Abington Heights
Waverly Elementary School fourth grader Declan Horutz participated in the Anthracite Valley USBC Youth Championship in bowling on Dec. 14. He came in fifth out of 29 male bowlers up to age 18.
Declan, who in addition to bowling participates in basketball, baseball, skiing and soccer, was very excited to finish so high, especially because of the ages, according to school officials.
Blue Ridge
Gavin Gordon, Blue Ridge (Submitted)
Second grader Gavin Gordon was recently named the elementary school Citizen of the Month. His teacher shared that after hearing her read a story about students spreading holiday cheer, Gavin suggested delivering gifts to nursing home residents who couldn’t go home for Christmas.
His idea inspired his class to prepare gifts for three local nursing homes, including a delivery of 30 goodies to Meadow View Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Montrose. As part of the project, Gavin helped create chocolate bars decorated as a snowman, made sock snowmen and decorated gingerbread cookies to spread holiday cheer.
Reflecting on the experience, he said, “I felt super proud because I got to help people who might only get to celebrate Christmas with a roommate. I wanted to celebrate Christmas with them because I knew they might be alone.”
Outside of school, Gavin participates in baseball with Blue Ridge Little League and soccer with Blue Ridge Youth Soccer. His hobbies include being funny with friends, playing sports at recess, collecting coins, building with Legos and playing video games, especially Madden 26. Gavin’s favorite subject is math because he enjoys learning new things and is especially excited to learn multiplication.
After high school, he aspires to be a construction worker because he loves building things.
Carbondale Area
Leonard DeMarco, Carbondale Area (SUBMITTED)
Senior Leonard DeMarco wrapped up his career playing unified bocce.
“I had a lot of fun and will miss it,” he said.
Leonard’s activities include unified track and field, PowderPuff coach and bowling team.
He hopes to become a sportscaster.
Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
Cody Benson, CTC (Submitted)
Cody Benson, a senior at Valley View High School in the masonry program, is an accomplished masonry student who recently placed first at the Skills USA competition. He will now compete at the state competition in Hershey.
While in the program, Cody has obtained his OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 certifications, which school officials say are crucial industry certifications.
At Valley View, Cody is a member of the golf and baseball teams, and he also enjoys hunting and fishing. After high school, he plans to continue his education in masonry in trade school and, on the side, hopefully become an emergency medical technician, adding he hopes to make a career out of both.
Delaware Valley
Philip Fitzpatrick, Delaware Valley (SUBMITTED)
Senior Philip Fitzpatrick is serving as cross country captain and National Honor Society historian, and is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa, two-time student of the month, and received the Warrior award for cross country for strong leadership and bravery.
“Being involved in school-related activities affects me positively because it teaches me a lot of valuable skills. I’ve improved my leadership skills, public speaking, and I’ve gained more connections and friendships,” he said.
In addition to cross country, Philip is also involved in indoor and outdoor track and field.
He plans on joining the Army in some way, whether it is at West Point, ROTC or enlisting.
Dunmore
Each quarter the top 10 students in their respective grades are recognized for their academic achievement through the Bucks Scholar program.
The top 10 students for the first quarter of the sophomore class are Katelyn Henry, Amelia Hinton, Saran Joiya, Caleb Kamide, Kate Kennedy, Ryder Lewis, Aaron Mecca, Elizabeth Mendola, Sara Naro and Elizabella Reilly. The top 10 students for the first quarter of the freshman class are Ryan Amendolaro, Peyton Ancherani, Isabella Blair, Ava Mendoza, Joel Michalczyk, Riyan Mohammed, Juliet Renard, Justin Schuster, Jude Stefanski and Ava Walsh.
Elk Lake
Courtney Kinney, Elk Lake (SUBMITTED)
Junior Courtney Kinney has distinguished herself as a standout performer at the recent Future Business Leaders of America Regional Leadership Conference held at Keystone College. Courtney claimed first place in the accounting competition, securing her spot in the upcoming state competition. Her victory highlights her exceptional work ethic and accounting skills developed through the Elk Lake Business Education Department, school officials said.
The conference, which took place on Dec. 18, saw the school’s FBLA chapter sending 13 talented students to compete. Of those participants, nine students, including Courtney, qualified for the state-level competition scheduled for the spring in Hershey.
Courtney’s first-place finish not only brings pride to her school but also positions her as a strong contender in the upcoming state competition. Her success demonstrates the high caliber of business education and leadership training at school.
“There are only a handful of times when a person can look back on an event and say that it changed something for them. I have never been one to truly put myself out there in terms of competitions, clubs or events. However, FBLA has had an impact not only on how I view events or clubs, but also on how I view myself in general,” Courtney said.
Outside of FBLA, in the fall, she plays soccer. Courtney spends a lot of time practicing and this past season she won second-team all-star.
After high school, she plans to go to college for accounting and eventually become a forensic accountant.
Forest City Regional
Alexys Baskin, Forest City Regional (SUBMITTED)
Senior Alexys Baskin organized the prom fundraiser for last year’s junior prom for her senior project. There were several fundraisers for the the junior class and she collected the forms, then calculated the money and orders and gave this to the prom adviser.
“Counting the money and being organized gave me good experience with accounting,” Alexys said.
Her activities include band, Future Business Leaders of America, soccer, track, art club and yearbook, and she also has a part-time job.
Alexys plans on attending college in the fall for biology/pre-medicine.
Lackawanna Trail
Cidney Schaffer, Lackawanna Trail (Submitted)
Freshman Cidney Schaffer is the first student athlete in school history to place first at the Southern Tier Memorial Invitational wrestling tournament in Elmira, New York.
“I often use the quote, ‘The journey is just as important as the destination,’ to keep me motivated and to keep pushing to the best of my ability,” she said.
In addition, Cidney participates in Future Business Leaders of America, where she is anticipated to compete at the state event this year. She frequently lifts weights with her father and practices with the Mat Assassins Wrestling Club in Avoca.
After high school, Cidney plans to attend a college with a girls wrestling team to further her academic and athletic careers. After college, she hopes to go into the medical field and become a registered nurse.
Lakeland
Landon Short, Lakeland (Submitted)
Seventh grader Landon Short was selected as the junior high’s November Student of the Month. Teachers describe him as an outstanding seventh grader who consistently demonstrates politeness, responsibility and kindness toward his peers. Landon reliably completes all assignments on time and approaches each day with a positive attitude that enhances the classroom environment and sets a strong example for others, they added.
“I feel very proud of myself that I was a good student and also that my teachers thought I was a good student too,” he said.
Landon’s activities are football, basketball and lacrosse. After high school, he said he plans to go to college to get a degree for law school or go to Johnson Collage for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Mid Valley
Makenzie Beere, Mid Valley (SUBMITTED)
Eighth grader Makenzie Beere is an extremely hardworking student who is dedicated to her studies, school officials said.
Makenzie is also an active member of the middle school student council, where she never misses a meeting and is there to help for all events. While balancing her grades and student council, she is also part of the school’s chorus program.
School officials said Makenzie loves school and her enthusiasm when in the building is infectious; she is a perfect example of what a Spartan should be.
Makenzie’s activities inclue tennis, chorus and middle school student council.
North Pocono
Jacob Motichka, North Pocono (SUBMITTED)
Jacob Motichka is taking six AP classes this year: chemistry, physics 2, calculus AB, statistics, U.S. history, and English literature and composition. At the completion of this year, Jacob will have taken a total of 13 AP classes. He has achieved high honors every year, and received the AP Scholar with Distinction award.
Jacob is an active member in multiple clubs, including Mathletes, Mini-Thon, SADD, finance club, cyber patriot, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and Pa. Junior Academy of Science. In the Junior Academy of Science competition, he was awarded with a first place perfect score at both regional and state levels, along with the Excellency Award for best project in the physics category at regionals during his junior year.
He participates in varsity golf, rifle and lacrosse. In addition, Jacob is an active member in his community. He has participated in Boy Scouts since the first grade, where he achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He also participates in the Pa. Interscholastic Cycling League, competing in mountain biking races and serving as a representative on the statewide student leadership board for two years.
Jacob has performed with the Scranton Cultural Center Youth Theater Program since third grade, where he has had multiple lead roles and has been in a total of 19 musicals.
After graduation, Jacob plans to attend a university, where he would like to dual major in mechanical and aeronautical engineering.
Old Forge
Nicholas Salerno, Old Forge (SUBMITTED)
Senior Nicholas Salerno was selected as secretary of the National Honor Society. He said it “feels good to be able to represent my peers. It means a lot as it’s a big celebration in the community. It’s always a great event and it’s a good reflection of the school.”
Nicholas also believes you should “give your 1% better every day.”
He currently plays basketball and plans to attend East Stroudsburg University or Temple University to study secondary education with a concentration in history.
Riverside
Carter Wagner, Riverside (SUBMITTED)
The students in Karen Donati’s sixth grade science classes have been learning about the periodic table of elements. As an extension activity, they created 3D men featuring the information surrounding their chosen element.
Carter Wagner chose tellurium, chemical element 52. “My 3D man has CDs, a cellphone and a remote attached to it,” Carter said. Tellurium is the basic unit in the making of many electronics.
“It was fun learning all the elements because everything on Earth is made up of something,” added Carter.
Scranton
The following students in grades pre-K to 4 at Charles Sumner Elementary School achieved perfect attendance for the month of December: Elisa Arce, Riley August, Nova Corbett, Sadie Deininger, River Hudson, Alaiya Moore, Maria Rochez, Avianna Townsend, Amelia Robinson, Zoe Fernandez, Nia Robinson, Amari Moore, Olivia Yasin, Rashaad Ryans, Cameron Wooden, Joseph Beck, Breitling Castillo, Esther Cabral, Maylah Diaz, Alisson Pena, Matthias Alvarez, Chloe Bryant-Louis, Carson Darbenzio, Kabya Glan, London Lilly, Victoria Lucero, Matteo Rodriguez, Maximo Vazquez, Aysiah Barragan, Willow Beck, Lydia Crawford, Keira Cusick, Matthew Francis-Totten, Irie Griffiths, Isabella Mangiaruga, Elias Ramirez, Isaac Rivera Frometa, Natalie Snyder, Dillon Vera, Timothy August, Adrian Casazola Morataya, Ivan Fay-Lee, Isaiah Finnerty, Stevie Howells, Lincoln Kreidler, Donovan Vera, Charlie Bryant-Lewis, Robert Ortiz, Demetrius Wooden, Adaline Arce, Brianna Castillo, Eli Clark, Elijah Figueroa, Dhanya Berragan, Gabriel Casas Santiago, Susana Paramo Jordan, Yasin Adriel Abreu, Charlie Beck, Noah Howells, Tayvion Ortiz, Liam Patino, Lyric Peters, Dallas Sostre, Eswin Anavisca, Francis Fernandez, Skyla Smith, Josiah Deschler and John Carone.
Scranton Preparatory School
Molly Smith, Scranton Preparatory School (Submitted)
Senior Molly Smith has been working on various fashion-related art projects at school, including sewing, refining her overall art skills and ensuring her portfolio is submission-ready with the help of art teacher Jeff Kuratnick
“Prep has offered me so many opportunities through the years, and I hope I continue to grow in my creative journey,” Molly said.
She is a member of the varsity basketball cheer team and attends dance classes outside of school. After high school, Molly plans to study fashion design at a university, preferably Marist University.
Valley View
Cameron Michael Bennett, Valley View (SUBMITTED)
Cameron Michael Bennett has been chosen as senior of the month in family and consumer science.
“This nomination encourages me to keep learning, improving and expressing myself through what I love most, cooking,” he said.
When Cameron isn’t busy in the kitchen or focused on his academics, he is passionate about art, photography and volunteering as a junior firefighter with Jessup Hose Company 2, Station 25. He is an active member of the cooking club and the international travel club and he has been involved in theater for three years.
After high school, Cameron plans to attend a four-year college to study education and work toward becoming a teacher.
Wallenpaupack Area
Ava Owens, Wallenpaupack Area (Submitted)
Eighth grader Ava Owens is a member of Girl Scout Troop 50143 and is completing her Silver Award project by creating bird nests from recycled and natural materials to support local bird populations.
As an active member of her school and community, she designed the project to encourage safe nesting for birds while raising awareness about environmental conservation and how small actions can help protect nature.
“This project is important to me because bird populations are going down in Pennsylvania,” Ava said. “My hope is that this project will help reduce the number of birds that lose their nests due to unsafe places.”
In addition to Girl Scouts, her other activities are band, chorus, jazz band, bell choir, Wallenpaupack Area High School Jr. Players and National Junior Honor Society, and she volunteers with the Wallenpaupack Area North Elementary School Parent Teacher Student Association.
After high school, Ava would like to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. She is interested in being a veterinary technician and would eventually like to become an equine veterinarian.
Wayne Highlands
Maya Theis, Wayne Highlands (Submitted)
Honesdale High School junior Maya Theis took home the silver medal in the architectural drafting event at this year’s SkillsUSA competition. The school recently sent five representatives to the competition, which was held at Johnson College. It is a competition against 10 other career technical schools across Northeast Pennsylvania.
“My father sparked my love for architecture,” she said. “I’d always loved the things he built, which originally made me want to be a carpenter like him. I also loved drawing, so he suggested architecture since it’s a combination of both.”
Maya, who plans to go to college to major in architecture and possibly minor in psychology, is also very involved with the school’s robotics team.
Western Wayne
Levi Schnell, Western Wayne (Submitted)
EverGreen Elementary School pre-kindergartner Levi Schnell helps his father maintain the Salem Cemetery in Hamlin. He picks up sticks and garbage, and assists in placing seasonal items.
“I like to help my dad,” Levi said.
He would like to play football when he gets bigger and would also like to be a police officer when he grows up.