John Jay High School Senior Recognition Awards, held on June 5, recognized members of the 2017 graduating class for academic, athletic, and civic excellence. Over one hundred organizations recognized students, including local institutions such as the Katonah Library, the Goldens Bridge Fire Department, and Lewisboro Land Trust, as well as the individual departments of John Jay High School.
Many awards honored former John Jay teachers or students, including the Corporal James Jackowski Marine Memorial Scholarship, received by Avi Schulman, in the memory of James Jackowski, a 1981 graduate of John Jay, who was suddenly killed in 1983 in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon; and the Walter Alan Finlayson Music Award, received by Caroline Andrews, remembering Walter Alan Finlayson, a graduate of the old Katonah High School, and a life-long music teacher in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District.
Highlights of the evening included the Principal’s Award, given to Daniel Gordon and Steven Palmesi, co-presidents of JJ for Vets, a club that initiated John Jay’s Field of Honor, an installation of American flags honoring veterans, the Maureen O’Donnell Oxford Classical Dictionary Award, given to Salutatorian Gregory Kaplan for earning a gold medal on the National Latin Exam for four consecutive years, and Amy’s Kisses, an award in memory of Cross River resident Amy Perez and her two children, Molly and Gregory, whose lives ended tragically in October 2011, given to Jennifer Zepp and Eda Zhang.
Full list of awards: Scholarships Awards with Recipients 2017.pdf
2017 Valedictorian and Salutatorian
