Mars Area High School recognized numerous students at the school’s 27th annual Academic Excellence Banquet, held May 16 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township, Pa.
Seniors who received athletics and military awards are Robby Carmody, Eythe-Williams Award; Lauren Wasylson, Maude Neithercoat Award; Frank Craska and Maggie Williams, U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Award; Cade Hetzler and Isabelle Berkopec, U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award; Deepayan Patra, U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award; Shane Lisman, U.S. Marine Corps Semper Fidelis All-American Award; Michelle Manukas, U.S. Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence; Nathan Walker, U.S. Navy Outstanding Scholar Award; Alex Hornfeck, U.S. Navy Outstanding Athlete Award; Amanda Chizmar, U.S. Navy Inspirational Leadership Award; and Shaun Birch, McKenzie Hutchison, Caleb Keys and Carli Walker, Butler Road Race Inc. Scholarship.
Recipients of community awards are Amanda Chizmar, Kristin Schindler Memorial Scholarship; Nathan Walker, Mars Area High School Chemistry, Engineering & Mathematics Scholarship; Amber Maynard, Butler County Community College Pioneer Education Scholarship; Courtney Williams, Belinda A. Terzich Memorial Scholarship; Jack Ford, Mars Area High School Swimming & Diving Boosters Scholarship; Zachary Greene, The Edward & Bethel Kean Foundation Scholarship for the Arts; Jerome Nacey, The Edward & Bethel Kean Foundation STEM Scholarship; Courtney Williams, Mars Planet Foundation Education Scholarship; Amber Maynard and Jerome Nacey, Ross McConnell Memorial Scholarship; Jonae Jackson and Nash Lawrence, Ibn Hoffman Memorial Scholarship; Alicia Fenton, Woodmen Life American History Award; Shaun Birch, Callery Science Award; Gabrielle Kennihan, Jerome Nacey, and Amanda Pfeifer, Women’s Club of Mars Scholarship; Erin McGuinness, Mars Rod & Gun Club; Gabrielle Kennihan and Sophia Arbani, Women’s Club of Southern Butler County Scholarship; Sara Hagen, Jerome Nacey and Dan O’Connell; Rich-Mar Rotary Educational Scholarship; Cade Hetzler and Nichole Sommers, The Jeff Danner Memorial Scholarship; Jack Harsch, Royal Grange Scholarship; Sara Weigle, Edward R. Choura Vocational-Technology Automotive Scholarship; Ashley Parham, Floyd L. Johnston Scholarship; and Samantha Ridgeway, Viola Zimmerman Memorial Scholarship.
School-related awards were presented to Amanda Chizmar and Ashley Parham, Student Council Scholarship; Sophia Arbani and Erin McGuinness, Mars Area Education Association (MAEA) Scholarship; Deepayan Patra and Nicholas Weber, High School Service Award; Nicholas Weber, Gold High School Service Honor; Shaun Birch and Jacob Ryan, Honor Diploma Seal; and Shaun Birch and Jacob Ryan, Distinction Diploma Seal.
Honors previously awarded went to Kinsley Bitzer, Mars Finishline Boosters Scholarship; Robby Carmody, WPIAL Jim Collins Scholar Athlete Award; Corey Ferguson, Mars Soccer Boosters Scholarship; Connor Amsler and Joseph Schneider, Roundball Scholarship; Ray Kahn, Scott Lang Memorial Scholarship; Rachel Pasko and Caileigh Seskey, Mars Cheerleading Scholarship; Sean Hannon, Mars Leadership Award for Soccer; Ashley Parham, GE Star Award; Ashley Parham, Burger King Scholars Program Scholarship; Caleb Keys, Cross Country Scholarship; Daniel O’Connell, Starzynski Scholarship; and Davis Bayne, Allegheny Regional Excellence Award.