirit of Community Award: Julianna Yee
National Association of Secondary School Principals Herff Jones Leadership Award: Cooper Pellaton
CT Association of Schools “Leadership Award”: Osgood (Endy) Perry and Elise Vocke
The Fairfield County Associaton of Secondary School Principals “Scholar-Leader Award”: Cooper Pellaton and Evaline Xie
CAPSS/Superintendent’s Award: Geoffrey Keating and Grace Nickel
CT Association of Boards of Education “Student Leadership Award”: Julia Davatzes and Carter Vail
The Pam Cole Memorial Scholarship: Kendall Keough
Robert J. Jacobs Memorial Award: Colin DeFelice, Jack House, Ethan Michael, Cooper Pellaton, Michael Williams, Emmet Lane, Sean Westerholm and Harrison Winrow
The “Jack” Award: Katherine Kahal and Darden Livesay
Whitney Sherman Memorial Award: Colin DeFelice
Matthew M. Shaw Memorial Scholarship: Casey Tucker
CT Fallen Heroes Foundation in memory of Nicholas Madaras ’05: Annika Sheehan
League of Women Voters Edna Jones Memorial Book Award: Jessica Kobsa
Gehret Kleinspehn Science Award: Grace Nickel
Society of Women Engineers: Nathan Briglin and Evaline Xie
The Wilton Conservation Land Trust Scholarship in memory of Dan Cappel: David Sandor
The Wilton Conservation Land Trust Book Award: Rachel Pak
The Renewable Energy Environmental Science Scholarship Award: Elizabeth Arthur
Wilton Garden Club Marybeth Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Award: Colin DeFelice
Math Contest Honorees: Evaline Xie and Brandon Zheng
World Language Scholar Award: Evaline Xie
International Club Award: Lydia Parapimon
Northeast Conference Awards:
- French Morgan Donnell
- Spanish Grace Nickel
- German Jeremy Philbrick
- Latin Nathan Briglin
- Greek Evaline Xie
CT Colt Poetry Contest Gold Medals:
- Modern Greek Darden Livesay
- Ancient Greek II Erin Bronner
- Latin IV Jessica Kobsa
- French V & VI Evaline Xie
- French III Native Category Benjamin Lucas
German Consulate of Federal Republic of Germany, Boston: Alida Schefers
German National Exam Gold Medals & High Honors:
- Gold Medal, German III Vik Zoeller
- High Honors, Level III Hannah Jung
- High Honors, Level II Benjamin Allbee, Sean Bergen and Emily Mitrione
- Gold Medals, Level I Davis Johnson, Nicholas Killian, Michael Lynch, Sophia Mercado and Anna Maria Onnerud
National Latin Examination Gold Medals
- Latin I Harvey Alexander
- Latin II Erin Bronner and William Heffernan
- Latin III Kevin Chabrier, Katherine Kenneally and Ashley Li
- Latin IV Nathan Briglin
CT State Latin Exam Gold Medals
- Latin II Sean Bergen, Erin Bronner and William Heffernan
- Latin III Jacqueline Cahill, Katherine Kenneally, Jessica Kobsa and Ashley Li
- Latin IV Nathan Briglin
National Greek Examination Perfect Score, Highest Honors & High Honors
- Homeric Greek Highest Honors Nathan Briglin
- Beginning Attic Greek Perfect Score William Heffernan
- Beginning Attic Greek Highest Honors Michael Wallace
- Beginning Attic Greek High Honors Erin Bronner
Medusa Mythology Exam Gold Medals: Nathan Briglin, Albert Cai (perfect score), William Heffernan and Ashley Li (perfect score)