MMI Preparatory School recently held its annual Awards Convocation to honor students in 9th through 12th grades.
MMI Head of School Thomas G. Hood said, “Our students have made a number of tremendous accomplishments in many academic and community service areas throughout the 2015-16 school year and we’re honored to reward them for their achievements.”
Alyssa Famalette received a scholarship award on behalf of the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC).
Brendan Drusda was given the 2016 Jake Kislan ’56 Polonaise Society Award, which honors the highest achieving Polish American graduate of MMI. He also received the Ernest Scheller III Memorial World Wide Scholarship, which is awarded annually to one student on the basis of academic merit, demonstrated leadership and documented civic and community service participation.
The Eckley B. Coxe Jr. Memorial Subject Awards were presented to senior students who have excelled in their fields of study as follows: Art, Karalyn Sitch; History, Luke Yamulla; English, Brendan Drusda; Science, Math and Spanish, Jay Solgama; Chinese, Terrance Jankouskas; German, Sarah Moyer.
MMI subject awards were presented to students in the following categories:
Ninth grade: Science and History, Alexander Kline; Art, Chinese and Math, Christine Park; English and Spanish, Frederick Mejia; Music Performance, Alexander Sessock; Music History, Mahum Ahmed; and German, Daniel DeMelfi.
10th grade: English, Eve Kornblatt; Art, John Malay; Math and Music Performance, Aaron Harman; Science, David Caldwell; History and Spanish, Gabriella Kupsho; German, Nicolo Cottone; Chinese, Sydney Karpowich.
11th grade: Science, Anirban Chowdhury; Math and History, Ali Aijaz; Art, Danielle Pileggi; English, Joshua Narrow; German, Garrett Kost; Chinese, Keenan Overa; Spanish, Allison McGeehan.
Other award presentations included: VFW Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Competition awards, Andrew Decker, Desiree Dinko, Garrett Kost, Gabriella Kupsho and Joshua Narrow; Woodmen of the World American History Award, Sarah Moyer; American Math Competition Exam 12A and 12B first-place awards, Anirban Chowdhury; American Math Competition Exam 10A first-place award, Zachary Young; Student Mathematics Club of Marywood University regional math exam Level 2 first-place award, Anirban Chowdhury; Professor John Steiner Gold Math Exam award, Ali Aijaz.
Wilkes University/Luzerne County Council of Teachers of Mathematics awards were given as follows: junior level second place, Ali Aijaz; junior level fourth place, Nicholas Young; senior level first place, Brendan Drusda; senior level second place, Sarah Moyer; senior level fourth place award, Andrew Alday; senior level team category first place, Sarah Moyer, Andrew Alday and Brendan Drusda.
Awards for the National German Exam were presented as follows: German 1 Bronze Awards, Reiley DeStefano, Madeline Dryfoos, Benjamin Lloyd, Matthew Marchetti, Jessica McClellan and Coleman Smith; German 1 Achievement Awards, Emmanuel Bisono and Daniel DeMelfi; German 2 Achievement Award, David Caldwell; German 3 Bronze Award, Megan Marchetti; German 3 Achievement Awards, Anna Olivieri and Garrett Kost; German 4 Bronze Award, Sarah Moyer. Coleman Smith also received an award for finishing third in the poetry recitation category at the Penn State University German Day Competition.
Awards for the National Spanish Exam were presented as follows: Spanish 1 Gold Awards, Frederick Mejia and Maxwell Santana; Spanish 1 Silver Awards, Alexander Sessock and Alexander Kline; Spanish 1 Bronze Awards, Kelisa Hysenbegasi, Morgan Long, Kaitlyn McGeehan and Zachary Young; Spanish 1 Honorable Mention Scholar Awards, Nicholas Carrato and Tessa Peluso; Spanish 2 Silver Award, Gabriella Kupsho; Spanish 2 Honorable Mention Scholar Awards, Angelica Alday, Jaclyn Braunstein and Anna Haber; Spanish 3 Silver Award, Ali Aijaz; Spanish 3 Bronze Awards, Anirban Chowdhury, Kayla Leonard and Allison McGeehan; Spanish 3 Honorable Mention Scholar Awards, Dana Carrato, Joey Kress, Kisan Patel, Daniel Tron and Nicholas Young; Spanish 4 Honorable Mention Award, Jay Solgama. The 2016 Premio de Honor Spanish Honor Society Award was presented to Jay Solgama.
WVIA Visual Artist of the Week Award, Allison Warner-Senape; WVIA Performing Artist of the Week Award, Charles Bower; MMI Poetry Out Loud Competition winner, Andrew Decker; Barnes and Noble My Favorite Teacher Contest Honorable Mention Award, Elizabeth Pinto for her essay on MMI English Instructor & Chair of the English Department, Mrs. Jennifer Novotney.
Angelica Alday was honored for her success in placing at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 9 District and Regional Orchestra competitions and Sarah Moyer was recognized for her success in placing at District Band.
Awards for achievements in the sciences were presented as follows: ACS High School Chemistry Competition Exam B first-place award, Anirban Chowdhury; Penn State Hazleton science fair first place, Gabriella Kupsho; Penn State Hazleton Science fair third place, Joshua Kalada-Kania; Envirothon first-place team, Joshua Kalada-Kania, Samuel Sessock, Taylor Peluso, Sarah Moyer and Jay Solgama.
Future Business Leaders of America Pennsylvania Leadership Conference award winners were: Business Law second place and national qualifier, Allison McGeehan; Marketing Category fourth place and national qualifier, Joshua Narrow, Joey Kress and Nicholas Young; Business Calculations category sixth place, Anirban Chowdhury; Business Plan category sixth place, Garrett Kost, Olivia Minzola and Keenan Overa; Public Service Announcement category eighth place, Danielle Pileggi and Jessica Pileggi. Allison McGeehan was also honored for being elected to serve as the 2016-17 Pennsylvania FBLA State Reporter.
Academic and community service awards were presented as follows: George Eastman Kodak Young Leaders Award and Scholarship, Dana Carrato; Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award, Ali Aijaz; Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Sciences, Joey Kress; Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, Niklas Byriel; Rensselaer Medal Award, Anirban Chowdhury; Bryn Mawr Book Award, Katherine Eschenbach; Sage Colleges Student Sage Award, Samuel Sessock and Kevin Cibak; University of Pennsylvania Book Award, Joshua Narrow; Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award, Jonathan Smith; Wellesley College Club Book Award, Allison McGeehan; Chatham University Rachel Carson Book Award, Lois Polashenski; and Elmira College Key Awards, Olivia Minzola and Keenan Overa; Rochester Institute of Technology Computing Medal, Megan Marchetti and Niklas Byriel; Rochester Institute of Technology Innovation and Creativity Awards, Joey Kress and Nicholas Young.
Open House winners were also honored with Level 2 awards being given to ninth- and 10th-grade students and Level 3 awards to 11th- and 12th-grade students. Winners were:
Cooking: first place, Andrew Alday, Brendan Drusda and Jay Solgama, “Desi-Pinoy;” second place, Karalyn Sitch and Luke Yamulla, “Food to Finish.”
Humanities: Level 2 – first place, Mahum Ahmed, “The Great Gatsby;” second place, Aaron Harman, “Nice to Siege You! (Medieval Siege Weaponry); Honorable Mention, Alexander Sessock, “Blacksmithing.” Level 3 – first place, Devon Faul, “Frankenstein;” second place, Jonathan Smith, “Donald Trump’s Use of Language.”
Science: Level 2 – first place, David Caldwell, “Effects of Oregano Oil on E.coli;” second place (tie), Jessica McClellan, “How Roller Coasters Work” and Joshua Kalada-Kania, “Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture.” Level 3 – first place, Lois Polashenski, “Brushfire Algorithm;” second place, Megan Marchetti, “3D Printing.”
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