Wheeling High names students of the month

Wheeling High School has named its Students of the Month for January.

Senior Brendan Doshi was nominated by Brian Logan for his work in music.

"Brendan is one of the finest musicians to ever attend Wheeling High School," Logan said. "He plays trumpet in the symphony orchestra, tuba in the wind symphony and District 214 Honors Orchestra, and piano in Jazz Band 1. Brendan has represented Wheeling High School as a concerto winner, and was awarded outstanding soloist awards at the Northshore Jazz Festival and Jazz in the Meadows Festival. He is a talented, passionate, intelligent young musician."

Sophomore Candace Lett was nominated by Nicole Maciorowski for her work in physical education.

"Candace is always on time, prepared and never comes to class without a big smile on her face," Maciorowski said. "During our strength and tone unit, she and her lifting partner never waste a minute of class time. She gets right to work, remains on task, and is never afraid to ask questions if they arise. Candace is the ideal Physical Education student."

Freshman Julian Martinez was nominated by Denise Bouquet for his work in Prep English.

"Julian Martinez entered my Freshmen Prep English class as a very quiet young man who did not feel very confident in his ability," Bouquet said. "Over the past few months, it has been my pleasure to watch him grow into a confident and competent young man. His hand is always the first up to volunteer answers and he never fails to complete his homework assignments. Julian has excelled personally and academically, and I am proud to be his teacher."

Senior Damian Paciorek was nominated by Jeffrey Bott for his work in architecture.

"Damian had been a student in the CAD program for the past three years," Bott said. "This year he worked on a team to design a house for the architecture contest that was held between all the district schools. Damian built and designed his team's 3D model for the competition. I truly believe that Damian will have a successful career in the near future."

Freshman Amanda Sanchez was nominated by Rebecca Como for her work in student services.

"Amanda is a caring and responsible student," Como said. "In addition to her own studies, she also helps other students and is a leader in class. She always has an extremely contagious, positive attitude and laughter, and she is such a pleasure to be around. Her peers respect and admire her for being such a strong leader. Through extracurricular activities, such as Latino Club and NJROTC, Amanda has also made an impact on the entire WHS community. As a freshman, Amanda definitely goes above and beyond and it will be a pleasure to watch her grow and mature over the next four years. She is one student who will definitely make a difference."

Junior Saba Syed was nominated by Ruby Rochetto for her work in photography.

"Saba Syed has created a glorious photo essay of her visit to Pakistan," Rochetto said. "She visited Pakistan over winter break for a family celebration of her sister's pre-wedding. Unfortunately, it was during a time of unrest and the family had to be sequestered when they visited their hometown and had to remain in the country much longer than anticipated. But despite the external circumstances of her trip, Saba was able to capture the life-affirming family celebrations. Her richly colored digital images reveal how universal the human experience is regardless of culture or geographic location. Despite starting a new term and having work from term two to make-up, Saba has been returning to photography to help prepare her images for display."

Senior Jose Gonzalez was nominated by Dian Perkins for his work in ESL 3B.

"As a senior, Jose has an appreciation for the value of an education in his life," Perkins said. "He has set goals, which he aspires to; coupled with a strong work ethic and tenacity, he will be successful in achieving these goals. He has approached all class work with a desire to learn and has gone beyond expectations in many ways. As an example, students have worked on an online program for English both in class as well as independently. In this program, the teacher outlines materials, which are to be completed online, and students are able to work at their own pace. Jose attacked the program so industriously he not only completed the total assignments within the program, several lessons beyond any other members of the class, but he also did so a week prior to the end of the term. During class, Jose was always extremely attentive, working well with all other students in group work in addition to accomplishing a tremendous amount when working independently. As a second language learner, Jose has also excelled in learning English because of the incredible effort he has put forth in reading. Students are expected to read a set number of points, which are based on reading level, and length of text in our computerized reading-testing program, Accelerated Reader. Again, Jose exceeded the set limit because of his diligence and mature attitude toward his education. Jose is definitely a winner, and his desire to achieve the goals he aspires to, along with his past accomplishments here at Wheeling High School, ensure he will be a success in his future endeavors. It has been an honor to be his teacher."

Juniors Nikki Joslin and Margaret Szarwark were nominated by Michael Burke for their work in English.

"Every teacher needs a few honest, hardworking students in class who have mastered nonverbal communication and can serve as sounding boards for occasional reality checks," Burke said. "Both Nikki and Margaret filled this essential role in my class. When I needed to check for understanding, I simply glanced into the right-hand corner of the room where these young ladies sat. If they were nodding, I knew I was being clear; if their faces were scrunched, I knew I wasn't. They smiled when I made a humorous joke (and frowned when I didn't). Most of all, they maintained eye contact, affirming that they were a part of the class and focused on our activities. Finally, when they spoke, what they said mattered."

Senior Lauren Hickok was nominated by Jeffrey Bott for her work in architecture.

"Lauren has been a student in the drafting program for the past four years," Bott said. "This year she was selected to compete at the District Architecture Contest. The team that she was on won the contest and their house will be built next year. Lauren will pursue a major in architecture or interior design. She will be missed at WHS."