Hilltopper Highlights 2012 - Westmont Hilltop School District

Citizenship & Community Service
Senior Projects Give Back
Students are immensely creative in designing senior projects to demonstrate
their skills and talents and often to serve their community. The following are
shining examples of how Senior Projects may benefit the community.
Parag Dharbhamulla presented a concert for the benefit of the Johnstown
Symphony Orchestra. Not only did the concert delight and amaze an appreciative
audience, but the JSO benefitted as Parag’s talent was extended to community
service through his senior project.
Community Member Megan Seese-Livingston, Founder and Coordinator of
the Cinderella Project, sent a special commendation to senior Lauren Taylor.
Through the project, students in need in the community receive prom dresses
and accessories that they could otherwise not afford. Megan wrote:
“I am writing to inform you of the exemplary performance of one of your
seniors, Ms. Lauren Taylor. Lauren selected the Cinderella Project as her senior
project and as the founder/coordinator, I could not have been more pleased with
the work she did. Not only did she help work both of our Try-On Days from set
up to clean up, she collected dresses, funds and coordinated an outstanding
fashion show event to support the project. Lauren’s coordination of the prom
fashion show was no small undertaking. She organized everything from models,
dresses and hair to tickets, giveaways, refreshments, and she even wrote the
script for the event. I know for a fact that she worked many long hours on
making the event a success. Through her efforts she raised $1,000 and collected
100 dresses, which is absolutely phenomenal.”
Ethan Policicchio served the district by creating a project to light the flag at
the top of the flagpole at the Middle School.
Rotary Awards $8,500 in Scholarships
The Johnstown Rotary Club awarded $8,500 in scholarship funds to eight
graduating seniors at the 28th Annual Salute to Area Scholars this spring.
“We are so pleased to continue this tradition of recognizing our highest
academic achieving students,” said Ivar Berge, president of Johnstown Rotary
Club. “This is always a very special evening for the students and their parents.”
The event featured Cambria County Judge Linda Rovder Fleming, a
Westmont Hilltop alum, as the keynote speaker. The Academic Scholarship
Winners from Westmont Hilltop were: Mustafa Hammudi and Ethan Policicchio.
To participate in the evening’s event and to be eligible for the academic
scholarships, students must maintain a minimum QPA of 3.5 throughout all four
Ethan Policicchio
years of high school. Based on the
number of students in the graduating
class, each high school was allocated a
number of students who were eligible
to apply for the scholarships.
The scholarship finalists were
chosen on an evaluation of their QPA,
SAT scores, extracurricular activities,
and response to an essay question.
The finalists were then invited to
participate in an interview. Three
non-Rotarian judges made the final
allocation and scholarship award.
Also receiving recognition for their
academic achievements at this year’s
Annual Salute to Area Scholars were
the following students:
Rotary Awards: Sarah Bunyea, Christopher Campagna, Mustafa Hammudi, Naofa
Noll, Ethan Policicchio, and the Honorable Linda Rovder Fleming (WHHS Class of
1981)
24 “Citizenship & Community Service”
Sara Bunyea
Christopher Campagna
Parag Dharbhamulla
Nicole Dorn
Kelcy Harrison
Kyra Hill
Mark Nathaniel
Naofa Noll
Adam Pozun
Britney Smith