FCIAC Exemplary Scholar-Athletes, Spring, 2023

Alfred Jones, Bridgeport Central

This Jamaican senior with a 3.75 GPA over the course of his junior and senior years has been an active participant in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track.

Alfred has consistently made Honor Roll since his time at Bridgeport Central High School while taking six AP courses and several honors classes, and he was inducted to the National Honor Society in 2021.

He is also a recipient of the College Board African American Award for Excellence in Academic Achievement for the 2021-22 school year as well as the CIAC Scholar-Athlete Award for this 2022-23 school year. He is an active member of the Chess Club.

Alfred was accepted to the United States Air Force Academy, boasting an acceptance rate of 11%. He intends to pursue a major in Aerospace Engineering and he has every intention to become a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.

Nazli Yaglidere, Bridgeport Central

Nazli is a First Honors student who has maintained a 3.9 GPA while taking honors and AP classes.

This two-year tennis player is a part of Student Council and has been invited to join the National Honor Society.

Nazli has volunteered for many school and community activities, including multicultural nights, breast cancer awareness walks, and autism awareness activities.

Nazli has been offered many scholarships and grants which cover her college costs, and she’ll be attending Fairfield University’s School of Engineering to major in Computer Science.

Audrey Kpodar, Danbury

Audrey has grown throughout her four-year career at Danbury as a successful student-athlete who has taken challenging AP classes and achieved a GPA of 4.6.

She is a captain of the girls’ track and field team who has earned All-FCIAC honors in the 55-meter and 100-meter hurdles and high jump, as well as being All-State in the hurdles. Audrey was the indoor Class LL state champion in the 55 hurdles with a time of 8.74 this past winter.

She is the president of the Board of Governors, treasurer of Science National Honor Society and National Honor Society, and a member and mentor for her school’s Athletic Leadership Council, Class Act.

She will attend Duke University this fall.

Joshua Roos, Danbury

This three-sport captain as a senior has achieved High Honors for four years while mostly taking honors and AP classes.

Joshua has been running track and field and cross country since his freshman year and has been captain of the cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams during this senior year.

Among his several accomplishments, Joshua has been All-New England, All-State two times, an All-FCIAC First Team selection and a three-time All-FCIAC Second Team pick. He was a member of Danbury’s 4-mile relay team which placed seventh in the country at the New Balance Nationals this past indoor season.

Joshua will continue his academic and athlete pursuits at Long Island University.

Colette Quinn, Darien

Colette is a National Honor Society member, the Mu Alpha Theta (Math National Honor Society) president, and a French National Honor Society member who will play lacrosse at Princeton University.

She was a member of Darien’s 2021 team which won the state Class L championship, and her other accolades include the 2022 American Select champion, 2021 girls high school lacrosse national champion, and 2020 All-America Tournament national champion. Colette has also been a starter on the varsity soccer team for all four years and captain this past fall.

Colette is president of the Unite for Africa Club at DHS, where she founded a book drive, and in the past three years in partnership with BooksforAfrica.org have collected and shipped 20,000 books to marginalized youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. She was also a founding member and Fundraising Chair for Level the Playing Field, providing soccer clinics to inspire kids with fewer opportunities. For three years she has volunteered as a referee for Darien Youth lacrosse and coached clinics.

Nicholas Yoo, Darien

Nicholas is a senior captain of Darien’s boys cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams and he has achieved a 4.1 GPA.

He ran well enough in the conference championship meets as a junior and senior to earn his spot on the All-FCIAC Boys Cross Country Second Team. He had a personal-best time of 16:50 in the 5K as a senior. He made All-FCIAC Second Team as a junior in indoor track and during the spring he ran his personal best of 4:26 in the 1,600 at the 2022 FCIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Nicholas is also the Darien High School yearbook’s literary editor and a Fairfield Country Special Olympics Tennis coach.

Elena Ohe, Fairfield Ludlowe

This senior with a 4.7 GPA has been a member of varsity softball all four years of her high school career.

Elena has been named valedictorian of her graduation class and is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Math, Science, Latin, Spanish, and History honor societies. She has been an active member of the Key Club and the S.O.S. Mental Health Club at school and is a frequent volunteer for Fairfield Little League Girls Softball.

Elena has been a captain of the Ludlowe softball team for two seasons and has been an All-FCIAC First Team selection as well as a CIAC Junior All-Star. She and her Falcons have won two FCIAC softball championships – winning the first one in school history in 2021 and then they defended their title last spring.

Elena plans on playing softball next year at Yale.

Ryder Gatenby, Fairfield Ludlowe

Ryder has a 3.92 GPA and has taken a mix of AP and Honors classes.

He has been on the varsity soccer team as well as the varsity indoor and outdoor track and field teams during his junior and senior years. Ryder, who is one of the captains for both the indoor and outdoor track teams as a senior, achieved All-State First Team and All-FCIAC Second Team honors this past indoor track season.

Ryder is co-president of Keystone Community Service Club and has volunteered as chair for the club’s first career fair as well as a delegate for the National Keystone Conference.

Phoebe Marsick, Fairfield Warde

Phoebe is a High Honors Scholar who has earned a 4.5 GPA while taking AP and honors classes.

She is captain of the girls’ varsity soccer team, a four-year varsity starting player, and has been selected to the All-FCIAC Girls Soccer First Team during both her junior and senior years. Phoebe is also a speedy sprinter who is a member of the indoor track and outdoor teams, and this year she was a member of the sprint medley relay and 4×100 relay teams which set school records.

Phoebe is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the English, Spanish, and Math honor societies. She has a Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish.

She is a co-leader of both the Unity Coalition and Warde Voices for Equity. Phoebe also volunteers at Nourish Bridgeport and on local campaigns.

Joshua Weinstein, Fairfield Warde

Joshua is a member of the National Honor Society, Business Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. He has a weighted GPA of 4.5, taking only AP and honors classes.

He has been a member of both the boys’ lacrosse and ice hockey teams for four years, making it to the championship game of the FCIAC Boys Hockey Tournament in each of the last two seasons.

Joshua is a recipient of the University of Chicago Book Award, as well as being the treasurer and secretary of the Best Buddies program.

He has volunteered at Operation Hope, Habitat for Humanity, and the Southern Connecticut Storm Special Hockey program.

Joshua plans on attending Penn State in the fall, where he will be majoring in Environmental Resource Management.

Daryl Furno, Greenwich

Daryl is a senior with a cumulative GPA of 4.82 and a GPA of 5.22 for the third quarter of her senior year.

This National Honor Society member has a been a High Honor Roll student for the past four years at GHS.

Daryl has received two Science/Math/Technology Awards, one in 2020 and another in 2022, and is a recipient of the University of Chicago Book Award.

She has been on the varsity lacrosse team since her sophomore year and received the Greenwich Varsity Lacrosse Sportsmanship Award in 2021.

Additionally, she is a Western Region and All-State singer for the CMEA and an active volunteer for Greenwich Youth Lacrosse, Generation Impact, and Neighbor to Neighbor.

Daryl will attend Colgate University this coming fall.

Alex Palmer, Greenwich

Alex has a 4.75 weighted and 4.16 unweighted GPA while taking AP and honors courses entering his senior year.

He is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the French, Social Studies, and English national honor societies. He is also a recipient of the National Merit Commended Student and the AP Scholar with Distinction awards.

Alex is a four-year member of the baseball team who is the designated hitter in the lineup during this senior season. He was previously the varsity bowling team captain during the winter season.

He has served as a volunteer at local environmental and conservation centers such as the Greenwich Land Trust and Greenwich Botanical Center during the spring and summer months.

Alex will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rosie Strickland, Brien McMahon

This junior who is a High Honor Roll student with an unweighted GPA of 4.0 has been accepted into the National Honor Society and is an IB Diploma candidate.

Rosie has been a member of the girls’ volleyball and girls’ lacrosse team for three years, and she’ll be a captain for the volleyball team this coming fall.

She is an executive member of the Center for Youth Leadership activism organization, as well as an editor of both the literary magazine and school newspaper.

Rosie has volunteered for Norwalk Junior Lacrosse, the Roton Middle School newspaper club, and the Rowayton Civic Association.

Arush Rao, Brien McMahon

This National Honor Society member is an Honor Roll student with an unweighted GPA of 3.98. Arush is part of the IB Diploma Program and is taking six IB classes in addition to an AP class.

He earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention and BMHS Athlete of the Week his freshman year for boys’ tennis. He was co-captain of the tennis team last year as a sophomore and is again a captain this year as a junior.

Arush has volunteered a lot at Norwalk Grassroots Tennis and is the vice president of the Debate Club and a member of the Math Team in school.

Tasos Panagiotidis, Norwalk

Taso, who has achieved a 4.4 cumulative GPA over his high school career, is a member of the National Honor Society where he volunteers a lot of his time for the community.

He has been a varsity baseball player for the past three seasons and was voted captain by his teammates for his senior year.

Taso is very involved in the peer tutoring program at Norwalk High School, and he has also spent countless hours volunteering at Person to Person, and feeding the less fortunate with his church.

Cecilia O’Malley, Ridgefield

This senior has achieved an unweighted GPA of 4.24, has been accepted to the National Honor Society, and is a High Honor Roll student. She will be attending Tulane University this coming fall.

Cecilia has been a member of the girls’ soccer team and captain of the girls’ tennis team. Last spring as a junior she was selected to the All-FCIAC Girls Tennis Second Team.

She received the Seal of Biliteracy for the Spanish language, is the founder and president of the Kindness for Kibera Club, has been a part of the Key Club and the Yearbook Club, and is a peer mentor through the National Honor Society.

Alex Prokopczyk, Ridgefield

This senior has made High Honor Roll every year in high school while maintaining a rigorous academic schedule of nine AP classes along with several Honors/UConn courses.

Alex has been on the boys’ varsity tennis team since his sophomore year and he’s a team captain this season. He had a successful junior season, culminating with him competing in doubles at the CIAC State Invitational. Alex has also been a football player throughout high school.

He has volunteered for the Appalachian Service Project for the past three years, and he also volunteers as a tutor and youth tennis coach.

Alex will attend Emory University in the fall, and he plans on studying Economics.

Marianna Wegiel, St. Joseph

Marianna has maintained good grades throughout her four years at St. Joseph while being a member of two teams which require a lot of time for practices and competition.

She has been a member of the gymnastics and girls golf team for three years, and captain for the girls’ golf team this spring season. Marianna was All-State First Team for gymnastics one year after she was All-State Second Team as a sophomore. She qualified for the State Open on the vault last winter. She also earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention for golf last spring.

Marianna will attend James Madison University in the fall.

Andrew Burke, St. Joseph

This senior captain has earned a 98.99 weighted GPA throughout his high school career taking primarily honors and AP classes. He is an AP scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, as well as the French, Math, and English National Honor Societies.

Andrew has been a three-year varsity starter for the boys’ volleyball team, and he was All-FCIAC Honorable Mention as a junior and senior. He is also of member of Student Ambassadors, Jeopardy Club, and the Maroon and Gold Spirit Club.

He frequently volunteers at Saint Vincent DePaul Food Pantry and received the Principal’s Outstanding Service Award three times.

Lucia Kempton, Stamford

This senior has a weighted 4.80 GPA taking all IB classes and is a full International Baccalaureate Degree candidate.

Lucia is a captain of both the varsity cross country team and the varsity ski team and is also a starter for Stamford’s varsity lacrosse team. She holds the school record for fastest women’s downhill in skiing, and she helped her lacrosse team advance to state tournaments in both her junior and senior years.

Lucia is involved in the debate team, Odyssey of the Mind, Girl Scouts, Science National Honor Society, National Honor Society, and the NASA Cubes in Space program.

She will attend Northeastern University on the fall of 2023.

Ryan Shoztic, Stamford

This senior with an unweighted GPA of 3.93 is a member of the boys’ tennis team for his for the first year and he was a four-year member of the cross country.

Ryan is the captain of the debate team and was recently crowned state champion. He is also captain of the mock trial team, an FBLA officer, and president of Stamford High School’s Class of 2023.

He plans on majoring in philosophy when he attends the University of Virginia this fall.

Keeva Boyle, Staples

This senior National Honor Society member has achieved a 4.04 GPA while taking multiple honors and AP classes and maintained her First Class Honors ranking every semester throughout her high school career.

Keeva is a co-captain for the Staples girls golf team who consistently plays the No. 1 slot. She helped lead last year’s Wreckers to an unbeaten 4-0 record to win the FCIAC West Division championship and they had a 9-1 overall record.

Keeva volunteers with Lenihan School of Irish Dance, and Food Rescue CT. She plans to play golf and be a member of the Irish dance ensemble at Sacred Heart University.

Alan Becker, Staples

This senior is a diversified student, athlete and musician who has achieved a 4.06 GPA and been an Honor Roll student throughout his high school career.

Alan is captain of the Staples sailing team who helped lead it to its first victory in over five years. He also sails Lasers during summers at Cedar Point Yacht Club, where he was awarded Best Overall Junior Sailor in 2021, and Best Sportsmanship and Junior Club Champion in 2022.

Alan also plays cello, piano, bass, and guitar, and is a member of the Tri-M music honors society and a member of Staples Chamber Orchestra. He also enjoys mountain biking, having placed third in the CT MTB championship during his freshman year, and has volunteered for trail building in the area.

All will attend Hamilton College in the fall.

Lianna Weaver, Trumbull

This senior with a weighted GPA of 5.1 while taking all honors and AP classes has been accepted into the National Honor Society and several subject-based honor societies.

Lianna is a three-year varsity player for the softball program, as the 2020 season was canceled due to Covid-19 Pandemic when she was a freshman, and in her first year when Lianna was a sophomore she was selected All-FCIAC Honorable Mention.

She is the historian for the National English Honor Society and a recipient of the Weller Senior Science Award and the National English Honor Society Essay Scholarship.

Lianna also volunteers with the Trumbull Diamond Club, Trumbull Summer Music Camp, and the Trumbull Marching Band.

She will attend Dayton University as a pre-medicine major this fall.

Matthew Cherfane, Trumbull

Matthew is a senior captain for the boys’ volleyball team who has achieved a 5.31 cumulative GPA, made Trumbull High’s 2% List, and he earned All-State Second Team honors last season.

He has also received the Dartmouth College Book Award, the Seal of Biliteracy in Latin, and is an AP Scholar with Distinction.

Matthew was a volunteer assistant coach for the girls’ volleyball team this year. He is also part of Trumbull’s Math Team, Latin Club, Peer Leader, and We The People Team, which recently placed eighth in the nation.

Outside of school, his club volleyball team won the 2022 Boys Junior National Championship, and he enjoys volunteering for his church in New Haven, where he plays the bass and sings for its Worship Team.

Matthew will attend UCLA to study economics and international development on a pre-law track.

Amelia Abud, Wilton

Amelia, who has been accepted to the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish Honor Society, is a High Honor Roll student who has achieved a 3.96 GPA while taking mostly AP and honors classes.

She also received the Dr. Robert J. Jacobs Memorial Ward from her school during her junior year.

Amelia has been a senior co-captain for both the field hockey and girls’ tennis teams and was a recipient of a leadership award on the field hockey team. She played a key role while helping the Warriors advance to two consecutive Class L state championship field hockey games during her junior and senior years.

Amelia is also a volunteer coach and mentor for youth field hockey and tennis programs. She is president of the Festival Planning Committee at Wilton High School, has volunteered as a tutor, as a mentor in Norwalk, and she’s a member of SafeRides Wilton.

Amelia plans on attending the University of Maryland this coming fall.

Dave Sylvester, Wilton

Dave has been named to either the Honor Roll or High Honor Roll for every quarter of high school and maintained a 3.9 GPA.

He has been a three-year member of the varsity boys’ lacrosse team who contributed to the Warriors winning the Class M state championship in 2022.

Dave also served as Wilton’s “Tribe Leader” for the football and basketball seasons.

He is involved in several clubs at school, such as the Spanish Honor Society, Bronx Lacrosse, and LINK Crew. He has volunteered countless hours serving his community – working with Minks to Sinks, Wilton Youth Lacrosse, and Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse.

Dave will attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall.

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