Abington Heights
As vice president of the art club, junior Moer Yang was the catalyst for the window beautification project.
Through a survey, she noticed her peers were interested in window painting. She organized the project to bring pride and attract new members to the art club. The club went from 37 students to 61.
“Finally, I want to do my best to make this school full of a festive atmosphere, so that everyone feels like they are enjoying this interesting corner,” she said.
Moer came to Abington Heights as a freshman from China and quickly immersed herself in the school community.
“Being a vice president is very precious to me,” she said. “I usually have good ideas but (they) are usually not adopted. As a vice president, I can help more people with good ideas to speak up and let more people hear their ideas. … I will definitely lead the art club to get better and better so that more people can swim in the ocean of art and feel love.”
Moer enjoys the diversity of the school and that her teachers and classmates respect each other. She hopes to study design or art at a university, preferably in a big city, after graduation.
Carbondale Area
Junior Julia Murphy is participating in Leadership Lackawanna Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.
“I am glad to have been chosen to participate in this program,” she said. “I am looking forward to meeting new people and exploring places in my community.”
Sponsored by Leadership Lackawanna, the program gives high school juniors leadership, interpersonal and managerial skills, an enhanced understanding of Northeast Pennsylvania and the opportunity to explore teamwork. The program seeks to turn students into adult leaders.
She is a member of the girls varsity basketball team, Future Business Leaders of America, Spanish Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions and science and technology club.
She plans to study science or mathematics after high school.
Career Technology Center of
Bruce Haines, a senior from North Pocono, is a role model in the computer networking infrastructure program.
“He often serves as a mentor for others while pushing himself to learn as much as he can during his time here,” according to the school.
Bruce has earned more certifications than any other student in program history, including CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, TestOut PC Pro and TestOut Network Pro certifications. Bruce has also participated at SkillsUSA for IT services and has received a district gold, state gold and placed in the top 10 at nationals.
“If you work to the best of your ability and rise above the world, but forget the purpose you have been given, it is valued as nothing,” he said.
Bruce’s activities include cross country, track, history, computer programming, volleyball, Mathcounts and National History Day. He plans to attend Pennsylvania College of Technology to study computer technology.
Delaware Valley
Senior Marisa Dambach is a varsity soccer player who also is the school news editor for the school newspaper, Del.Aware.
“Being on the school newspaper helped me realize what I want to pursue in the future,” she said.
Marisa plans to major in sports journalism and play soccer during college.
She is a high honor roll student who is a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Future Business Leaders of America, Science Olympiad and student council. She also volunteers for cleanups, the community swim team and the Humane Society.
Dunmore
Dunmore High School’s Crimson Company members, including Emma Pasko, Ally McNeff, Isabella Stanco, Julianna Argust, Jackson Madajeski, Savanna Sherman and Emilia Gabello, are putting on their second performance of “All Together Now.”
The performance features songs from popular Broadway shows.
The show is today at 2 p.m. in the Dunmore High School Auditorium. Tickets are $5 at the door. Masks are required.
Elk Lake
Senior Justice Johnson qualified for the PIAA Cross Country State Championship.
“I was lucky enough to be able to compete at the PIAA Cross Country State Championships one final time,” she said. “Making it to states is the dream of every cross country (runner) and is one that a select few get to live out.”
Justice said running at states is “insane.”
“You are competing with the best of the best runners in the state, fighting for a top position,” she said. “I want to thank everyone who has helped me to get to where I am, from coaches, fellow athletes and of course my family.”
Justice also runs indoor track and field, and track and field.
She plans to attend Marywood University and study occupational therapy.
Forest City Regional
Senior John Lesjack volunteered more than 100 hours with Elk Mountain Young Adult Patrollers for his senior project.
John assisted the medical staff on calls on the mountain on the weekends. He learned medical training in outdoor emergency care.
“The teamwork aspect was the best part of this volunteer experience,” John said.
He is a member of National Honor Society and band, and also plays baseball and golf.
John plans on studying engineering in college.
Lackawanna Trail
Sophomore Brayden Clarke is the third in his family to break the school’s cross country home course record.
He set the mark at the Lions’ home meet on Oct. 19 with a time of 18 minutes 21 seconds. The record was formerly held by his brothers, Justin and Devon.
“It was definitely a goal of mine to get the home course record this year,” he said. “Last year I was seven seconds off and this year I was four seconds under. I just want to keep running well and keep my focus on districts and making states.”
Brayden is a member of the track and field team, band and National Honor Society, and is involved in the watershed program.
Lakeland
Junior Jon Seamans and his classmates created counters out of pool noodles and poles to track liabilities and assets in accounting transactions.
“The activity helped us better understand accounting and how businesses keep track of figures and maintain their journals,” he said.
Jon is a member of National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America, and plays varsity football and runs track and field.
Mid Valley
Bored and stuck at home in 2020 because of the pandemic, junior Kendal Johnson started her own baking business, Kendal’s Cakery Kreations.
“I had always had a passion for baking,” she said.
When she was younger, Kendal would help her grandma bake Christmas cookies, learning the basics.
“I started experimenting more for fun and would share with my classmates and teachers,” she said.
Her business immediately took off.
“It was so mind-blowing and exciting to watch it grow the way it did and still is today,” she said. “It never would have been possible without the help of my parents, family and support of my friends.”
Running her business isn’t always easy and it can be tiring and stressful at times, she said.
“But the best part is seeing the excited and happy faces of my customers when they receive their ‘Kreation,’ ” she said. “It makes all those late nights and early mornings worth it.”
Kendal is a varsity football and basketball cheerleader, a member of Pride Squad, student council representative, president of FCS club, a member of Random Acts of Kindness club, PBIS Committee, Students Against Destructive Decisions and Spanish club.
North Pocono
Despite a full and challenging course load, Grace Hauenstein has achieved high honors throughout high school, has taken 10 Advanced Placement classes and is currently ranked first in her class.
Grace is a member of orchestra, jazz, marching and concert bands and is the flute section leader. Grace is also a member of Reading Celebrations, the Scholastic Bowl team, Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science, Science Olympiad and National Honor Society.
Grace helps her community by volunteering at multiple band fundraisers and at the Lackawanna County library. She works as a dietary aide at St. Mary’s Villa Nursing Home after school and on weekends.
After graduation, Grace hopes to attend Johns Hopkins University to major in biochemistry and molecular biology, go on to graduate school and receive a doctorate and eventually become a medical researcher.
Old Forge
Seventh-grade student Madelyn DeMarco is Devil Pride Student of the Month for October.
“I feel so happy and proud to earn this award,” she said. “I’m so thankful to my teachers for choosing me and noticing how hard I work. I love to help others if they need it and also enjoy making people happy.”
Madelyn enjoys dance, cheer and spending time with her puppy, family and friends. She is a homeroom representative for student council and is a member of the dance team.
She hopes to become an endocrinologist in the future.
“I have Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and hypothyroidism. A lot of people don’t know anything about these diseases,” she said. “November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so my goal is to raise awareness and educate others about Type 1 diabetes.”
Riverside
Fourth grader Naomi Aragon-Veliz and her classmates in the Pennsylvania History class visited Eckley Miners Village in Luzerne County on a class trip.
“I liked all the artwork in the old church from 1861,” she said. “It must have been hard back then because so much had to be done by hand.”
The coal mining patch village from the 1860s is operated under the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
Naomi is a student at Riverside Elementary East.
Valley View
Gia Mazza was Senior of the Month of October for math.
“It is an honor to be selected as Student of the Month for math,” she said. “Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, so it is exciting to be recognized for my efforts.”
The award is sponsored by the Valley View Student Council and the Blakely/Peckville Lions Club.
Gia plays tennis, runs track and field, is Valley View National Honor Society president, class treasurer and a member of student council and Math Honor Society.
She plans to study computer science and minor in Spanish after high school.
Wallenpaupack Area
Fifth grader Katherine Kolosovskiy competes on a swim team in the summer.
“I love to race in swimming, even if I do not win,” she said.
Katherine takes swimming lessons and also likes skiing and skateboarding. One day, she hopes to become a veterinarian.
Wayne Highlands
Third grader Adelyn Henderson is an equestrian who mostly competes in the western-style riding category, which consists of showmanship, pattern walking and pleasure.
Adelyn and her mother have trained Piper, a half-Welsh and half-thoroughbred horse, since she was a colt. She has won numerous ribbons in competitions around the tri-state area and recently participated in a fun event where her horse had to bob for an apple.
Adelyn said she loves the confidence she gets from riding and training her horse.
She also dances, plays field hockey and likes hanging out on her family’s farm. In the future, she hopes to continue riding and training horses.
Western Wayne
Eighth grader Hailey Wasman succeeds academically and has won several awards in 4-H competitions.
Hailey grew up on her family’s dairy farm and started participating in 4-H when she was 4. They keep more than 140 cows on the farm along with many other animals. Hailey participates in the market and breeding classes for 4-H.
“I have learned a lot about responsibility through working with many different animals on my family farm and preparing them for 4-H competitions,” she said. “It is always a happy time when one of the animals does really well at 4-H, and we see all of our hard work pay off.”
Hailey has been part of the judging team for 4-H. She also competed in Skillathon, where she was tested on facts about animals. She joined the competition virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic and earned first place out of 180 participants.
Recently, she won Reserve…