Nineteen students from Westfield Washington Schools were recognized during the 13th annual Westfield youth recognition celebration breakfast in May, officials announced this month.
The event, which has been held since 2011, is a joint effort between the Westfield Youth Assistance Program and Mayor Andy Cook to recognize youth in Westfield Washington Schools. The event recognizes youth in the community who have overcome adversity at home or school, have demonstrated a profound positive change in their attitude or behavior, or have made an extraordinary academic turnaround, according to a news release.
A counselor, teacher, principal, or other school staff submits the youth nominations to WYAP, officials said. A selection committee vets the nominations and chooses the recipients. Nominees can be from all grade levels, with this year’s recipients spanning from first through twelfth grade, officials said.
At the event, a brief presentation was given about each recipient that highlighted their accomplishment. The honorees received their certificates from Westfield Washington Schools Supt. Paul Kaiser and Steve Latour, board president of the Westfield Youth Assistance Program who also serves as CEO of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce.
“It is such an honor for the Westfield Youth Assistance Program Board of Directors to host this event annually. There are so many deserving students worthy of being recognized for their courage, focus, achievement, and pure zeal to want to better themselves and the people
around them,” Latour said. “During our event, we also had the opportunity to acknowledge the parents, family, and teachers who supported these students and have given them every advantage to achieve success.”
Two new scholarships were also awarded to recipients at the breakfast, according to officials.
The Christine D. Brown Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Ashley I., a senior at Westfield High School. The scholarship is in honor of Brown, who died last August and had served as an early intervention advocate with the Westfield Youth Assistance Program for nearly 10 years.
The Westfield Youth Assistance Program scholarship was awarded to Klay P., a Westfield High School senior and former WYAP youth, officials said. Kristina Logan, communications coordinator with the Westfield Youth Assistance Program, said since the organization works with youths ages 3 to 17 facing challenging life circumstances, it decided to omit the last names of award winners for security reasons.
The following students were recognized:
- Kyelyn N., a first-grade student at Monon Trail
- Keyner E., a first-grade student at Washington Woods
- Fehmi D., a second-grade student at Shamrock Springs
- Marcelino M., a second-grade student at Washington Woods
- Redding M., a third-grade student at Shamrock Springs
- Charlotte I., a third-grade student at Washington Woods
- Gerardo Gonzalez C., a fourth-grade student at Carey Ridge
- Avrious W., a fourth-grade student at Maple Glen
- Victoria Marin M., a fourth-grade student at Maple Glen
- Anthony B., a fourth-grade student at Monon Trail
- Victoria W., a fourth-grade student at Oak Trace
- Piper P., a fourth-grade student at Shamrock Springs
- Isabella J., a fifth-grade student at Westfield Intermediate School
- Kimberly T., a fifth-grade student at Westfield Intermediate School
- Sri B., a fifth-grade student at Westfield Intermediate School
- Victor S., an eighth-grade student at Westfield Middle School
- Bailey M., a sophomore at Westfield High School
- Isaiah H., a junior at Westfield High School
- Libby S., a senior at Westfield High School