Falcon talent noted at Awards Night

Student poses with award certificate

Albany High School recognized 91 students with scholarships, prizes and awards on Wednesday at Awards Night.

In addition, 106 students were recognized with a Seal of Civic Readiness, a new state distinction for a high school diploma indicating a student has attained a high level of proficiency in terms of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic mindset, and civic experiences.

The ceremony was held in Albany High's magnificent new auditorium.

Students and the scholarships and awards they received follow in alpabetical order by student last name.

  • Tiana Adler, Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award
  • Preeya Ahmed, Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize
  • Shakif Ahnaf, University of Vermont Award
  • Alexa Alims, Student Sage Scholar
  • Kaleighanne Athens, New Educator Award
  • Luis Balla Penafiel, Roselyn Steck Prize
  • Maia Ballato, Albany Civic Theatre Award
  • Ruth Barraza Solorzano, Hanlon MacDonald Memorial Scholarship
  • Hannah Bopp, Keuka College George Ball Award
  • Neel Chittur, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Za'Nazia Clark, Shoyne L. Hall Scholarship
  • Heather Corrales, C.V. "Raju" Raman Memorial Scholarship and Yvette Brown Scholarship Award
  • Kendra Davis, Orlin Award French 2
  • Vicente Del Puerto, Seal of Biliteracy Award
  • Miranda Diaz, Elmira Key
  • Hamidullaha Faqeer, Attorney General's Triple "C" Award
  • Jalen Gary, Julia O. Wells Memorial Scholarship
  • Luke Gibson, RIT Art and Design Award
  • Zvi Gomez Fisher, Clarkson Achievement Award
  • Aaliyah Goodin, Yvette Brown Scholarship Award
  • Fianna Harman, Albany Booster Club
  • Natalie Harris, TOAST Alumni Scholarship and Gerald Jennings Scholarship
  • Grant Hershey, Instrumental Award (Band)
  • Endri Hoxha, RPI Medal
  • Adela Hoxha, Keuka College George Ball Award
  • Adeline Hubbell, Instrumental Award (Orchestra)
  • Ngozichukwu Karen Igbadi, Shoyne L. Hall Scholarship
  • Lauren Israel, St. Bonaventure Jr. Scholarship
  • Leah John, Tom Healy Scholarship and APSTA Scholarship
  • Kevin Kam, Dr. Alexander Paley Scholarship and City Club of Albany Award
  • Kler Kaw, Hanlon MacDonald Memorial Scholarship
  • Nathan Kendall, Keuka College George Ball Award
  • Chauncey Khamani, Albany Booster Club
  • Jessica Korbieh, Student Sage Scholar
  • Adrianna Kowalski, Christopher Ryan Scholarship
  • Akshay Kumar, RIT Computing Medal
  • Hannah Lamont, Elaine Englander Prize, Seal of Biliteracy Award and IB Diploma Candidate Medal
  • Jacob Levine, Orlin Award French 3
  • Ryan Linn, Clarkson Leadership Award
  • Jacob Madden, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship and National Merit Commended Scholar Award
  • Liam Maloney, Yvette Brown Scholarship Award
  • Makiah Massas, HVCC Book Award
  • Alpha Mathai, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Alexis Maynard, Keuka College George Ball Award
  • Kevin McLeod, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship, Joseph Lewi Memorial Math Prize, NYS Comptroller Achievement Award and National Merit Commended Scholar Award
  • Mackenzie Mendrick, APSUE Scholarship
  • Arianah Moore, Shoyne L. Hall Scholarship and Aisslee Thrett Award
  • Katherine Myers, Smith College Book Award
  • Sofia O’Connor, Seal of Biliteracy Award
  • Wamedh Othman, George Eastman Young Leaders Award
  • Olivia Penna, Dr. Alexander Paley Scholarship
  • Luyanda Pieterse, Brendan Fahy Bequette Memorial Scholarship
  • Isabella Plasteras, National Merit Commended Scholar Award
  • Mnieq Polk, Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize Honorable Mention
  • Ben Quist, Stephen Hershberg Award
  • Shubham Rai, Warren W. Stout Prize
  • Na Reh, Alfred University Scholar Award
  • Ian Roach, Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize Honorable Mention
  • Shaquin Robinson, Albany Civic Theatre Award, Choral Award and Ethel B. Lamar Prize
  • Elyse Roepe, Brendan Fahy Bequette Memorial Scholarship, Dutch Settlers Society of Albany Prize and Harriet Wands Sacca Award
  • Ayelet Roseblum, St. Bonaventure Junior Scholarship
  • Maisie Sagaas, Frederick Douglass & Susan B. Anthony Award
  • Muhammed Salim, Gerald Jennings Scholarship
  • Ahmed Sami, St. Michael's College Book Award
  • Neapha Sampson, Class of 1956 Award
  • Leslie Santos Flores, Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize
  • Anadi Sarkar, Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award
  • Elior Schwartz, Female Lundy Society Award
  • Zane Sears, NYS Comptroller Achievement Award
  • Zoe Silvestri, Knights of Pythias Award and Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Saugat Shah, Xerox Award for Innovation and Info Tech
  • Jackson Shahinfar, Keuka College George Ball Award
  • Feroz Bin Sharif, Hoffman Development Corporation Scholarship
  • Kselekstra Shimbilko, RIT Women in STEM and Society of Women Engineers
  • Kieran Sleasman, Attorney General's Triple "C" Award and New Educator Award
  • Jasmine Smallwood, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Lin Song, Albany Booster Club
  • Angelina Sorese, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Andre Speller, St. Bonaventure Junior Scholarship
  • Val Hlei Sum, TOAST Alumni Scholarship
  • Rayna Swann, St. Michael's College Book Award
  • Badia Syed, Princeton Book Award and Society of Women Engineers Award
  • Tayab Talukder, Elmira Key
  • Linda Torres, Hanlon MacDonald Memorial Scholarship
  • Grace Ustin, National Merit Commended Scholar Award
  • Veryonica Vanderhall, Shoyne L. Hall Scholarship
  • Cross Vargas, IB Diploma Candidate Medal
  • Zoe Volmer, Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award and Orlin Award French 4
  • Daniel Weisberg, Selena Sloan Butler/Theresa Sandidge Memorial Scholarship
  • Helen Jo Wunderlich, Bryn Mawr Presidential Book Award
  • Anaya Zullo, RIT Science and Math Award

In addition, 106 students were recognized with a Seal of Civic Readiness, a new state distinction for a high school diploma indicating a student has attained a high level of proficiency in terms of civic knowledge, civic skills, civic mindset, and civic experiences. 

Also, the following students earned a Seal of Civic Readiness:

Ahmed Ahmed Shah • Alaa Al Hussein • Fatima Al Hussein • Noman Al-tiri • Rabiat Amin • Sophia Anderson • Zahidullah Awal Khan • Giavanna Bacon • Luis Balla Penafiel • Star Bassette • Ahriah Baynes • Timothy Berry • Jonathan Boroh • Jahnasia Boyd • Jalen Braddock • Jayan Campbell • Nyla Carol • Paige Cartwright • Bensy Castillo Marte • Damien Ceniza • Tanaya Chambers • Rolando Chanchavac Pelico • Shalienah Chaney • Maria Chuqui Guasco • Nylan Danzy • Vincente Del Puerto • Yanasia Diaz • Alexander Doehla • Leileona Dowdell • Savannah Downer • Rafael Duarte • Carson Engstrom • Maceo Farrell • Kathleen Gazda • Amin Gedi • Schinelle Gibson • Jaheim Gittens • Hannah Goldstein • Tova Gordon • Jenny Guanoluisa Bunay • Sahar Haidary • Krishma Haidary • Marwa Haidary • Tessa Hollop • Sumiya Hossain • Murtaza Hussaini • Trennity Jemison • Khasai Johnson • Antonio Kessler • Farozan Khwja Zada • Nelofar Khwja Zada • Joshua Kirtley • Adrian Kowalski • Junior Lainez Garcia • Hannah Lamont • Paige Lantigua • Anna Lopez • Anaya Lumpkin • Jacob Madden • Orgito Malollari • Dylan Mariscal-Dreby • Cosmo Martinelli • Makiah Masses • Oh'Rae'Jah McLean • Jae Meh • Taliyah  Miller • Ungwa Mnyomoelwa • Julia Modesto • Briana Morten • Asma Mosavi • Jerimah Mott • Seyyed Mousavi • Erfan Nabizada • Dirhem Nagi • Julienne Navarro • Emily O'Keefe • Yuma-zhe' Oliver • Moses Orellana • Valery Oval • John Palaguachi • Zyaira Parker • John Pedralvez • Luyanda Pieterse • Isabella Plastiras • Luis Plaza Zhinin • Raymond Ramirez • Elyse Roepe • Sonia Russell • Tyair Ruth • Melody Saint-Louis • Leslie Santos Flores • Elior Schwartz • Zy'aira Scott • Sanaa Scott • Naved Seraj • Waleed Shahbain • Zoe Silvestri • Kieran Sleasman • He'nais Smalls • Ruth Solorzano • Victoria Suarez • Linda Torres • Chika Uzoeshi • Amsaal Waqas • Adriel Watkins • Ciara Wierschem  

Congratulations to all!


Take a look at Facebook photos from Awards Night. (You don't need a Facebook account to see the pictures linked in the highlighted text. A window may appear that says, "To see more from Albany City Schools on Facebook, log on or create an account,” but you can dismiss it by clicking “not now.”)