Abington Heights
Jaime Morales, Abington Heights (Submitted)
Clarks Summit Elementary School fourth grader Jaime Morales is being recognized for his hard work on “The Kindness Cart,” a school snack cart that students in the autistic support class can use and practice social skills within the building in a more functional setting.
School officials say Jaime has made significant improvement since September in the areas of social greetings and conversation. He has also improved his ability to handle money and make change for people who order from the Kindness Cart. Jaime is the first to volunteer to track inventory and has done a remarkable job keeping the cart stocked and well taken care of, they added.
Asked what he thought about working on the Kindness Cart, he said, “I like when there are Coke and Diet Coke orders.” Jaime also said he enjoys the cart because he has fun with his friends and gets to see his teachers.
He participates in Unified Bocce for Clarks Summit Elementary and enjoys sculpting and drawing his favorite television show characters.
Blue Ridge
Liam Lewis, Blue Ridge (Submitted)
Fourth grader Liam Lewis was named Citizen of the Month because he is a hardworking student who always puts in his best effort, school officials said.
School officials say Liam is a great role model who consistently chooses to do the right thing and truly cares about his classmates. While math is his favorite subject, Liam’s real passion is helping people. He is motivated by kindness and is always the first one to help out if a classmate gets hurt or feels down.
Liam was very happy to receive the award and enjoyed sharing the news with his loved ones. When asked about the honor, he said, “I felt good and my family was happy about it.”
When he isn’t in the classroom, Liam stays busy with sports. He loves being active and plays baseball, soccer and football. When he wants to relax and be creative, Liam focuses on his hobbies, which include coloring and drawing.
While Liam is still deciding on his future, he is interested in becoming an art teacher. This would allow him to combine his love for drawing with his desire to lead and help others.
Carbondale Area
Claire Serkosky, Carbondale Area (SUBMITTED)
Freshman Claire Serkosky was chosen as the winner of state Sen. Rosemary Brown’s essay contest.
She was one of four students from Carbondale Area who submitted an essay on March 30. The contest was open to all students in the 40th Senatorial District. Claire was selected to join Brown to attend a senatorial ceremony held at the National Constitution Center to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. She will attend the ceremony on May 5 with a parent/guardian and will also receive a travel stipend for the trip.
“I feel honored to have received this award and the opportunity to meet our state officials,” Claire said.
Her activities include soccer, basketball, class president and volunteering at various events.
Claire plans to attend college and work to earn a law degree.
Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
Griffin Frey, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County (Submitted)
Kait Walsh, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County (Submitted)
Mya Shumski, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County (Submitted)
Valley View High School seniors Griffin Frey and Mya Shumski, and Mid Valley Secondary Center senior Kait Walsh, all of whom are in the illustration and design program, will represent the program at Skills USA in the Career Pathways Showcase competition. They will be presenting the activity book the class developed for the Ballet Theater of Scranton’s 50th anniversary.
Kait and Mya are student ambassadors, and all three students plan to attend college after graduation. Griffin will be majoring in theater, Kait will be majoring in illustration and design, and Mya will be majoring in art and biology.
Delaware Valley
Holly Foord, Delaware Valley (SUBMITTED)
Freshman Holly Foord was chosen as student of the month.
“Being involved in Odyssey of the Mind has shaped who I am since third grade,” Holly said. “It has given me so many important life skills that I use on a daily basis in the real world. It has cultivated creativity, problem solving, and teamwork in myself and my teammates. Odyssey of the Mind continues to challenge me and has made me into a skilled individual, and it is my hope that anyone else who has gone through the program can share similar sentiments.”
Dunmore
The students of the month for March are Kara Michalczyk, grade 7; Liam Cieciorka, grade 8; Andrew Haun, grade 9; Aaron Mecca, grade 10; Evan Mizenko, grade 11; and Matthew Kirchner, grade 12.
Each of these students displays excellent character, treats adults and fellow students with kindness and respect, follows rules and expectations with no disciplinary issues, maintains good attendance with no unexcused absences or excessive tardies/early dismissals, displays a positive attitude toward learning, participates in class, demonstrates full effort, works to their potential, is a positive role model for fellow students and promotes Dunmore Jr./Sr. High School as a proud member of the school community, school officials said.
Elk Lake
Natalia Fariole, Elk Lake (SUBMITTED)
Junior Natalia Fariole has danced at Stage Door in Tunkhannock for 14 years. She has attended several competitions and has won several awards.
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try,” Natalia said.
She also spends two days a week teaching numerous baby dance classes.
Forest City Regional
Serafina Gorel, Forest City Regional (SUBMITTED)
Serafina Gorel, grade 12, assisted at Red Cross blood drives for her senior project. Serafina handed out times and appointments for donations and checked students into their appointments, baked goodies for the blood drive donors and helped in any capacity that was needed during the blood drive.
“I liked the feeling of helping others for such a good cause,” Serafina said.
Her activities include softball, basketball, volleyball, drama club, Spanish club, Aevidum club and chorus.
Serafina plans on attending Johnson College for welding and manufacturing.
Mid Valley
Natalie Talluto, Mid Valley (SUBMITTED)
Senior Natalie Talluto was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She is being recruited to be a part of the Army track and field team.
“Since I was young, I always had the desire to be a part of something greater than myself and had a desire to lead others. When I visited West Point for the first time, I knew that this was the place to help me fulfill these goals,” she said.
Natalie is the secretary of student council, captain of the girls tennis team and a member of the National Honor Society. She is a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club and the Youth Shelter, and a hurdler and sprinter on the track and field team.
Natalie will be attending the Military Academy at West Point in New York.
Montrose Area
Junior Ella Scheer has earned the highest award in Girl Scouting, the Gold Award, for the 2026 Gold Award class.
When she realized there was no place in town for people to drop off flags to be retired, Scheer took action. She designed and built a flag retirement box and installed it at her local VFW, providing a way for community members to show proper respect for flags no longer in use. Her project will continue as the box is now a lasting part of the VFW site. Scheer devoted a minimum of 80 hours to problem-solve, plan and implement her ideas for change.
The Gold Award is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, available to girls in high school who create sustainable change for a community or world issue. Gold Award Girl Scouts address pressing issues in their communities and create sustainable change to make the world a better place.
“I am very proud of my accomplishment because a lot of time and effort was put into this project. I am very thankful for the help I received from my mother as she has been my Girl Scout leader since I was in kindergarten,” Ella said.
“This project came about after the VFW in Montrose suffered a flood and while my mother and I went there to help clean up, we found a lot of flags that were scattered around, without a home until they were set to receive their proper retirement ceremony. Our idea came from this, and with the assistance from the Susquehanna County Career and Tech Center, Molenko Company and my father, this project was created.”
Her activities include cheerleading (football, basketball and competitive cheer), National Honor Society, Girl Scouts, Future Business Leaders of America, SADD club, mock trial and public speaking.
Ella plans to attend Penn State, minoring in Spanish and majoring in elementary education, to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher.
Old Forge
Donna Murphy, Old Forge (SUBMITTED)
Sophomore Donna Murphy was accepted into Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week.
“I was so excited when I found out I was accepted PFEW. I was the second sophomore to be accepted at Old Forge,” Donna said. “PFEW is a weeklong summer program. It’s available to sophomores and juniors statewide. It offers a unique opportunity to see what it’s like to run a business hands on. It’s also an incredible way to experience real-world business.
“It is also an incredible social experience to meet new people in the groups they put you in, in the activities you will be doing. You get to see what it’s like to live in college and experience campus life while doing activities in your free time and even eating at the dining hall. You get to work together in groups and go to classes like you’re a college student.”
Donna, who is also active in the drama club, plans on going to college for criminal psychology.
Riverside
Ryan McNally, Riverside (SUBMITTED)
The students celebrated Autism Awareness Week by dressing up for themed color days throughout the week.
“I wore a G-Mac number 3 Syracuse University jersey for Orange Day”, Ryan McNally, a fourth grader, said.
For each day of the week, a separate color had to be worn to stick to the theme. The colors represent a different message, and orange was worn to celebrate the beauty in the diverse spectrum.
“I think it’s good to include everyone in everything because we are all different with different interests,” he said.
Scranton
These students in fifth through eighth grades were nominated as Northeast Intermediate School’s students of the month for March: Ava Hughes, Jiyan Patel, Brendaliz Portillo Rosado, Melvin West, Sophia Pena, Lily Deleon, Joseph McGuire, Rhys Philbin and Duane Loring.
Valley View
Antonio Farina, Valley View (SUBMITTED)
Antonio Farina has been selected as senior of the month in physical education.
“I like being an athlete. It’s a big part of my life,” he said.
In his free time, Antonio enjoys playing hockey and golf, and he is also an active member of the Valley View boys volleyball team.
Upon graduation from high school, he plans to attend college, where he hopes to continue playing hockey.
Western Wayne
Xavier James, Western Wayne (Submitted)
Freshman Xavier James is recognized as a hardworking student who always tries his best.
He has a passion for basketball and has been playing for district teams since he was a young boy in biddy basketball, according to school officials, currently playing for the basketball team and serving as one of the captains, along with playing center.
“I really like helping other players when I can,” Xavier said. “I am an inspirational person.”
His favorite subject in school is history, and he notes that he finds studying time periods when slavery existed particularly interesting. In his spare time, Xavier works at the Ski Hill. In addition, he plays for AAU Travel Basketball.
After high school, Xavier aspires to go college to study sports medicine. He thinks this matches well with his interests and would like to help others do well in sports upon graduation.