Awards
Awards Ceremony for 9th, 10th and 11th grades
John Jay’s cafeteria was transformed into a celebratory space for the 2024 Awards Ceremony for 9th, 10th and 11th grades. The school flew its colors on balloons and ribbons and the room was filled with the energy of more than 100 students and their families.
“You can tell what a community values by what it celebrates,” said Dr. Steven Siciliano, principal of John Jay High School, in his introduction to the May 22 Awards Ceremony. He highlighted the team of educators and students who met throughout the year to make the 2024 award categories more aligned with the school’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. “This year, we acknowledge academic excellence, service and character.”
Book Award Recipients
First-ever Trevor Scambos Award
Bringing Belonging into Awards Ceremony
Eighteen juniors received Book Awards from colleges and universities for their academic achievement. Among them: Felix Poydar and Austin Omin each received a Book Award from Brown University; Kaycie Keeley received one from Dartmouth College; and Dakota Cameron from Yale University.
Perhaps the most exuberant applause of the morning celebrated the moment junior Zef Dedvukaj received the first-ever Trevor Scambos Award from Trevor Scambos (class of 2009) himself. The new award honors the student who spreads joy and positivity throughout the school.
Department Awards Honor Academic Achievement and Growth
John Jay’s ten departments—from Art to World Language— honored the academic excellence of freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Several awards included funding for college, including the Bucknell Physics & Astronomy Award, awarded to Marc Milliot; the Rensselaer Award, awarded to Jordan Kauftheil; and the Clarkson University Achievement Award, awarded to Matthew Wolfe. Departments also honored students’ perseverance and growth in content areas.
Recognizing service and character
The final two award categories honored service and character.
Class Advisors awarded Service Awards to two students from each class and, in the same spirit, John Jay’s Assistant Principals gave Administrators’ Recognition Awards to six students.
“We honor students with outstanding character, resilience and dedication to positively impact the lives of those around them,” said Dr. Samir Biswas, assistant principal. “Their remarkable contributions often go unnoticed, but their impact is profound.”
an exciting morning
Watch the Awards Ceremony. Passcode: =xD$iLv9