Sixteen seniors from East and West high schools earned best-in-class awards from Camden County on May 19 in front of an audience of about 800 family members, teachers and neighbors.
The awards – held at the Camden County College Lincoln Theater – had eight categories: leadership, community service, most improved, performing arts, courageous, all-star athlete, school spirit and best overall student.
Each category was introduced by a county commissioner who then handed medals to the winners.
Miliana Orlov from West and Brooke Levy from East received the leadership award. Christy Mensah from East and Anna Bougazelli from West got the community service award. Jaden Green from East and Oliver Matthias from West received the most improved award. Lukas Ortega from East and Alaina Cote from West earned the performing arts award. Ryan Moyer from East and Lilly Legato from West received the all-star athlete award.
Shane Peeler from East and Jackson Dunn Kraus from West received the courageous award. Anna Bardunias from East and Salma Mitwalli from West earned the best overall student award, a category that award presenter and commissioner Jeff Nash said reflected the winning students’ achievements.
“The students receiving the best overall award reflect determination and purpose,” he said. “Some of the students play several varsity sports while being part of numerous academic clubs and activities and received straight As … Some have been made class valedictorian.
“These students have gone beyond their four years.”
Mitwalli is grateful for her best overall student award.
“It gave me a big opportunity to reflect on everything,” she noted, “and just to be more grateful for everything happening right now.”
West High’s Salma Mitwalli received one of two best overall student awards.
Moyer is on East’s swim, football and baseball teams and plans to play football at the University of New Haven in the fall.
“There’s a lot of great students at our school,” he said. “Lots of people do a lot of great things … So it feels good to be a part of that group of people doing a lot of great stuff for the community.”
Hunter Sobus from East and Essence Bishop from West received the school spirit award, introduced by commissioner Jennifer Fleisher.
“These students know about pride,” she observed. “They root for their team no matter what the cost. They bring people together for a common cause. They get involved in all the school happenings and work to improve the environment around them.”
“I’m very involved in the community,” Bishop explained, “and I’m just basically school spirit. Whenever school spirit comes to mind, they think of me first.”
Hunter Sobus of East celebrates his school spirit award on May 19.
“It’s a great honor and privilege to receive something like this,” Sobus said. “It’s awesome.”
In a press release, Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said the awards – which have taken place since the early 2000s – showcase the kinds of students in the county.
“These outstanding seniors have distinguished themselves through hard work and perseverance, and we know they each have a bright future ahead of them,” he stated. “Camden County has some of the most remarkable young people, and it is a joy to be able to recognize them each year.”
