A time-honored, fan favorite tradition at John F. Kennedy Memorial High School is the Mr. JFK pageant. At first, forty male seniors are nominated by teachers, then students vote for the Top Ten candidates. The Top Ten candidates campaign for almost two months before the big event. At the event, they show off their suits (donated to the school by Ducoff’s Tuxedos), display their different talents, answer trivia questions about JFKMHS’ history, and answer one personal question. Finally, at the end of the night, they dance together as a group. This year’s Mr. JFK candidates are Philip Chun, Ankith Golla, Nikolas Leon, Joseph Lipinksi, Brian McHugh, Joshua Platt, Vincent Powers, Brian Salazar, Kacper Stopa, and Ryan Ticas. Keep scrolling to read short interviews that were conducted with each nominee! 

Philip Chun

Philip Chun wants to put himself out there and enjoy his senior year, which is the reason why he wants to be a part of Mr.JFK. He is mostly looking forward to the talent portion. He hopes his talent will get the crowd excited and makes them laugh. Philip would like to thank Ms. Scott for nominating him. Currently, he is a member of the National Honors Society, all JFK choirs, Region choir, All-State Choir, All-Eastern choir, swim team, volleyball team, and Heroes and Cool Kids. He is also the secretary for the senior class. In his free time, he likes to hangout with friends, cook, and eat. Philip’s favorite class is AP Biology. Overall, he truly represents all three A’s of the school which is why he believes he deserves Mr. JFK. Making it to the Top Ten came as a surprise to him, but he is very thankful and excited.

Ankith Golla

Ankith Golla is most excited to get close with the nine other boys in the competition and have fun as he enjoys himself. He would like to thank Ms. Salsman for nominating him. Ankith is part of the tennis team and FBLA. In his free time, he likes to go on the app, Tik Tok. Ankith’s favorite class at JFKMHS is AP Macroeconomics because of his friends in that class. Ankith wishes to win the category, Most Outgoing. He is extremely happy to make it to the Top Ten because it was unexpected for him and he feels the need to represent the brown community as being the only South-Asian candidate in the top ten. 

Nikolas Leon

For Nikolas Leon, Mr. JFK is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He is very excited to go around the lunches to hype up the student body. Nikolas would like to thank Mr.Cabrera and Ms. Scott for nominating him. He is currently in Marching Band, Jazz band, Concert Choir, Show Choir, indoor percussion, and Concert band. With his very little free time, he enjoys to sleep, hangout with friends, and eat. His favorite class at JFK is philosophy and Concert Choir. Nikolas wants to win best smile the most. Since he is very involved in the school, he believes he deserves Mr. JFK. Like all other contestants, Nikolas is elated making to the Top Ten.

Joseph Lepinski

Joseph Lipinski, better known as Joey, is excited and looking forward to a fun experience. He is excitd for the talent portion because he hopes to have a good, entertaining time. Joey would like to thank Mr. Koch. He was a part of the soccer team and he plans to play volleyball in the spring. In his free time, he likes to play basketball with his friends. Joey wishes to win Most Outgoing. He believes he deserves to win Mr. JFK because he is a well-rounded student who is always filled with happiness. He is honored making it to the Top Ten and can’t wait for the competition.

Brian McHugh

Brian McHugh is thrilled to show off his talents and competing against such talented students. He would like to thank Mr. Viteri and Mr. Cabrera. Brian is in band, Eco-Friendly Club, and Student Council. In his spare time, Brian enjoys practicing new music as well as learning about new topics. His favorite class is AP Biology as it inspired him to pursue a career in the medical field. Brian hopes to win Most School Spirited. Brian believes that everyone equally deserved the Mr. JFK nomination, but is glad that his peers voted for him believed in him to succeed. Brian is happy to compete and he is representing a major part of the student body. 

Joshua Platt

Joshua Platt wants to be a part of Mr. JFK because it is a fun experience and he likes to be on the stage. He is looking forward to the entertainment portion of the show. Joshua would like to thank Mr. Micagz, his soccer coach, for nominating him. Joshua is the captain of the soccer team, plays ice hockey, and is a member of concert choir. In his free time, Joshua likes to go to the gym and play videos games. His favorite class is Mythology with Mr. Di Palma. Joshua hopes to win Most School Spirited. With his leadership qualities, Joshua believes he makes a good candidate for Mr. JFK because he is outgoing and empathetic. When Ms. Dilonardo came up to him, his heart dropped. He was so excited and in shock to be apart of such a fun event. He is really happy and honored making it to the top ten!

Vincent Powers

Vincent, or Vinnie, Powers has always wanted to be a part of Mr. JFK since his freshman year. He is looking forward to the talent portion of the competition. He would like to thank Mr. Slaughter and Mr. Rotella. Vincent is the captain of the baseball and bowling teams, a member of the Business Honors Society, works as a lifeguard at the local community center, and volunteers at summer camps. He likes to hangout with friends in his free time. Vincent hopes to win Best Smile. He believes he deserves Mr. JFK because he is very hardworking and involved in school as well as the community. Making the Top Ten is an honor to him.

Brian Salazar

Brian Salazar wants to be your Mr. JFK because he has seen how fun the previous Mr. JFK competitions were and knew the experience would definitely be worth it. He is looking forward to modeling his fancy suit and surprising everyone with his talent. In his spare time, he plays soccer and volleyball for the school and works in the gym at the Edison YMCA.  Brian loves to hang out with his friends and family, as well as helping out his older neighbors with yard work. Brian would like to thank his soccer coach and history teacher Mr. Migacz for nominating him for this wonderful experience. While Brian was surprised to win a spot in Mr. JFK because he did no campaigning, he thinks he has the personality and humor that it takes to make the school proud. Overall, Brian is excited for the pageant and hopes to win best hair! 

Kacper Stopa

Kacper Stopa is extremely excited for the competition because he believes it is a way to express yourself and represent the school. He is most looking forward to the talent portion. He would like to thank his swim coach, Coach John Kohuntanycz.

Ryan Ticas. Kacper is  currently a member of French Honors Society and the captain of the swim team. In Kacper’s free time, he likes to take naps and spend time with his family. His favorite class at JFKMHS is US History II with Mr. Kaul. He wishes to win best smile at the competition. Kacper believes he deserves Mr. JFK because he is extremely friendly, as shown through his immense amount of friends. Kacper has many mixed emotions about making it to the top ten. He is equally as happy, excited, and nervous for the competition. 

Ryan Ticas believes Mr. JFK will be a cool experience for him. He is excited for the talent portion of the competition, where he plans to play the piano. He would like to thank Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Scott. Ryan is in his school musical, Footloose, and concert choir. When Ryan has free time, he likes to play the piano and skateboard. One of his favorite classes at JFK is Precalculus with Ms. Della Serra. Ryan wants to win the best talent portion of the competition. He is very glad to make it to the Top Ten and if he wins, he thinks he would represent the school in a positive way.

Make sure to attend the Mr. JFK competition on February 5 to cheer on all the wonderful boys!