New Lebanon Central School Scholarships & Awards 2013
Josten Honor Award – for the highest grade point average for four years with a weighted GPA of 101.29 – the Class Valedictorian Kayla Carson
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Josten Honor Award – for the second highest grade point average for four years with a weighted GPA of 97.85 – the Class Salutatorian Jill Risco
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Albany City Lodge #540 Knights Of Pythias Awards (Medal) Achievement Award given to a graduating senior who has made the greatest progress in extra curricular activities and/or community endeavors – Alannah O’Dell
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Albert Clough Scholarships – Justine Carey and Joseph Finley
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American Legion Awards – for students who display honor, courage, scholarship, loyalty, and service – Noelle Bosselman, Kayla Carson, Evan Kolonics, Aaron Stall, Kendall Kelly and Kelsey Taber
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American Legion, Louis E. Godfroy Memorial Scholarship – Aaron Sedgwick
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Anna Amlaw Memorial Writing Scholarship – This award is given to the senior whose writing best demonstrates, describes or concerns the spirit of generosity, kindness, acceptance and humanity with which Anna Amlaw lived her life – Justine Carey
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Blueshield Scholars Award – presented to a graduating senior who is pursuing studies in the health or life sciences field and represents Blueshield’s core values: teamwork, integrety, passion, personal responsibility, excellence and respect – Jill Risko
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Carolyn Van Deusen Memorial Scholarship – Kreig Fuhlbrigge
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The Cha-Nel Scholarship – Kendall Kelly, Jill Risko and Tristan Southard
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Columbia County Farm Bureau Scholarship – Aaron Sedgwick
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Columbia County School Counselors Scholarship – Kendall Kelly and Roy Haaf
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Columbia County Sheriff’s Benevolent Association Scholarship – Haylee Shepard
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David Woodside Memorial Athletic Scholarship – presented to a student that has excelled in academics and athletics – Aaron Stall
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Deb’s Shear Perfection Scholarship – Brittany Eggleston
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The Diane and Stuart Luhrmann Memorial Scholarship – Ryan Darcy
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Dorothy L. Wolff – this scholarship is presented to a student pursuing early childhood or elementary education – Mark McCarty
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The Emma M. Kirchhofer Scholarship – Tristan Southard
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Gordon B. Drowne Memorial Scholarship – given in memory of Mr. Drowne – Haylee Shepard
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Hudson River Bank & Trust Citizenship Awards – presented to graduating seniors who intends to pursue higher education or military service and who has demonstrated good citizenship and community involvement – Kendra Houston and Aaron Stall
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The Jeannine Triau Scholarship – Justine Carey
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Joseph B. Salls Scholarship – Mr. Salls, a graduate of New Lebanon High School, taught social studies at New Lebanon for 40 years and also served as an assistant principal – Haylee Shepard
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Joseph Mittnight Business Scholarship – Roy Haaf
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Josephine and John Scheidl Scholarship – Aaron Stall
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J.T. Van Deusen Automotive Scholarship – James Farrell
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Kinderhook Elk’s Lodge #2530 Scholarship Award – given to a student who has displayed outstanding academic achievement and service to the school – Haylee Shepard
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The Kristen Marie Conley Award – Erin Niland
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Lebanon Valley Auto Racing Award – Kendra Houston and Kendall Kelly
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Lebanon Valley Protective Association Scholarship – Noelle Bosselman, Nicolette Brown, Ryan Darcy, Kendall Kelly, Markos Larabee, Aaron Sedgwick and Aaron Stall
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Lebanon Valley Rod & Gun Club Scholarships – Megan Farrell and Aaron Sedgwick
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Lebanon Valley Woman’s Club Scholarships: Student Scholarship – Alannah O’Dell ; Citizenship Award – Emily Keefner; Vocational Award – Mikayla Buffa
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Mark A. Crawley Memorial Scholarship – Aaron Sedgwick
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The Maura Olga Stouter MOS15 Leadership Award – Jill Risko and Aaron Stall
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The Nell Vink Memorial Scholarship – Mikayla Buffa
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NLCS Alumni Scholarship – recipient must be a relative of an NLCS alumnus. Emphasis is placed on students with well rounded skills and talents – Nicolette Brown, Aaaron Stall and Christopher York
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NLCS Appetites Annonymous Scholarship – Noelle Bosselman
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NLCS CSEA Achievement Awards – sponsored by the local unit of the Civil Service Employees Association – Mark McCarty
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NLCS Music Award – Emily Keefner
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NLCS Sports Booster Club – Jill Risko and Aaron Sedgwick
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NLCS Student Council Award – Jill Risko and Christopher York
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NLCS Teachers Association Scholarship – Kayla Carson
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NYS Education Department Award for Academic Excellence – Kayla Carson and Jill Risko
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NYS Office Of The State Comptroller Achievement Award (Certificate) In Recognition Of Hard Work, Dedication And Success – Jill Risko and Tristan Southard
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P.C. Infinity Scholarship – Zack Krajkowski
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The New Lebanon Town Library Scholarship – Roy Haaf
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Queechy Lake Club, Inc. Award – Tristan Southard
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Richmond Hill Homeowners Association Scholarships – Kayla Carson and Kreig Fuhlbrigge
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Riders Mills Historical Association Scholarship – Kayla Carson
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Rotary Club – Service Above Self Award – Justine Carey
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Ruth M. Brooker, Class Of 1941 Citizenship Prize – Jill Risko
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Theater Barn, Inc. Scholarship – Kayla Carson
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Tsatsawassa Fire Company Scholarship – Joseph Finley
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US Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Awards (Certificates) – Jill Risko and Tristan Southard
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Walter B. and Katherine R. Howard Grant – Zack Krajkowski
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William and Margaret Hartigan Memorial Scholarship – presented to a student who has served his/her community and exhibits an interest in social sciences – Ethan Bartlett and Sara Eaton
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Zema’s Nursery, Inc. Scholarship – Megan Farrell
Scholarships Previously Awarded
Ethan Bartlett -Merit Scholarship from SUNY Plattsburg
Kayla Carson – Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Scholarship, NYS Attorney General Triple C Award
Evan Kolonics – Merit Scholarship from SUNY Plattsburg
Alannah O’Dell – Bryant & Stratton Scholarship
Jill Risko – Rotary Club Service Above Self Award
Aaron Stall – Alice and Murray Giddings Scholarship, NYS Attorney General Triple C Award
New Lebanon Valedictory
by Kayla Carson
Many times when I sat down to consider this day and this speech, I struggled to understand what exactly made graduation so important. Often it’s hard to express exactly what we are feeling. Our heart knows, but our heads cannot find a way to say it.
When I first started to think about the significance of today, I thought “maybe it really isn’t that important. It’s just another day.” I found the best way to understand the importance of graduation is to take a step back from trying to see everything in black and white and just listen.
We learn more from listening than talking, and when our mouths are shut, our minds are open and everything becomes much easier to understand. Graduation means something a little different to each person in this room, and it is impossible to classify these sentiments into a simple emotion.
However, there is one emotion everyone should be feeling – pride. Family, friends and teachers are all proud to see someone important to them accomplish something of such significance. But most importantly, we as students should all be proud of ourselves. Each and every member of the class of 2013 has worked hard to get to where we are today. We have overcome individual struggles and conquered challenges as a group, but we have all found a way to succeed.
Alongside these feelings of pride, there is an underlying tone of sadness in this day. Since the beginning of school nearly thirteen years ago when our parents first put us on the bus, we have been working toward the goal of walking across this stage today. Yet along this great journey, we have become attached. Attached to the community, the people, the sense of security and belonging, and all of the memories that have made our experiences unique.
One of the saddest aspects of graduation is the fear that we will lose all of these things and find ourselves alone. In the loneliest of times, we must remember that our memories will always be there. As we grow and our lives change, we will meet new people and create new memories, but we will forever be connected to one another by everything we have shared and experienced together.
One of the greatest things about being a part of such a small school is that we truly have shared so much of our lives with our classmates. In fact, sometimes we may have shared a little bit more than we were comfortable with. We have been here to witness many of our classmates’ “firsts.” We have watched each other lose our first teeth, make our first great friendships, get in trouble for the first time, play in our first games or concerts and drive to school in our first cars. We have been around for so much of each others’ lives, and some of these seemingly peculiar little things are what will stick with us forever. A quote by Robert Brault sums up this idea, “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
As we move into our futures, I hope to never forget my memories with these people and the lessons that I have learned. The most important things I have discovered in high school are to be happy, to be myself and to never ever give up. Never dwell on anger, pain, or sadness. A smile is contagious, and a laugh is infectious. If we continue to work hard, act without fear and live our lives with happiness in mind, I am confident that we will all find success.
As we celebrate today, remember not only the importance of this day, but the significance of every piece of the puzzle that has brought us here. So today is not an end, but rather a beginning. We have all written our epilogues and discovered just the very basics of who we are. Now, together, we turn the page and begin to write the rest of our lives.
New Lebanon Salutatory
by Jill Risko
It is hard to believe that it was thirteen years ago that we all got on our first school bus together and walked into kindergarten together. It feels like only yesterday that we were playing Predator and Prey on the last day of Nature’s Classroom and were all crying because we didn’t want to leave that amazing place. We have been through a lot together. I mean we have raised crayfish and hermit crabs together without killing them. Well, except Ryan and James who buried their dead one in the cage and did not tell anybody until the whole room reeked of dead hermit crab. But that is beside the point. Other than that we were all pretty successful with the hermit crabs and crayfish.
Throughout our years together our close friends changed as we grew but as a whole we remained a close knit group. Ever since elementary school, we have been the grade where teachers say, they are really something special. Looking back I think every single one of us can say that we have changed so much since our first day here at the high school.
I’m sure most of us up here are thinking, “I cannot wait to get out of New Lebanon,” but it really has been a great place to grow up in. If I could do it all over I wouldn’t change a single thing. If we look back on all of the memories we have had in this little town, in the middle of nowhere, we would realize, wow, it’s all been pretty great. New Lebanon is our foundation, and it is now our job to build upon that foundation. New Lebanon has prepared us and now it is time to leave for a while and really find who we are.
Harold Whitman once said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” We have finished high school and the time has come for us to find ourselves in the world. For the past six years we have been restricted to the halls of the New Lebanon Jr./Sr. High School and have taken the classes that were mandatory for us to graduate. But now we are adults and it is our turn to find ourselves in the big world. We are all heading in different directions in our lives. Some of us will be going to college, some into the workforce, and our very own Kendra Houston will be making us all proud as she goes into the United States Navy. What we must keep in mind as we part ways is to pursue what you want, not what others want of you, not what your parents want, but what YOU want. This is our time to go out in this big scary world and find what we are passionate about. Once you find that one thing that lights your fire, run with it.
To The Class
I want you all to take a moment and think of something that you love and are very passionate about… Now I challenge every single one of you sitting on stage today to apply that same passion and love to your next chapter of life and continue to do so for a lifetime. Find what makes you come alive and as a result the world around you will come alive as well.
It has been a great thirteen years New Lebanon. We have had a good run, and I’m sure we will all miss the famous morning announcements with Tristan and Stally in the years to come. Good luck to you all in the next chapter of your life and finding just what it is that makes you come alive!
Congratulations guys, we have done it!!!!!!
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