On May 22, 2024, John F. Kennedy Memorial High School hosted their annual Senior Scholarship Awards. Parents, family and staff members were in attendance to show their support. Vice Principal Mr. Caroscio spoke a few words of encouragement followed by Principal Dr. Parry, who praised the seniors and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Chosen seniors wore their best attire for the award ceremony. Parents and guardians beamed with pride when their family member’s name was called.
One memorable experience was the reaction of senior Allison Negra winning the scholarship for the William J. Pohutsky Award. Her family erupted with joy when her name and senior portrait was projected on the big screen.
When Palak Grover was called to accept the award for Woodbridge Township Supervisors and Administrators Association, her father quickly got his phone and ran up to get a perfect picture.
Other parents expressed their excitement through playful chants and clapping excessively.
The Selection Process
It is a five-month-long process to decide who matches the criteria. The selection committee is comprised of department heads, guidance counselors and three administrators. Students are chosen because of academics, athleticism and community service.
“They nominate, debate, advocate and negotiate with the goal of trying to find the right student,” Dr. Parrys states.
However, half of the scholarships were sponsor-chosen for those committed to a program. For example, the Woodbridge Township Domestic Violence Response team awarded Maya Torres due to an essay she wrote about unacceptable relationships.
Honorable Mentions
Approximately 80 scholarships were awarded. Seniors Vanessa Kot, Matysh Garg and Kayla Schmalenberger received more than one scholarship.
Imania Mohamed is 1 out of 35 thousand applicants fortunate enough to be selected for the Horatio Alger Association Award. This scholarship acknowledges students’ academic and leadership accomplishments. In addition, she received the AXA Equitable Scholarship.
Memorable Awards
French National Honor Society Awards: Sneha Bhat and Jonathan Coria
Spanish National Honor Society Awards: Matysh Garg and Vanessa Kot
Outstanding Science Award: Vanessa Kot
Grace Hawrylko Scholarships: Maanav Amin, Veronica Komorek, Shreshta Nithin, Sathya Senthil, and Diya Shah
Mathematics Department Award: Shreyas Singh
English Department Award: Chole Tu
