Tuesday May 31st was a very special night for seniors, as they were given their senior awards and scholarships they have worked to earn for the past four years. Principal Dana Brown as well as the House principals introduced sponsors of various scholarships who praised and awarded hundreds of seniors throughout the night. Parents, teachers, friends, underclassmen and others came to watch as seniors proudly walked up onstage to acknowledge their achievements throughout high school.
Senior Class President Samantha Forestier opened the awards show and welcomed all who came. She proudly claimed that, “each and every senior who worked hard deserved whatever award or scholarship they would receive that night.” She also acknowledged the different kinds of scholarships that were being given to seniors, whether they were for academics, sports or a particular business. Principal Dana Brown then came onto the stage, and described how important the evening was not just for the seniors, but for him as well since this would be the last Senior Awards ceremony under his leadership as principal. He also recognized Superintendent Dr. David DeRousi’s absence, and claimed that “[DeRousi] sends his regrets and [his] best wishes for the Class of 2016”. Jenkins House Principal William Shevory called the scholars onto the stage to present their awards to students.
Many seniors were called onto the stage throughout the night to receive their awards or scholarships. Seniors that won various awards include Alexis Brown, Haley Hoffman, Liam Elliot, Ronnie Luke, Sarah Bendell, Jessica Spadafora, Bruno De Silva and many more. Hoffman, Elliot, Brown and Luke won scholarships based on their performances and dedication to the sports they’ve played throughout their high school career. Hoffman played field hockey and softball. Brown played softball, while Luke and Elliot played baseball. Bendell won a business scholarship based on her performance in the Malden High School Play Production, and Spadafora won an award based on academics but she also participated in ice skating.
Scholars were just as happy as the seniors and their families to be there that night. One scholar thanked everyone who came and the seniors for working so hard to be there that night. Most scholars congratulated all seniors, not just the recipients of their scholarships, for making it this far. Some scholarships represented an organization such as Comcast Leaders or Kohl’s Cares, some represented a specific college such as Salem State, others were based on clubs such as Key Club or Zonta Club and others were given out in memory of deceased citizens of Malden.
