South Florida school news: national merit semifinalists, a Fulbright fellowship and more
Four students from Christopher Columbus High School were named semifinalists in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program for their performance on the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).
More than 1.5 million students applied for the competitive scholarship, and the semifinalists represent less than one percent of all high school seniors in the U.S., according to the scholarship program. The semifinalists from Christopher Columbus High include Michael Berry, Holt Boink, Jared Coleman and Albert Sanchez.
In addition, several students from the school were named Commended Students and others were recognized by the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Those students are Alessio Amor, Adolfo Anzola, Mikel Barbeite, Salvador Blanco, Julio Brea, Kevin Cejas, David Diaz, Nicolas Fernandez, Carlos Gutierrez, Alejandro Lambert, Daniel Luna, Thomas Mackle, Alfred Martinez, Dennis Martinez, Jose Osorio, Andres Perez, Joaquin Real, Joseph Rodriguez, Anthony Rodriguez-Mira, Ethan Trueba and Patrick Valerius.
As semifinalists, Michael, Holt, Jared, and Albert will continue in the competition.
Miami-Dade Youth Fair Hall of Famers
Board members of The Miami-Dade County Youth Fair and Exposition honored Jazmin Neadle from South Miami High School and Joi Turner from Frank C. Martin K-8 Center as winners of the 2019 Walter B. Arnold Youth Hall of Fame Community Service Award – earning $1,000 each for their community service efforts.
Jazmin, a former child of the foster care system, was selected for creating the nonprofit A Sweet Chance, which provides free pampering and glamour to teens in foster care. Joi was selected for being the founder, chef, and CEO of Delivering Joi, which is an organization that creates meals from donated foods and delivers them to those in need.
In addition, the board selected seven finalists and awarded each with $100 during the dinner ceremony earlier this year. The finalists are: Valentina Gomez from Downtown Doral Charter Upper School, Livia Hochman from Miami Palmetto High School, Susanna Inguanzo from Bob Graham Educational Center, Andrea Marron from George Washington Carver Middle School, and Shelsy Vargas from Hialeah Gardens High School.
“The generosity of heart, time and energy that we see in the youth in our community is astonishing and, needless to say, heartwarming,” said Eddie Cora, president, and CEO of The Miami-Dade County Youth Fair & Exposition. “We are proud to have the opportunity to tell them how much they are appreciated and reward them for their efforts.”
Fulbright Fellow
Melissa Gerdts, a 2015 graduate from the School for Advanced Studies in Kendall, was recently selected to participate in the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship Program.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors the Fulbright Program. Students selected to participate in the program receive grants to study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.
Gerdts, a recent graduate of Duke University, plans to live in Madrid for the next nine months while participating in the program.
New head of school at Hebrew Academy
The Board of Directors at Hebrew Academy (RASG), in Miami Beach, recently named Rabbi Shaye Guttenberg as their new Head of School. Following a nationwide search, Rabbi Guttenberg was selected based on his leadership skills and administrative background.
Rabbi Guttenberg comes to the academy from Silicon Valley, California, where he previously served as the Head of School at South Peninsula Hebrew Day School (SPHDS). In July, he moved to Miami with his family to begin his new role at the academy.
“We are thrilled that Rabbi Shaye Guttenberg joined our Hebrew Academy family as our newly appointed Head of School. With a successful school headship at a Jewish day school already under his belt, Rabbi Guttenberg hails from a distinctive and strong educational, leadership and administrative background.
“He has demonstrated key financial and organizational acumen to help lead our vital institution, with its rich and long Jewish day school history, into a modern 21st-century educational institution that also provides valuable opportunity to the surrounding Miami Beach community and beyond,” said Iris Herssein, board president of Hebrew Academy (RASG).