Amira hopes to have a career in the music field – producing and creating music. She is very creative and wants to use that gift someday in a career.
Mrs. Mellott, who nominated Amira, emphasized Amira’s hard work to turn her grades and priorities around which is why she was nominated for this award. Mrs. Mellott says, “Amira is so kind and compassionate and would be a great choice for this award.”
Ryan could have just given up, but he was very determined. Ryan worked diligently to improve his reading levels over the past four years. He is now reading at a 764 Lexile, which is a huge improvement! He is still below grade level, however, he has gained much confidence in his reading and writing skills. This has translated into Ryan becoming an improved student all around.
Ryan is planning on attending Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster PA to study to become a certified mechanic. This will be a wonderful match for Ryan.
From Mrs. Tobias, “I am so very proud of Ryan and his accomplishments with his reading. With his permission and support, I used him as an example to other students who struggle with their reading abilities. Ryan was a leader in the class and a role model to the underclassmen. Ryan also was involved while at the high school, as he is a member of both the football and basketball teams. Since it takes Ryan longer to read his assignments, I think it was wonderful that he was so involved.”
Stephanie decided to embrace her challenges and learn to overcome them rather than dwell on them. While she continued to work almost full-time and deal with some home struggles, she realized she had to turn her grades around to be successful post-high school. She distracted herself with her pursuit of better grades and succeeded.
Mr. Kasian says of Stephanie, “I don’t think Steph is a good candidate for this award; I think she is the best…What a joy it is to learn from her life story. Receiving the very fitting scholarship would be a great help to Stephanie achieving her dreams of serving people as a police officer.”
Stephanie has been accepted into Central Penn College to study Criminal Justice and become a police officer.
We hope Stephanie’s resilience and refusal to give up carry over into her adult life and she is very successful in all she does. Congratulations, Stephanie!
Despite all Matt’s challenges, he found a stable place to live, worked hard to keep up with his assignments and maintained a good attendance record. He also joined the baseball team for the first time.
Matt went on several college visits and plans to attend a post-secondary institution after high school.
Mrs. Davis says of Matt, “Matt is very respectful to teachers and staff and gets along well with peers. He always has a positive attitude and is a good role model for younger kids.”
Prior to her getting caught, Jasmyne’s attitude towards school was not too positive. She would choose to follow a crowd, be easily influenced by peer pressure, and did not hold herself in the highest regard. Her poor choice and the consequences of getting caught turned her life around for the better. Although there was a learning curve to becoming an online student, Jasmyne worked tirelessly. When she encountered an issue, she sought help and slowly learned that being successful in school was in her control. Jasmyne followed the directives from her juvenile probation officer and worked around any feelings of discomfort with maturity. She returned to the school building at the start of her junior year.
Jasmyne began to understand that she could choose healthy outlets instead of negative coping skills to deal with her emotions or set-backs. She began to surround herself with uplifting groups of people who had her best interest at heart. Jasmyne became heavily involved in a church group and fell in love with mission outreach. She matured into a leader in our service club, Communities That Care, and is a club officer and intern for the Communities That Care mobilizer who works with the county but has an office in our school building.
Mrs. Fetteroff says of Jasmyne, “I truly think her experiencing the trouble she found turned her life around. Because of it, Jasmyne has found her true passion and light in her heart: providing service to others. Her growth story will bring tears to your eyes.”
Joshdaliz is currently enrolled in both Honors and AP courses and it should be noted that she maintains excellence in her academics while also contributing to the climate of our school through her involvement in a number of our programs. Joshdaliz was invited to showcase her work at the 2018-19 Capital Area Science and Engineering Science Fair and received 3rd Place for her contribution! Joshdaliz is involved in the gymnastics program in her community. Additionally, she works to give back to her community through service with local churches, elderly assistance programs, and trash pick-up for local parks. She accomplishes all of this while maintaining employment at a local pizza shop and supporting her family with childcare for younger siblings and cousins.
Whether Joshdaliz is working in the classroom or in her community, her diligence and dedication are always easily recognized. I have truly watched as this young woman discovered what it means to persevere. She is a mature, thoughtful young woman who is determined to succeed in all of her future endeavors. I am very proud of the young woman Joshdaliz has become and I believe that she will be an asset to the school she chooses to attend for her undergraduate study.”
Frank applied to ten different schools and is excited to have the opportunity that hew as unsure would even come true. He is interested in the arts; acting, modeling, theatre and anything that could help him achieve his goals.
Mrs. Stockdale and Mrs. Cummins say of Frank, “Not only has Frank shown resiliency, commitment and determination, he also is fun, loveable, kind, considerate and has THE best laugh!”
After months of turmoil in a negative environment, Nadia finally secured a happy, healthy place to live with her basketball coach and teammates where she has been thriving ever since.
Nadia will be attending Penn State Schuylkill to study Athletic Training and to play basketball. She wants to be an athletic trainer.
Mrs. Ross, who nominated Nadia, says, “Nadia is a shining star in this dark and scary world. Despite the tragedy that has surrounded her, she walks around with a smile and genuine love for life. Her future is bright, and her hard work and focus on creating a successful future for herself and her brother is the motivation she sues to continue on when times get tough.”
Eman hopes to become a medical doctor and is hoping to get into a pre-med program.
Mrs. Silvestri says of Eman, “In spite of schedule and family challenges, Eman has participated in the Medical Center’s PULSE program, Brain Bree (Neurological competition), Biomedical course at Robert Crook Honors College and, eventually, the Governors’ School for Medicine.”
Searia overcame these challenges by seeking the support of family and friends. She also says that her teachers and the school guidance counselor really helped her. Through all of the obstacles Searia faced, she never faltered in her level of effort to succeed at school. She continued to work hard and challenge herself with high level courses, earning distinguished honors. She also participated in numerous school activities such as band, chorus and musicals.
Searia will be attending Bloomsburg University to major in psychology. She is pursuing this career because she wants to help people.
Mrs. Lomma says, “Searia Calhoun is one of those people who demonstrates compassion and concern for everyone even when faced with her own challenges. I am very confident that she will use her future profession to give back to the community.”
Once I returned to the classroom after a Traumatic Brain Injury left me having to learn how to do everything over again, life really began to pile up. I was the primary caretaker of my twin brother who suffered from mental illness as well as my younger twin brothers who were also struggling. With my focus being on my family I lost a great amount of friends. Other peers heard rumors about my parents’ struggles and projected them onto my brothers and I, steering clear of anyone with the Carney name. Unfortunately, on February 6th, 2020 my twin brother passed away causing me to question where my life was headed.
Rather than giving in to the negativity and the excuses to quit I chose to live by the phrase, “lead by example.” Today, after learning how to write again, I am writing this essay. Today, after being told people did not think I was going to graduate high school, I am writing a college essay. Today, after being told I was never enough, I was invited to apply for your scholarship. Today, after being told no one thought I was going to make it through the pain, I did. I hope that someday my younger brothers are able to see how I was able to create a new narrative for myself and begin to write their own. I also hope to share my story with others someday to show them that I am living proof that you can write your own story.
Lillian will be attending Albright College on the Warren L. Davis Scholarship to further her academic and basketball career. She will be in their 4+1 education program while majoring in Secondary Education and co majoring in psychology.
Mr. Espenshade says, “Lily has overcome more obstacles than any other student I have ever worked with in my 20 years in pubic education. She is an inspiration and has earned the respect of her peers, and members of our community.”
MJS ACHIEVEMENT FOUNDATION
The MJS Achievement Foundation’s mission is to provide economic assistance to high school students who are attempting to become productive, self-sufficient members of society.
