Sparta High School Celebrates the Class of 2024 Academic Awards Ceremony

SPARTA, NJ – The Class of 2024 Senior Academic Awards ceremony was a breakfast event that kicked off a day of senior fun.  The award recipients’ families joined the students in the auditorium to acknowledge their accomplishments.

Principal Edward Lazzara opened the ceremony with words of welcome.  He especially acknowledged Margaret Incantalupo for her 26 years of service to the students of Sparta High School.  She said she is “graduating” at the end of the year, along with the students.

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Sparta Township Mayor Neill Clark in his remarks about “finding your purpose” suggested to the students, “you will not find purpose by stacking achievement on top of achievement.  There will always be another achievement.  Finding a cause greater than yourself, using your skills will lead you to a purpose-driven life.”

As they announced their awards, the presenters spoke about the recipients, detailing why they stood out and were worthy of receiving special recognition from among their peers.

Sparta Township Distinguished Student Award: Sarah Weisbeck presented by Mayor Neill Clark.

The US Marine Corps, represented by Staff Sgt. Dyshon Smith presented three awards:

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1. Scholastic Excellence – Vaiden Pollard,
2. Athletic Excellence – Parker Hein,
3. Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence – Katherine Sheeran

National Commended Students presented by Sparta School Counselor Jenna Vallu.  [These awards were previously announced]: Ian Bellush, Charles Canzoniero, Lorayne Gulbrandsen, Ayush Iyer, Gaaytathri Nadarajah, McKaela Reekie, Nathaniel Rogoff, Surekha Selvaraj, Dean Stas

National Recognition Program Award presented by Sparta School Counselor Jenna Vallu.  [These awards were previously announced]: Ian Bellush, Griffin Brawer, Charles Canzoniero,Isabella DiGioia, Dana Dunbar, Lorayne Gulbrandsen, Kayll Handzus, Ayush Iyer, Gaayathri Nadarajah, Sasha Nelson, Daniel Perez, Vaiden Pollard, McKaela Reekie, Nathaniel Rogoff, Juliette Sanchez, Surekha Selvaraj, Dean Stas, Anna Yerofeyev

Superintendents’ Round Table Award presented by Sparta School Counselor Jenna Vallu.  [This awards was previously announced] Parker Hein

The Sussex County School Counselors’ Caring Award presented by Sparta School Counselor Kim Knabb  [This awards was previously announced] Amarin Parham

The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award presented by Sparta School Counselor Kim Knabb  [This awards was previously announced] Parker Hein

Academic Awards - honoring an outstanding student in each department

• Music Award - Molly McQueeney presented by Laura Lopez
• Art Award - Alexa Hitchuk presented by Jennifer Kucher-Csaltos
• German Award - Matthew Vasalo presented by Christiane Wessels
• French Award – Gaaythri Nadarajah presented by Pascale Byrne
• Spanish Award – Sophia Davis presented by Sierra Mitchell
• Russian Award – Anna Yerofeyev presented by Eric Hood
• Math Award – Surekha Selvaraj presented by Sue Vnenchak
• Genocide Studies – Madison Campisi presented by William Brennan
• AP Government Award – McKaela Reekie presented by Caitlin Jozefczyk
• AP European History Award – Christian Posada presented by Brian Brennan
• AP Psychology Award – Gabriella Rodek presented by John Hier
• English Award – Sasha Nelson presented by John Hier
• Creative Writing Award – Myles Williams presented by Corinne Bright
• Technology, Career and Consumer Science Home Technology – Shane Stiansen presented by Jeffrey Trzcinski
• Technology, Career and Consumer Science Marketing Award - Shea Cina presented by Sandra Chiappini
• Computer Science Award – Cassidy Pry presented by Margaret Incantalupo
• Robotics Award – Cassidy Pry presented by Mark Meola
• Science Award – Ashley Crane presented by Angela Trzcinski

Seal of Biliteracy Andrew Buchanan announced the names of the 35 Seal of Biliteracy recipients for 2024, asking them to stand as their names were called. Buchanan had previously announced these students at the March board of education meeting.

The ceremony concluded with the recognition of 104 seniors who earned the President’s Academic Excellence Award by finishing the year with a 3.75 GPA or higher:

Caleb Abraham , Sara Acosta Aguirre, Jacob Ameen, Megan Armstrong, Ian Bellush, Cesar Bernal Garrido, Benjamin Bialkin, Abigail Blochinger, Julia Bollard, Bailey Brannigan, Griffin Brawer, Abigail Bruseo, Dante Buccino, Nathaniel Burke, Brandon Cabrera, Sophia Candeloro, Charles Canzoniero, Owen Carey, Shea Cina, Grace Conrad, Gabriella Coonan, Ashley Crane, Nikolas Cucciniello, Nicholas Curry, Emily Dalcamo, Sophia Davis, Johnna DeGiovanni, Natalie DeMuth,Isabella DiGioia, Malaya Dobbs, Dana Dunbar, Ava Dutro, Benjamin Dykstra, Angelina Farella, Edward Flannery, Rylan Gibbons, Rocco Gorvan, Luke Gozdenovich, Lorayne Gulbrandsen, Madison Hagler, Kaylee Handzus, Shea Harrison, Gabrielle Heim, Tahg Herbison, Eva Hughes, Ayush Iyer, Remson Jarrell, Gabriel Jarvis, Kyleigh Johnsen, Jordyn Kelly, Kylie Klinck, Joseph Kopec, Gavin Kornas, Charlote Krumpfer, Michelle Kujalowicz, Leanne Kurian, George Kyriakou, John Langeraap, Gabriella Lindner, Francis Lloyd, Eleanor Luizzo, Ava Luna, Karen Maasbach, Haley Maher, Krishiv Malhotra, Scarlet Matteson, Kyleigh Mongon, Julia Mooney, Gaayathri Nadarajah, Braeden Neal, Sasha Nelson, Jolie Neuschatz, Nina Nyerges, Kayleigh O'Brien, Madison O'Malley, Aidan Olarte, Anthony Pandiscia, Charlotte Pennington, Daniel Perez, Angelina Persaud, Abigail Pierson, Vaiden Pollard, Christian Posada, Russell Prestipino, Cassidy Pry, McKaela Reekie, Gabriella Rodek, Nathaniel Rogoff, Ryan Roldan, Ella Ryan, Thomas Ryan, Juliette Sanchez, Samuel Scalera, Surekha Selvaraj, Logan Sergent, Katherine Sheeran, Payton Simpson, Dean Stas, Sarah Weisbeck, Ashton Welber, Connor White, Logan Winslow, Anna Yerofeyev, Andrew Young

Following the awards ceremony, a brunch was served.  The students then donned their mortarboards, stoles and gowns, tassels and cords  and boarded five school buses to tour each of the schools for the annual “Senior Walk.”

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