Independence Middle School recognized dozens of students for academic achievement Tuesday during its annual Academic Excellence Recognition Program, held June 2 at 6 p.m. at the school.
The ceremony presided over by Principal Jim Fodse and Assistant Principal Tyler Dillinger, featured student speakers Mason Faccenda, representing seventh grade, and Christina Priore, representing eighth grade. The Independence Singers performed the national anthem and a special musical selection. Vice President Mrs. Christina Headley represented the school board.
Students were honored in two categories: Distinguished Honors, recognizing high academic achievement, and the Presidential Academic Excellence Award, a national honor presented to students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance. The Presidential Award is accompanied by a congratulatory letter from the White House.
Eighth-grade Presidential Academic Excellence Awards were presented by Mr. Jason Turka and Ms. Jenn Miklos. Distinguished Honors awards for both grades were introduced by Dillinger and presented by Ms. Nina Persi, Mr. Jeff Schilling and Mrs. Jordan Henderson. Fodse delivered closing remarks.
The program recognized seventh-grade Distinguished Honors recipients, eighth-grade Distinguished Honors recipients, and eighth-grade Presidential Academic Excellence Award winners.
2025-2026 Honorees:
7th Grade Distinguished Honors
- Abdulaziz Abduazimov
- Maryam Abdulloeva
- Madison Adamski
- Daisy August
- Alan Blake
- Abigail Borsa
- Peyton Bruney
- Claire Buchanan
- Abigail Burke
- Ayisha Chapagai
- Cassidy Chapman
- Reagan Church
- Catalina Cimino
- Alaina Clagett
- Ronan Cooley
- William Crothers
- Lily Curry
- Priyasha Dahal
- Parker Dawson
- Noah Decker
- Lucas Diep
- Quinn Dobos
- Juliana Dolbee
- Emma Dunn
- Ava Edmonds
- Kinsley Elkins
- John Escalona De Jesus
- Mason Faccenda
- Scarlett Fedor
- Kelly Felicetti
- Lianne Fileta
- Elizabeth Fisher
- Madison Foote
- Camryn Foote
- John Ford
- Jackson Gallagher
- Niko Gaudelli
- Zoey Gault
- Laszlo Gordon
- Jules Greco
- Reece Greco
- Parker Hall
- Aubree Hardy
- Isaac Harmon
- Nicholas Harrison
- Macey Hartman
- Madyn Hill
- Michael Jarasiewicz
- William Joslin
- Gwendolyn Kammenzind
- Oliver Kareis
- Cole Kasper
- Kierra Kelly
- Haram Khalid
- Aayan Khan
- Landon Kim
- Ryan Kreigline
- Conner Lambright
- Natalie Liluashvili
- Jackson Maher
- Abigail Mahr
- Mikaela McCaslin
- Elise McElvenny
- Curtis McNees
- Cooper Melnik
- Maggie Metti
- Myley Metz
- Gunnar Mogavero
- Adelena Mosco
- Brett Muench
- Brenna Nagel
- Delaney Natto
- Cameron Navoney
- Arvind Neopaney
- Alex Nepal
- Sebastian Nipar
- Colin O'Rourke
- Vihaan Pancholi
- Catherine Parisi
- Lathik Sai Nandan Pattapu
- Logan Patterson
- Maggie Paxton
- Reese Philage
- Kamryn Pivovarnik
- Jaden Poole
- Gianna Pusateri
- Benjamin Quinn
- Catherine Radinick
- Charles Rafalowski
- Carter Ragan
- Leila Rbaibi
- Jalina Regmi
- John Removcik
- Vivienne Rose
- Nico Santoriello
- Alexandra Sarneso
- Nathan Sharpless
- Illyana Sicchitano
- Bria Simmons
- Priska Siwakoti
- Ava Skerbetz
- Adeline Smeltz
- Luke Stefancin
- Gabriel Stehlik
- Lillian Stelzner
- Elle Stevens
- Tyler Stutzman
- Kyla Surmick
- Alia Tapriyal
- Mya Thimons
- Eshan Timsina
- Molly Verslype
- Ruby Vignoli
- Taelor Wallace
- AJ Winkler
- Cianna Woods
- Abyssinia Wyant
- Harper Zidik
8th Grade Distinguished Honors
- Yasmin Almeida Rozario
- Vivienne Amari
- Taym Ariouat
- Blake Beck
- Bradley Bench
- Kendall Betzler
- Oscar Bileck
- Scarlett Billingsley
- Kiera Boyle
- Brady Braham
- Liliana Brucker
- Roman Bukovitz
- Samuel Cable
- Maximilian Catana
- Keegan Chermak
- Adithya Chimata
- Preston Christian
- Reese Chropka
- Violet Conroy
- Cole Cramer
- Brodie Curry
- Grant Dear
- Ava Deckard
- Cayden Diener
- Nash Doman
- Rose Doman
- Claire Dzanaj
- Lilliana Eckoff
- Lily Edwards
- Caleb Erbrecht
- Christiano Espinar
- Giamaria Fonzi Moscatiello
- Alex Forester
- Ava Fortier
- Sylvia Friedberg
- Karina Gautam
- Ashlyn Geis
- Abigail Gerginski
- Corey Gordon
- Connor Graf
- Alec Graham
- Mason Gualazzi
- Juliette Hall
- Faith Hartman
- Gulianna Headley
- Levi Heckman
- Carys Hindman
- Lucy Kelly
- Jackson Kelton
- Maksim Kim
- Alexis King
- Easton Kloss
- Elijah Kovach
- Aubrey Kuhn
- Sutseng Kumje
- Lily Kuszaj
- Bria Lang
- Kylie Lang
- Matthew Lawton
- Olivia Litke
- Arianna Loeffert
- Martina Lutz
- Cleo Manley
- Maria Martin
- Elliot Martin-Farmer
- Ashley Mattes
- Quinn McCann
- Brooke Mellinger
- Francesca Messinger
- Abigail Miller
- Jannah Miloua
- Emerson Morgan
- Perry Myers
- Nagina Neopaney
- Isabella Nguyen
- Josie O'Malley
- Serafina Palumbo
- Clare Parisi
- Lukah Peterson
- Dylan Petras
- Abhik Pradhan
- Christina Priore
- Ryan Pushic
- Arav Ramani
- Ariella Reverri
- Gabrielle Rose
- Emily Sabanovic
- Parker Santora
- Enzo Santoriello
- Brielle Schafer
- Morgan Shea
- Landon Sirera
- Brody Staley
- Caleb Stewart
- Sophia Stipanovich-Sisley
- Leah Strack
- Hannah Strock
- Crosby Studeny
- Noel Thimons
- Arianna Velisaris
- Addisyn Voytko
- Taylor Waldrop
- Hannah Watkins
- Sophia Weis
- Rachel Weiss
- Penelope Werts
- Marco Wetzel
- Corsica Willetts
- Kyle Windham
- Jordyn Wolf
8th Grade Presidential Academic Excellence Award
- Yasmin Almeida Rozario
- Blake Beck
- Bradley Bench
- Oscar Bileck
- Kiera Boyle
- Brady Braham
- Liliana Brucker
- Maximilian Catana
- Keegan Chermak
- Adithya Chimata
- Preston Christian
- Miles Clancy
- Violet Conroy
- Cole Cramer
- Grant Dear
- Ava Deckard
- Cayden Diener
- Nash Doman
- Rose Doman
- Lilliana Eckoff
- Caleb Erbrecht
- Christiano Espinar
- Ashlyn Geis
- Abigail Gerginski
- Connor Graf
- Mason Gualazzi
- Juliette Hall
- Faith Hartman
- Gulianna Headley
- Jesus Ibarra Carmona
- Layton Jones
- Lucy Kelly
- Aubrey Kuhn
- Lily Kuszaj
- Bria Lang
- Cleo Manley
- Maria Martin
- Ashley Mattes
- Quinn McCann
- Brooke Mellinger
- Francesca Messinger
- Perry Myers
- Clare Parisi
- Dylan Petras
- Abhik Pradhan
- Christina Priore
- Ryan Pushic
- Arav Ramani
- Ariella Reverri
- Gabrielle Rose
- Emily Sabanovic
- Parker Santora
- Enzo Santoriello
- Morgan Shea
- Landon Sirera
- Leah Strack
- Hannah Strock
- Arianna Velisaris
- Addisyn Voytko
- Hannah Watkins
- Penelope Werts
- Kyle Windham