Awards ranged from cheerleading to cosmetology
Ashlee Luzetsky, Kennett’s cheerleading captain, catapulted her way to state acclaim.
Kennett High students have received accolades recently for accomplishments that include mentoring, cheerleading, medical assisting, swimming, cosmetology, and overall academic achievement, according to district new releases.
Ashlee Luzetsky, Kennett’s cheerleading captain who rooted for the Blue Demons three years, will join Kutztown University’s cheerleading squad. But before starting college, she will also cheer for “The Super Bowl of High School Football.” Not only did Ashlee make the cut as one of Kutztown’s 36 cheerleaders, she is on the top team. “I will cheer at all football games, some basketball games, and go to national competition in Orlando,” she said. She starts practicing with the Kutztown team on May 11.
“Ashlee is outstanding in all areas of cheerleading, but her strengths are in stunting and tumbling,” said Kathy Nelms, Kennett’s head cheerleading coach. In June, Ashlee will represent Kennett High School as she cheers for the Big 33 Football Classic game between Pennsylvania’s and Maryland’s premier football players. She competed against cheerleaders from across Pennsylvania for a spot on the team.
Kennett High School senior Jeff Hauptschein has received the Congressional Scholar Athlete Award.
Kennett High School senior Jeff Hauptschein was recognized on the national level for academic and athletic excellence. He received the Congressional Scholar Athlete Award, which was presented to him by U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan during a ceremony on April 3.
Hauptschein, who was nominated for the award by the high school’s counselors, staff and administrators, maintained a cumulative 3.9 GPA while swimming the backstroke, butterfly, and 100- and 200-meter events for Kennett’s swim team all four years. He qualified for district competitions and has also been the Wilmington Blue Rocks’ batboy for three seasons.
Last week, the Kennett Education Association (KEA) held it 22nd Annual Scholarship and Awards Reception to recognize outstanding students for their academic merit and school citizenship. KEA, the professional organization of teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, school nurses and school social workers of the district, awarded over $7,000 to students for their outstanding academic achievements and school citizenship qualities.
Receiving certificates and $50 book cards at the elementary level were fifth graders Katherine Lihou and Martin Cintora Lopez (Bancroft Elementary School), Emily Taylor and Maxwell Silverstein (Greenwood Elementary School), and Mary Tuley and Ian Dargitz (New Garden Elementary School).
Recognized for their performance at Kennett Middle School were eighth graders Lydia Pebly and Zachary Hrenko, who received certificates and $100 book gift cards.
High-school awards of $200 each for excellence over four years in their disciplines were seniors Alberto Beltran (Business Education), Elsa Koninckx (English), Amanda Mastronardo (Family and Consumer Science), Katte Alba Rodriguez (Fine Arts), David Beech (Music), Connor Roth (Social Studies), Anne Uhle (Technical Arts), Nupur Parikh (World Languages), and Zachary Bolten who won awards in each of two areas (Mathematics and Science).
Association President Michael Kelly presented the evening’s most prestigious award– a $5,000 scholarship – to senior Amanda Reindl, who will be pursuing a teaching career in elementary education at West Chester University. Reindl has volunteered through the high school’s ROC program in Lauren Carroll’s elementary classroom. As her mentor, Carroll cited Reindl’s readiness to teach, enthusiasm for her lessons, and caring for her students.
Two Kennett High School students recently won separate state competitions for medical assisting. In June, they head to their respective national competitions.
Senior Brianna Thompson placed first in Pennsylvania in the annual SkillsUSA competition for medical assisting. She heads to Kansas City for the SkillsUSA Championship. Thompson plans to pursue nursing in college. Senior Stephanie Savage won first place for medical assisting at the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) state competition. She will travel to Nashville for the national competition. Savage will begin her nursing studies at Lancaster General School of Nursing this fall. Both girls
learned medical assisting from AnneMarie McCauley, health occupations teacher, at the Technical College High School at Pennock’s Bridge Road. They both were also members of Kennett’s track and field team.
A Kennett High School junior won first place in a district SkillsUSA cosmetology competition for turning a classmate into an ice princess. Later at state competition, where she transformed her model into the lion from the “Wizard of Oz,” Seleste Salinas Lopez placed fourth.
Salinas Lopez and classmates in her cosmetology program at Technical College High School brainstormed fantasy make-up ideas for the competitions. Classmate Ana Zurita, a sophomore, served as her model. Salinas Lopez aspires to become a movie make-up artist, and Zurita would like to use her skills as a cosmetologist to help put herself through college to become a speech therapist.
