Alexander Bein, Greenwich Boys Cross Country
Alexander Bein has run cross country and track for four years and has maintained a 4.95 GPA while taking Honors and AP courses. He is a member of the National Honor Society and is a National Merit Commended Scholar.
Last year as a junior he was on the 2018 All-FCIAC Boys Cross Country Second Team, and he also earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention during the indoor track and field (4×800 relay) and outdoor track and field (3,200) seasons. During this senior year Alexander is a team captain during all three seasons for his cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams.
Alexander is the vice president of the Greenwich EMS explorer post and volunteers on the ambulances in Greenwich as an EMT.
Jake Thaw, Staples Football
This senior captain of the football team has made First Honors every year during his first three years and has elevated his GPA to a 4.09.
Jake has played wide receiver, safety, quarterback and running back for the Wreckers and he was selected to the 2018 All-FCIAC Football First Team. Last winter season he made the 2018-19 All-FCIAC Basketball Second Team as a guard and this upcoming season he will be a team captain for the second consecutive year.
Grace Sherriff, Fairfield Warde Dance
Grace has achieved a 4.25 GPA and is a High Honor Roll student while taking mostly AP and Honors classes. She has also been accepted into the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and English Honor Society.
She is captain of her school’s nationally-ranked dance team and has been recognized as the team’s most valuable dancer. Her team has been honored by the Board of Education for winning six consecutive state titles.
Grace was a recipient of the Saint Michael’s Book Award and enjoys volunteering for The Cinderella Project, Key Club, Autism Speaks, and Brady’s Smile.
Aaron Lowenbein, Norwalk Boys Soccer
This National Honor Society Member is a High Honor Roll student who has registered an unweighted GPA of 3.9 and a weighted GPA of 4.4 while taking mostly AP and Honors level classes throughout his high school career.
Aaron is a member of the boys soccer team who volunteers at peer tutoring at Norwalk High School, which was something which members of the National Honor Society initiated to help fellow students and classmates perform better in their subjects.
Rishabh Raniwala, Wilton Boys Soccer
Rishabh has an unweighted GPA of 4.0 in almost all AP classes and has achieved High Honor Roll every quarter of his high school career. He is a member of the WHS National Honor Society and received the Harvard Book Award as a junior.
He has been a varsity goalkeeper on the boys soccer team for two years as a junior and senior after having previously been a co-captain for both the freshman and junior varsity teams.
Rishabh is the WHS Student Body President, captain of the Wilton Libraryu robotics team, and board member on the Wilton Debate Team, where he has won multiple national awards.
He volunteers with the Chinmaya Saraswati Enrichment Club as a lead teacher, Middlebrook DebateClub as a lead coach, and Builders Beyond Borders as a student advisor.
Meilee Kry, Danbury Girls Cross Country
Meilee has been an Honor Roll, High Honor Roll and Distinguished Honor Roll student (4.35/4.5 GPA) while taking a mix of Honors and AP courses and is a recipient of several academic awards and honors.
Meilee, who is proficient in Mandarin and Cambodian, received the Stellar Chinese Calligraphy Award (2017-2019). She is a member of the National Honor Society, National Math Honor Society and Peer Leadership.
She made the 2018 All-FCIAC Girls Cross Country First Team last year and this year is a team captain for her cross country and track teams. Meilee is the FCIAC record holder in the triple jump (38 feet, 3¼ inches) and she was also the 2019 long jump champion after having been the runner-up in both events in 2018. Meilee also was the Class LL and State Open triple jump champion last spring.
She is a math tutor in various areas of math at Danbury High School and has also volunteered as a coach for the Danbury Flyers youth track club.
Emma Babashak, Wilton Girls Swimming and Diving
Emma has maintained ed a 4.0 GPA (unweighted 4.0 scale) while tackling a schedule laden with AP and Honors classes. She is a National Merit Commended Scholar and currently an AP Scholar with Distinction.
She co-captains the girls swimming and diving team and was a key contributor toward helping the Warriors win their second consecutive FCIAC Eastern Division championship. Emma has made the All-FCIAC Second Team for the past three years and achieved All-State First Team for the previous two years.
Emma is a recipient of the Columbia Book Award, member of the Spanish National Honor Society, cellist in the Wilton High School Symphonic Orchestra, and a four-year summer volunteer for the pre-competitive swim academy at the Wilton Family YMCA.
Carolyn Donovan, Ridgefield Girls Soccer
This National Honor Society member is a High Honor Roll student with a weighted GPA of 4.725 and an AP Scholar with Distinction.
Carolyn is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award, and a member of the National Charity League.
She is currently a co-captain of the successful girls soccer team which is the defending FCIAC and state Class LL champions.
Carolyn is also a standout on the track and field circuit – having received several All-FCIAC, All-State and All-New England honors in various events and been a member of a relay team which qualified for the national championship meet.
Tess Vocalina, St. Joseph Girls Cross Country
Tess is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. She has been on the Honor Roll each quarter since her freshman year and has maintained a 95 GPA while taking many Honors classes.
This senior is a captain for the second straight year after joining the girls cross country program as a freshman.
Tess is a stage manager for the Drama Club. She works at a youth golf camp over the summer and volunteers at the Trumbull Parks and Rec track clinic.
Skyler Risom, New Canaan Field Hockey
Skyler has achieved High Honor Roll throughout high school and has a weighted GPA above 4.0 with a course selection of AP, Honors and University of Connecticut dual-enrollment classes.
She is secretary of the National Honor Society, co-president of the Human Rights Advocates Club, Volunteer Coordinator of the Economics Club and Skyler is also managing the peer tutoring program at NCHS. She was the recipient of the Dartmouth Book Award and has earned the Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish.
Skyler is a senior captain of the New Canaan field hockey team. She served as a coach for the New Canaan Youth Field Hockey pre-season and the New Canaan Lacrosse Association this past spring. Skyler has also sailed competitively for 10 year and volunteered as a junior instructor since she was 14.
She is a senior leader in the Youth Group of the Congregational Church of New Canaan, participating in outreach projects and mission trips to renovate homes and community centers. During the winter and spring, she volunteers at the Open Door Shelter of Norwalk in the After-School Buddies program.
Maggie Carlon, Trinity Catholic Girls Soccer
Maggie has earned Honors with Distinction every quarter since her freshman year, has achieved a 3.97 GPA and been accepted into the National Honor Society.
She is currently taking mostly AP and Honors classes.
She was a recipient of the University of Virginia Book Award and is a member on the Student Council.
This diversified senior athlete is a member of the girls soccer team in the fall, was a member of the softball team, the cooperative girls high school ice hockey team with teammates from Stamford High, Westhill and Staples, and she has been a member of the girls golf team and was a captain last year as a junior.
Maggie is an active member of her youth group at her parish and has volunteered with the group. She went on a mission trip last summer with her youth to help build, paint and clean houses.
Evan Field, Trinity Catholic Football
Evan is a High Honors student who has taken six AP classes as well as many Honors classes and achieved a weighted GPA of 4.4.
He is a senior co-captain of the first-year cooperative Trinity Catholic/Wright Tech football program. Last year as a junior he was Trinity Catholic’s Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the All-FCIAC Second Team.
Evan has been recognized for his academic, leadership and community contributions and was a recipient of the Columbia Book Award, the Brian Bill Memorial Scholarship Award and the Robert Lynch Award.
Having a brother with autism and intellectual disability has given Evan passion for helping his peers with special needs. He volunteers for the Darien YMCA Special Needs programs, including Focus on Fitness and Young athletes, where he serves as a peer model and mentor to children and teens with special needs.
Evan is looking forward to being a student-athlete continuing his academic and athletic career playing football at Wesleyan University next year.
Hanna Felber, Brien McMahon Field Hockey
This High Honor Roll student with an unweighted GPA of 3.80 is ranked 12th in her class.
Hannah is a senior co-captain of the field hockey team and has played on varsity since her freshman year. The made All-FCIAC Honorable Mention in field hockey in her sophomore and junior years. She has also received the FCIAC Courage Award during her junior year. Hanna has also pole vaulted for four years for McMahon’s girls outdoor track and field team and she holds the school record in the event.
Hanna, a recipient of the Cornell Book Award, is the treasurer of Brien McMahon’s chapter of the National Honor Society. She is also a member of unified sports.
Sam Hussey, Fairfield Ludlowe Cross Country
This senior captain of Ludlowe’s boys cross country team is on his way to completing 12 consecutive seasons of high school sports.
Sam has maintained a 4.0 GPA and has made the Honor Roll or High High Honor Roll all four years. He is currently taking four AP classes and plans to continue his education in college next year.
He began his Ludlowe athletic career as a soccer player and since his sophomore year he has been a three-season distance runner during each school year as an integral Falcon runner who has scored team points in cross country and track championship meets and helped lead Ludlowe’s outdoor track and field team to a division championship.
Sam is also the president of the Model UN Chapter at Fairfield Ludlowe, the treasurer of the Spanish Club, and an active member of the Falcon Council. Sam also received recognition for biliteracy in Spanish.
Claire Cherniske, Fairfield Warde Girls Soccer
Claire has achieved a 4.56 GPA in her first three years of high school, making the Headmaster’s list each year while taking AP and Honors classes. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Business Honor Society.
Clair is captain of the girls soccer team, a four-year varsity player for the soccer and lacrosse teams, and last spring she made All-FCIAC Honorable Mention in lacrosse.
Clair is a Carson Scholar and recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award, RIT Book Award, and FWHS Service Award. She volunteers with Wakeman Boys & Girls Club McKinley mentoring program, Appalachia Service Project, Catwalk for a Cure, Student Athletes Serving Others, and is the president of the Humanity Now Club at Warde.
Emily Alexandru, Trumbull Girls Cross Country
Emily, who has achieved a 4.11 GPA and made High Honor Roll while taking predominantly Honors and AP classes throughout her four-year high school career, is a member of the National Honor Society, National Italian Honor Society, and she has earned the Seal of Biliteracy.
Emily has also excelled for the cross country and track and field programs. She has placed high enough at the conference championship meet the last two years to have earned her spot on the All-FCIAC Girls Cross Country First Team – placing 10th in 2018 to help lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the team scoring and then she finished seventh this October to help them place third.
Emily also has proven to have ample speed as she has won the 600 and 800 at FCIAC championship meets, been a member of championship relay teams, placed very high in the 300 hurdles and in several more events at conference, state and New England championship meets.
Emily is a member of the Infinite Love for Kinds Fighting Cancer Junior Board and she volunteers for several more community organizations. She received an award last year for volunteering more than 100 hours during the school year.
Patrick Coulter, Brien McMahon Football
This senior who has been a captain of the football team during both of the last two years has made High Honors all four years taking mostly AP and Honors courses and he has an unweighted GPA of 3.9 and a weighted GPA of 4.4 to put himself among the school’s top 10 in his senior class ranking.
Patrick has played for the football and lacrosse teams all four years and been a varsity member of those two programs for three years.
He is a National Honor Society member, a recipient of the Yale Book Award, and has been nominated for other scholarships and awards.
Patrick is a member of the Bkind Club and he also volunteers at his church.
Tyler Sisko, St. Joseph Football
Tyler has a 95.2 GPA as an Honor Roll student and has been inducted into the National Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, and National Spanish Honor Society.
He has helped St. Joseph’s Cadets win two state championships in football and is also a member of the boys indoor and outdoor track and field programs.
Tyler is a Student Ambassador at St. Joseph and also volunteers at Filling-in the Blanks, Sterling Community Center and his church.
Betsy Sachs, Westhill Girls Volleyball
This senior maintained a 3.98 unweighted and 4.83 weighted GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish, Rho Kappa Social Studies, and Tri-M Music National Honors societies.
Betsy was a starter on both varsity volleyball and softball since her freshman year and she made the 2018 All-FCIAC Girls Volleyball Second Team last year when she helped the Vikings advance to the conference championship match and the semifinals of the state tournament. She captained the softball team last year and is a team captain for the volleyball and softball teams this senior year.
She received the Dartmouth Book Award, is the youth representative in her church council, a board member of LanD Crew, a Junior Achievement teacher, in Best Buddies and the school Chamber choir, and regularly volunteers with her church.
Abby Wexler, Stamford Field Hockey
This senior has been a member of the field hockey and girls lacrosse teams all four years and has achieved a 4.69 weighted GPA while taking mostly Honors and AP classes.
Last year Abby received the girls lacrosse team’s Service Leadership Award. She received the George Washington Book Award and has been accepted into both the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society.
Abby is the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper and is a member of her class’ executive board, serving as the class secretary for the past four years.
She has volunteered as a mentor for Stamford High’s Leadership Academy, the Unified Sports basketball team, Stamford Hospital Foundation’s Bennett Cancer Walk Teen Council, and Food Rescue US.
Abigail Desyr, Westhill Girls Swimming and Diving
Abigail has been an Honor Roll and High Honor Roll student all four years with an unweighted GPA of 3.82 and is a captain of the girls swimming and diving team.
She has qualified for the All-American Award in her sophomore and junior years after she received the Coaches Award for diving as a freshman. She has also played tennis and has received the Coaches Award.
Abigail was the recipient of the George Eastman Young Leaders Award as a junior. She is the secretary for the Future Business Leaders if America club (FBLA), and she is a member of the National Spanish Honor Society.
Abigail has participated in numerous volunteer activities such as helping the elderly at Smith Hous as a CNA to judging elementary school business projects at an Invention Convention. She has also volunteered at her church for the AWANA program for two years. She is also part of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council which raises awareness for mental health.
Alexa Frost, Staples Girls Soccer
Alexa is a member of the National English Honor Society and achieved a 3.87 weighted GPA as a junior.
She has won the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and the Staples Guiding Principles Award.
Alexa has been a member of the Staples varsity team for the past three years in which the Wreckers have placed first in the FCIAC and second in the state tournament the previous two years.
She is also a member of Staples Players, Peer Advisors, National Charity League, Top Hat Tutors, and has a part time job at Marine Layer in downtown Westport.
Cyrus Asgari, Trumbull Boys Cross Country
Cyrus is a member of the National Honor Society with a weighted GPA of 5.18 with several AP classes.
He is three-season runner, having been on the varsity team since his sophomore year, and is the captain of the cross country and boys outdoor track and field team. Cyrus has run the 10 fastest times on the school’s cross country course.
He has received the Connecticut Governor’s Scholar award and participated in several extracurriculars involving robotics and computer science.
Sophia Talwalkar, Darien Girls Volleyball
Sophia has achieved an unweighted GPA of 4.0 while taking mainly AP and Honors courses.
She is the secretary of the National Honor Society, a member of theNational English, Mu Alpha Theta, Tri-M Music and National Science honors societies. Last year Sophia was awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and she was also just recently named a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
Sophia is a co-captain of the volleyball team which she helped advance to the state finals during her junior year.
She volunteers as a member of the SafeRides program and as an English tutor through Darien High School’s “Write-Aid” writing center. Sophia also works with a local Syrian refugee family, providing them with art therapy alongside her mother, food and supplies, help with homework, and an emotional support system they can lean on when needed.
Alex Hanna, Ridgefield Football
This National Honor Society member has enrolled in all Honors or AP classes and is a High HonorRoll student with a weighted GPA of 4.25.
Alex is a three-year varsity football player, he is a team captain, and last year he made the All-FCIAC East Team and was named Ridgefield’s Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a team captain of the baseball team.
Alex is a member of SafeRides Ridgefield, was a member of Boy Scouts until his junior year of high school and he’s a member of the Tigers Lair Club.
Jordan Moses, Greenwich Girls Soccer
Jojo, who has been accepted to the National Honor Society, is an Honor Roll student with a 4.44 GPA who has taken mostly AP and Honors courses.
She was also accepted to the Math Honors Society and Spanish Honors Society, as well as receiving the Excellence in Civics Award and the AP Scholar Award during her junior year.
Jojo is a captain of the girls soccer team during this senior season of hers, she earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention last year as a junior, and this coming winter season she’ll be a team captain of the girls basketball team for the second straight year.
She is president of the Former Attire Club, has been on the Names Team Steering Committee for two years, is a Peer Mentor, and has volunteered in excess of 100 hours of community service.
Liani Mercado, Stamford Girls Volleyball
Liani has achieved an accumulative GPA of 3.68, and in her junior year she achieved an unweighted GPA of 3.9 while taking mostly Honors and AP classes. She has achieved Honor Roll, High Honor Roll, and Honors with Distinction the the course of her fours years in high school.
Liani is a four-year member of Stamford’s varsity program and a member of the 2016 team which won a state championship after it won a conference division championship.
During her first two years of high school, she volunteered for Rogers International School’s volleyball program during the spring. She is a part of the Leadership Academy, which involves volunteering to help freshman through their first year of high school. Liani was also a part of the Stamford High School Clean Up Grade 11, where she and her colleagues spent four picking up garbage and planting flowers to clean up and beautify their school.
Aidan Coleman, Danbury Boys Soccer
Aidan has a weighted GPA of 4.67, he is currently enrolled in four AP classes, is the president of Danbury High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society and is also a member of the Math Honor Society.
He is a team captain who helped Danbury win the FCIAC championship last year and was selected to the 2018 All-FCIAC First Team. He also plays for the boys volleyball team and last spring he helped lead the Hatters to the best season in the program’s history.
Elizabeth Christinat, Norwalk Girls Swimming and Diving
Libby is a senior and a High Honor Roll student who has maintained a 4.5 cumulative GPA while taking mostly AP and Honors courses.
She has swam for the girls swimming and diving varsity team since her sophomore, has been with the program all four years, and was elected a team captain for this senior season of hers.
Libby is a huge member of her church community. She sings on the worship team, volunteers at its summer camp, and volunteers with the children’s church. She is president of her school’s chapter of the National Honor Society and the senior class treasurer, and is very active in her school’s choir and theater programs.
Cole Branca, Darien Boys Soccer
As a member of both the National Honor Society and the Math National Honor Society, Cole has a 4.1 GPA while taking seven AP courses and eight Honors courses throughout High School.
He is also a member of the National Academy of Future Scientists and of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Cole is a three-year starter in soccer and a three-year varsity player for the boys ice hockey team and a team captain for both teams for his senior year.
Cole is an officer of Post 53, Darien’s EMS and ambulatory service, where he currently maintains an EMT level B and Ambulance driver license. He is also the president of FCA, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was a finalist in the CT DECA competition, and co-founded the DHS Hockey Initiative, which was one of the region’s top fundraisers for brain cancer.
Kaitlyn Yoon, Fairfield Ludlowe
Kaitlyn is a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA and has made the Headmaster’s List at Ludlowe while taking AP and Honors classes.
She is a two-season varsity athlete in the girls volleyball and girls tennis programs, which she has participated in all four years. As a notably-ranked FCIAC and state setter for her girls volleyball team, Kaitlyn has also been awarded junior tennis player as well as elected senior captain in the spring.
Kaitlyn, a member of the Tri-M Honors Society and the president of her school’s Symphonic Orchestra, is also involved in Ludlowe’s Chamber Orchestra, and the Greater Connecticut Youth Orchestras on the Principal level.
As a member of the National Charity League, Kaitlyn participates in a variety of community service projects and enjoys working with the Northeast Volleyball Club in its youth volleyball clinics.
Chris Carratu, New Canaan Football
Chris, who has been a three-sport athlete all four years of high school, has a 4.0 GPA while taking all AP and Honors classes and has been on the High Honor Roll every quarter since his freshman year.
He is a member of the National Honor Society, and is a National Merit semifinalist on track to becoming a finalist.
Chris is the top outside linebacker for the football team, he is a long jumper for the boys track and field program who qualified for conference and state championship meets and he will be a captain of the track and field team.
He is the recipient of the Tulane University Junior Book Award. Chris competed on the TEAMS (Test of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science) National Competition and came in second in Connecticut. He also received a Certificate of Honorable Merit for the National Latin Exam two years in a row.
Chris is currently the vice president of membership for the Service League of Boys and earned the award for the highest volunteer hours served during his freshman year.
Jamilex Cabral, Bridgeport Central Cheerleading
Jamilex has achieved a 3.5 GPA and is an Honor Roll student while taking all AP and Honors classes.
She was a co-captain of the girls track and field program as a junior and will be a captain for the second straight year during her senior season.
Jamilex has volunteered many hours at the Sheehan Center in Bridgeport and she continues to volunteer there while she is also a member of the cheerleading team and she attends meetings for a college prep program.
Juan Osorio, Bridgeport Central Boys Soccer
This senior co-captain has a 3.75 GPA.
Juan excelled in the subjects of math, reading and U.S. History as a sophomore and junior to earn the Student of the Marking Period Award.
Juan scored 14 goals as a sophomore to help Bassick qualify for the state tournament.