Five students shine as Student of the Year nominees

By Jessica Miller
Staff Writer

The best of the best: Ryan Cosner, Mai Nojima, Derek Zeoli, Lauren Irwin and Reilly Edmonds are the 2015 Student of the Year nominees.

This year, AP Studio Art teacher Kate Martin managed the nomination process for Student of the Year with the help of Guidance Secretary Jan Norris and Vice Principal Deborah Hofreiter. Martin worked with Norris to generate the top 10 percent of the senior class based on their grade point average. The list of students went out to all the teachers, who selected three students who they believed excelled in academic qualifications, co-curricular activities, and citizenship.

“I think the Student of the Year award is really great because it recognizes the hard work students have done over the past four years,” Martin said.

After the teachers each chose their top three students, Martin worked with Hofreiter to count the votes and finalize the top five candidates. The candidates were then notified and asked to fill out a questionnaire so that their information can be further reviewed by all of the departments individually.

“All of the students are very qualified and deserving of this award because they have amazing achievements,” Martin said. “They should be really proud of themselves.”

Each of the five students nominated are involved with the school and the community. Edmonds is a part of Model United Nations, serves as Associated Student Body president, varsity soccer player and earned her Girl Scout Gold Award. Irwin is co-president of the Relay For Life club, played Costa soccer and club soccer for four years and was involved in People Attaining Complete Equality her sophomore and junior year.

“Through these experiences, I have become a more responsible and confident individual, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be a student at a school with so many opportunities,” Edmonds said.

Cosner achieved the rank as an Eagle in Boy Scouts, Drum Major of the Marching Band and the Engineering Lead for the Science Olympiad team. Nojima has been on varsity tennis for four years, an editor on La Vista for two years, and works with special needs kids in the South Bay. Zeoli is involved in Model UN, jazz band, marching band, vocal ensemble, and will be performing in the Drama department’s upcoming play.

“From here who knows where life will take me, but regardless of where it does I will carry with me the lessons that my extra-curricular activities and Costa have taught me,” Cosner said.

The department chairs will discuss and review the applications to decide the final winner at an Ed Council Meeting. The Student of the Year will be announced at the All Awards Ceremony on May 21 during second period in the Auditorium.

“I was not expecting to be nominated and was very humbled but also really happy that I was nominated,” Zeoli said. “It feels great just to be recognized alongside four extremely high-achieving individuals.”