Academic Achievement and Community Service Define Top Seniors at Leon County High Schools

February 28, 2020

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Leon County’s most outstanding high school seniors were selected this month as the 152 finalists in 2020 for the 15th Anniversary of the Best & Brightest Awards, which recognize and honor public and private school students who excel both academically and in service to school and community. The finalists from each school will next undergo an interview process culminating in the Best & Brightest Awards Ceremony, to be held May 13, 2020 at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, at which countywide winners will be announced.

“Once again we are thrilled to honor 152 accomplished students who are truly the best and the brightest in their schools and in our community,” said Laura Rogers, Program Director of World Class Schools and coordinator of the project. “They follow in the legacy of so many young leaders and are establishing themselves as their generation of influential leaders in academics and service to others.”

The Best & Brightest Awards program, now in its fifteenth year, has recognized almost 2,000 exceptional public and private high school seniors and awarded more than $678,000 in scholarships since its inception. The Best & Brightest Awards program is sponsored by Envision Credit Union, in partnership with Leon County Schools, World Class Schools of Leon County, The Tallahassee Democrat, Sachs Media Group, Rogers Gunter Vaughn Insurance, NAI Talcor, Sperry & Associates and Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory.

“We are proud, long-time partners of the Best & Brightest program that offers scholarships to these exceptional Tallahassee students,” said Darryl Worrell, Envision’s CEO. “One of our driving forces at Envision Credit Union is community support through education. So, we are honored to be able to help this generation of talented young leaders in their future endeavors. The impact that they have made in their community is worthy of recognition and praise.”

On February 29, 2020, panels of select community leaders will interview the 2020 finalists on topics such as world language, technology and drama, to determine the winners of the countywide awards. This year, 152 finalists will be evaluated on their academic achievement, leadership and community service. A winner, runner-up and honorable mention recipient will be named from each category.

“All of these wonderful ‘Best & Brightest’ high school seniors have distinguished themselves through their significant academic achievements and dedicated, selfless service,” said Ron Sachs, Founder of the Best & Brightest Awards. “Their good works, individually and collectively, reflect a generation that is cultivating a culture and an ethic of service as a meaningful part of their lives. That upbeat reality should comfort all of us about the future in which they will lead in every key sphere of influence.”

To reach this point, finalists have demonstrated a solid record of academic achievement and expertise in one of 15 competitive categories in addition to school and community service. First-place winners in each category will receive scholarships of $1,500; runners-up will be awarded $750; and honorable mention recipients will receive $500. All other finalists will receive a $100 scholarship in recognition of their superlative accomplishments.

In addition to celebrating high school students, the Best & Brightest Awards program reaches out to younger Leon County students. The program conducts an Eighth Grade Essay Contest and three students from across the county will win awards ranging from $100 to $500. The contest provides middle school students with much-needed positive reinforcement and helps encourage them to reflect on the importance of community involvement and academic achievement as they enter their high school careers.

Another feature of the program, first introduced eight years ago, is the Spirit of the Best & Brightest Award, presented to the Best & Brightest winner who best exhibits a deep commitment to civic duty and service. That student will receive a $2,500 scholarship commemorating the late Brooks Rogers, in addition to his or her Best & Brightest scholarship award winnings.

This year’s finalists for the 15th Anniversary of The Best & Brightest Awards are:

Art: Rachel Abbott (Maclay), Ethan Bonham-Reed (SAIL), Caroline Hamon (FSUS), Essence Nobles (Godby), Marquelle Ogletree (Rickards), Julia Pagan (Chiles), Manna Robertson (Leon), Madison Wolfe (Lincoln)

Athletics: Shania Cromartie (Leon), Taylor Hall (CCS), David Keen (NFC), Mary Kelley (Lincoln), Saige Kemeny (Home School), Martin Methellus (Rickards), Talia Miller (Chiles), Keyon Norton (SAIL), A’Kyrah O’Banner (Godby), Janae Scott (FSUS), Avery Smith (Maclay)

Business: Jeremy Bayiha (Godby), Enrie Gan (Chiles), Gabriela Garcia (SAIL), Taryn Henry (Lincoln), Jake Moore (Leon), William Pfeiffer (FSUS), Conqualla Scott (Rickards), Rachael Stockel (Maclay)

Career/Technical: Dakota Davis-Jenkins (SAIL), Hannah Diehl (Leon), Victoria Garcia (FSUS), William Grant (Maclay), Kamiya Kendrick (Godby), Sarah Owen (Chiles), Colin Papania (NCF), Kenyadric Smith (FAMU DRS), Aarushi Walia (Rickards), Ariana White (SJPII), Sarah Wnuk (Lincoln)

Drama & Performing Arts: Chokwe Bennett (Godby), Mary Casteel (Maclay), Ria Chadha (Rickards), Ethan Dhanarajan (SAIL), Haven Fauble (Lincoln), John Malley (Leon), Bentley Mercer (Chiles), Katie Mulrooney (CCS)

English & Language Arts: Hailey Bauer (FSUS), Mara Chasar (SAIL), D’Aundra Coley (Lincoln), Emily Gaines (CCS), Angel Hailemariam (Leon), Julia Hernandez (Chiles), Tessa Jones (Rickards), Timothy O’Connor (SJPII), Nicole Schneggenburger (Godby), Lilly Simons (Maclay)

Journalism & Media Production: Cassidy Bonn (FSUS), Sarah Crandall (Lincoln), Jacqueline Cruz (Leon), Jaleya Henderson (Godby), Corren Mahone (Chiles), Anagha Mundrathi (Rickards), Madelyn Stout (Maclay), Alexsis Thomas (NCF), Kaylen Vincent (CCS), Cooper Wright (SAIL)

Leadership: Victor Andrew (Godby), Samia Batchelor (Leon), Sarah Bowman (NCF), Elizabeth Coats (FSUS), Jude Countryman (SAIL), Katherine Evans (SJPII), Jason Gao (Rickards), Ha-eun Kim (Lincoln), Timothy Mayfield (CCS), Kennedi Mercer (FAMU DRS), Gracie Miller (Chiles), Michelena O’Rourke (Maclay)

Mathematics: Asim Baral (Lincoln), Simon Corpuz (Maclay), Dario D’Errico (SAIL), Rayyan Darji (Rickards), Matthew Jones (Godby), Jacob Maas (NCF), Axel Maysonet (FSUS), Antonio Nunez (Leon), Abby Thompson (Chiles)

Music: Hali Alex (FSUS), Frank Carson (Maclay), Mikayla Drose (NCF), Taylor Haworth (Leon), Jacob Jackson (SAIL), Torin Keeney (Godby), Isaiah Lee (Rickards), India McCary (FAMU DRS), Carter Nelson (Lincoln), Bella Stoddart (CCS), James Wi (Chiles)

Public Speaking: Victor Clark (NCF), Madeline Feiock (Leon), Shaw Horton (CCS), Ayonna Johnson (FAMU DRS), Joey Jung (Lincoln), Madison King (Godby), Maxance Ngnepieba (Rickards), Moriah Oliff (SAIL), Jack Scott (Home School), Ansley Topchik (Chiles), Iyshwary Vigneswaran Warren (FSUS), Austin Wilbourn (Maclay)

Science & Health: Tanvi Haldiya (Rickards), Nicholas Homann (SAIL), Hannah Hosay (Maclay), Neha Iyer (Chiles), Scott Lindsey (CCS), Amaya Maxwell (FAMU DRS), Mateah McIntosh (NCF), Marisa McNulty (Lincoln), Pamela Nance (Godby), Wen-Chi Pierson (FSUS), Lily Rogers (Leon)

Social Science: Kylin Byles (Godby), Max Cannard (SJPII), Connor Couch (Chiles), Gavin Dunsby (SAIL), Bryson Gonzalez (Leon), Adelyn Hanlon (Home School), Courtney Maxwell (FSUS), Madeleine Roberts (Maclay), Apurva Srivastava (Rickards), Janecia Thomas (FAMU DRS), Rylee Vaughan (Lincoln)

Technology: Logan Chenicek (Leon), Sanjita Choudhary (Rickards), Andy Jiang (Chiles), Ayden Larson (FSUS), Katherine Lyons (Maclay), Chase Merrick (Lincoln), Georgia Piper (SAIL), Rhonda Smith (Godby), Trent Walker (SJPII)

World Languages: Keagan Barrett (Lincoln), Adriana Dorn (NCF), Emily Dudley (Maclay), Niccolo Gaviola (Godby), Emma Hanley (Rickards), Morgan Hardenburg (Leon), Kathryn Mann (Chiles), Nicholas Petty (SAIL), Ashley Sawyer (FSUS), Emma Smith (SJPII), Ashleigh Witherington (Home School)

Posted In: News

Best & Brightest Awards Celebrates 15th Year of Honoring Outstanding Students in Leon County

October 1, 2019

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 2020 Best & Brightest Awards have officially begun looking for the Best & Brightest High School Seniors in Leon County.  The program kicked off its annual recognition program with a gathering of key school leaders at WFSU for a breakfast featuring public and private school principals and guidance counselors from across the county.

With the celebration of the 15th Anniversary, a new Best & Brightest logo was revealed with the tagline “Celebrating 15 years of student service & academic success.”

The program is now accepting applications from Leon County’s “best and brightest” high school seniors, who will have a chance to claim a share of $55,000 in total scholarships across 15 categories of scholastic achievement and community service. Students are encouraged to submit applications to their school guidance counselor in order to qualify before the January 30, 2020, deadline.

“The example set by our ‘Best & Brightest’ young leaders is an inspiration for our entire community,” said Ron Sachs, CEO of Sachs Media Group and founder and sponsor of the Best & Brightest.  “We’re looking for our next group of outstanding students with notable records of commitment, achievement and a demonstrated track record of service.”

Since Best & Brightest creation, 1970 students from Leon County schools have received $684,000 in scholarship support. Major scholarships are awarded to three countywide winners in each of 15 different categories: $1,500 scholarships for the first-place winners, $750 for runners-up and $500 for honorable mention honorees. The program also awards $100 cash scholarships to all school-based winners through Envision Credit Union, the program’s premier sponsor.

“Envision considers the Best & Brightest Awards to be one of our top priorities, and we are proud to participate in this event from day one,” said Darryl Worrell, President and CEO of Envision Credit Union. “The Best & Brightest reflects the academic drive and community involvement that Leon County students are known for.”

Home-schooled and Virtual School students are eligible to enter the program, joining public and private school students chosen by school principals, guidance counselors and teachers. Applications are accepted in each of 15 categories: Art; Athletics; Business; Career/Technical; Drama & Performing Arts; English and Language Arts; World Languages; Journalism & Media Production; Leadership; Mathematics; Music; Public Speaking; Science & Health; Social Science; and Technology.

Students are also judged based on their school involvement and leadership, and a special focus is placed on community service. Recipients of a Best & Brightest Award are always students who have gone above and beyond the minimum community service hours required by their school, and have shown that they truly understand the importance of giving back to their community on a regular basis.

After faculty and staff identify them, school-based winners will undergo a rigorous review and interview process, conducted next February 29th  by a judging panel of community leaders. The judges will take numerous factors into account, including achievements in the individual field of study but also interview skills, overall academic success and, especially, a demonstrated track record of community service. Through this procedure, three top students will be selected as the countywide winner, runner-up and honorable mention in each category.

“Each year the finalists prove to me that our community has the finest students” said Laura Rogers, program director at World Class Schools of Leon County and coordinator of the Best & Brightest Awards program. “Not only do they excel in the classroom but selflessly dedicate their time by giving back to their schools and the  community. These students are the best of the best in many different areas which makes them so deserving of recognition.”

Eighth-grade students, including those who are home-schooled and Virtual School students, will have their own opportunity to be honored as the “best and brightest” of their age group, through a prompted essay contest. For the ninth year running, eighth-graders will be eligible for recognition in the form of a $500 award to the winner, $250 to the runner-up and $100 to the honorable mention honoree.

For more information on the Best & Brightest Awards, visit www.wcsleon.com/bestandbrightest

Posted In: Media

Search for Best & Brightest students kicks off

September 27, 2018

From the Tallahassee Democrat

The search for the 2019 best and brightest high school seniors in Leon County is on.

The Best & Brightest  Awards program is now accepting applications from high school seniors, who will have a chance to claim a share of $55,000 in total scholarships across 15 categories of scholastic achievement and community service. In order to qualify, students are encouraged to submit applications to their school guidance counselor before the Jan. 31 deadline.

“These important awards are well-deserved by stellar local students who have demonstrated great accomplishment academically and sincere commitment to community service,” said Ron Sachs, CEO of Sachs Media Group and founder and sponsor of the Best & Brightest Awards, in a statement. “The example set by our ‘Best & Brightest’ young leaders is an inspiration for our entire community about the value of giving back.”

The program kicked off its annual recognition event Wednesday with a gathering of key school leaders at Hotel Duval for a breakfast featuring public and private school principals and guidance counselors from across the county.

Since the creation of the Best & Brightest Awards, 1,815 students from Leon County have received $623,000 in scholarship support. Major scholarships are awarded to three countywide winners in each of the 15 different categories. First place winners receive a $1,500 scholarship; runners-up receive $750; honorable mention honorees receive $500. The program also awards $100 cash scholarships to all school-based winners through Envision Credit Union, the program’s premier sponsor.

Home-schooled and Virtual School students are eligible to enter the program, joining public and private school students chosen by school principals, guidance counselors and teachers. The categories are art; athletics; business; career/technical; drama and performing arts; English and language arts; foreign language; journalism and media production; leadership; mathematics; music; public speaking; science and health; social science and technology.

Students are also judged based on their school involvement and leadership, and a special focus is placed on community service. Recipients of a Best & Brightest Award are students who have gone above and beyond the minimum community service hours required by their school, and have shown that they truly understand the importance of giving back to their community on a regular basis.

After faculty and staff identify them, school-based winners will undergo a rigorous review and interview process, conducted on March 2 by a judging panel of community leaders. The judges will take numerous factors into account, including achievements in the individual field of study but also interview skills, overall academic success and a demonstrated track record of community service. Through this, three top students will be selected as the countywide winner, runner-up and honorable mention in each category.

“Each year we receive an incredible amount of quality applications,” said Laura Rogers, program director at World Class Schools of Leon County and coordinator of the Best & Brightest Awards program. “While these students are achieving academically they also concentrate on their passions through creativity, compassion and community service. These awards stand out because they highlight the best of the best in many different areas, rather than focusing on one dimension of a student’s life.”

For the eighth year running, eighth-grade students, including those who are home-schooled and Virtual School students, also will have an opportunity to be honored as the “Best and Brightest” of their age group, through a prompted essay contest. The winner will receive a $500 award, runner-up $250 and honorable metnion honoree $100.

Posted In: Media