Galen Myers Freedman smiles for the camera as she takes her seat for the graduation ceremony.
Approximately 390 seniors graduated at the 101st annual Hightstown High School commencement ceremony June 21 at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton.
The class valedictorian was Jai C. Patel and the class salutatorian was Niranjan Shankar.
Class officers for 2016 included Allison Gleich, president; Nicole Elena Charache, vice president; and Devon DiComo, vice president. Student council president was Jay Vaingankar.
The graduates included (asterisk designates National Honor Society): David Abban-Baidoo, Cherry Damiana Abdelmessih, Matthew Achaibar, Allison Adams, Joseph Anthony Adragna, Varince Agyeman-Badu, Bryant Marcelo, Alvarez, Crest Fernando Alvarez, Lucas Alvarez, Sergio E. Alvarez Mayancela, Katherine Alvear, Kayla Vanessa Andrade, Ari Anish, Nataly Estefania Arevalo, Sancho, Jaime Gustavo Arevalo-Tenenpaguay, Danny Argudo, Jeremy R. Arias, Jorge Andres Arrisueno, Cheyenne Therese Astarita, Alessandra Auster*, Timothy J. Aveni, David Fernando Avila.
Hansa Bajaj, Vanessa Michelle Baldwin, Matias Fernando Banegas Quezada, Torri J. Barber, Joseph Barreto, Kerissa K. Barrett, Diego Barrientos, Dwanne Alexander Batista, Erick Juliano Batista Garcia, Sarah Franki Berliner, Caitlyn Rose, Bernard, Kevin Bibiano, Emily Birish*, Adam Benjamin Block, Tai Ameer Bomani, Cristhian Lorenzo Bonilla, Ronald C. Boyler, Penella Renee Bradford, Alexis Rose Brandon*, Hayley Suzanne Branstrom*, Allan Bravo Lazo, Rohan Buddala*, Gabriel A. Bulosan, Meghan Burd*, Emma Kathleen Bussone-Peterson.
Luz Angelica Caicedo Abadia, Arelis Jazmin Calderon, Brandon Calmo, Bryden Elizabeth Carr, Charles Edward Carr*, Alexander Louis Castro, Carol Jailene, Castro, Luis Eduardo Catalan Deleon, Katelyn Mary Catana, Kaylee Cesard*Kyle Berk Cetin, Edwin Patricio Chacha, Angie Chango, Nicole Elena Charache*, Prospero Chavez, Thaisha Hadassa Chery, Melanie Jailene Chicaiza, Steven Chimbo, Jason Chuqui, Elijah Ceome Clark, Jela Erin Clark, Kayla Ruby Clavijo, Serina Maria Clemente, Alexander Xavier Cobos, Kaitlyn M. Cohen, Jamie Colavita, Mayra, Lizeth Collaguazo, Nickemil Concepcion, Ryan Patrick Conlon*, Christopher Ivan Contreras, Christian Celestin Coridon, Christopher Clausel Coridon, Anna Perrin Cox*, Cristian Crisanto, Miah Yan Hua Crossen*, Thomas Milan Cuba*, Brandon Cummings, Christopher M. Cunin, Kendall Curry, Sean Curry.
Jamie Lynn Dailey, Matthew D’Ambrosia*, Denzel Asente Danzy, Dominique Ayana Danzy, Erik Alexander De la Rosa Perez, Jessica DeDomenico, Andrew John, DeForest, Ashleigh Marie Deliz, Erin Elizabeth Demko, Morgan E. Dennehy, Katelin Renee Derr, Amanda Michelle Devlin, Samantha Ann Diamonte, Ivana Ruby Diaz, Victoria Marie DiBenedetto, Devon DiComo*, Thomas Charles Distelcamp, Emily Ann Dohn, Max Henry Dolnick, Michelle S. Dominguez Tenecora, Argenis, Peralta Duran.
John Eaton, Charles Eosso, Elijah James Espinosa.
Alex Charles Farkas, Alisa Fatima*, Joshua Fayer*, Cameron Fein, Jessica Nicole Ferragamo*, Ethan Daniel Finger, Gabriella Rose Fiore, Nichole Firstbrook-Cruz, Ryan Flanagan, Boris Josep Flores Farfan, Kyle Fontanez, Kylie Madlyn, Foradori, Etienne Albert Fougnies*, Hannah J. Frankel, Joshua Henry Frankel*, Rachel Renee Fredrick*, Galen Myers Freedman, William Harrison Fuller.
Alba Gamboa, Matthew C. Gargiullo, Jonathan Andrew Gattuso, KKeelan Gayl, Danny Geber, Kenneth John Gerhart*, Daniel Robert Gerrits, Frank Anthony, Gianotto, Allison Gleich*, Zachary P. Gloos, Wagner J. Grajeda, James Greaves, Virpartap Singh Grewal*, Bianca Dionne Grimsley, Kelly Najely Guallpa-Chuqui, Leslie Guaman, Rafael Guerra, Mayank Pratap Gulati*, Chirayu Gupta, Luis Guzman, Nicole Abigail Guzman.
Destiny J. Hagans, Briel Sarai Harvey, Shakufa Hasani, Jessica Ann Havens, Jasmine Lee Haws, Michael F. Hayden, Ryan J. Henry, Kiera Nicole Heuston, Benjamin S. Hezrony, Leonard Hicks, Bethany S. Horvath, Joshua Arthur Hubbard, Naomi Ruth Hudgins, Syed Mehdi Abbas Husaini*.
Isabella Faye Iavarone*, Marlon M. Iglesias, Rebecca Infosino*, Nelsy Ibon Izaguirre Lezama.
Hunter James Jackman-Hulick, Genesis Andrea Jaigua Cardoso, Kelly J. Jarama, David Jaramillo, Emily Morgan Jarvis, Erykah Qwenice Jenkins, Mark Jenkins, Katherin Michelle Jimenez, Libeth Dennise Jimenez Tejada, Catherine Jocelyn, Isabelle Jocelyn, Jarell Andrew Johnson, Keyron Donte Jones, Thomas Eric Juckett, Alex Spencer Jurkiewicz.
Emily Young Won Kang*, Numayr Ali Khan, Yunus Mohammed Ali Khan, Paul Kikta, Jayden Kyle Klatskin, Sienna Marie Kochis, Abhinav Kohli, Vishnu Komanduri, Allison Jessica Kraemer, Jacob Daniel Krause, Justina Ashley Kulick, Raveena R. Kumar, Shivam Kumar*, Sunny Kumar*, Allison Lynn Kurs.
Leobardo Antonio Lagos Rivas, Odalis Lamadrid, Carlos Landaverde, Reina Isabel Landaverde, Gregory Jay Lang, Michael Robert Laustsen*, Christina Lee, Tehya Ashanti Linton, Anahi Lopez, Diona Lopez, Jennifer Tereza Lopez, Perla Lopez, Isiah Loya.
Brian Ma*, Cody Alan Madden, Michael Richard Magee, Monica Trixie S. Manangan, Fredy Marin, Cesar Isaias Marroquin Mendez, Katherine Martinez-Medina, Matthew H. Maxwell, Derek Kent McCord, James Anthony McDaid*, Calvin Francis McKay*, Vaibhav Mehta*, Manuel De Jesus Mencia Cruz, Catherine Helen Meneskie*, Taylor Lee Miller, Mikaela Mintz, Traci A. Mitchell, Daniel Moffler, Vinicio Fernando Mogrovejo Ochoa, Joshua Stanley Montalva, Christopher Thomas Moore, Jessenia Mora, Michael Angelo Morales, Cassandra Morris*, Giover Brandon Munoz, Kieran Jeffrey Murphy, Manu Y. Mustapha.
Samuel J. Nagy, Na-Tori Aj’ee Nance, Cindy Naranjo, Samantha Narvaez, Nathan Nash, Alexander Joseph Nazarov*, Ritheshkumar Selvakumar Neelamagam*, Dwight Dwan Neptune, David Edward Newell, NaJah Akilah Newton, Abigail Christine Nickerson*, Thomas John Nicola, Anthony J. Nikolaus, Alyssa Victoria Nogol.
Tyler S. Oeser, Onochie Ogugua, Vanessa Oliveros, Alicia Carmen Ortiz, Cristian Camilo Osorio.
Egan Stuart Padilla, Jalen Carter Paige, Lilian Rose Palmere*, Karen Anabel, Panama Lojano, Shaunak Sanjay Pandya, Shivani Pandya*, Deepkumar H. Patel, Greeshma Rajani Patel, Mit I. Patel, Parthkumar Kiritbhai Patel, Riddhi Patel, Romil V. Patel, Shivani J. Patel, Zeel Rajesh Patel, Anand Patel*, Jai C. Patel*, Priya Patel*, Roshan K. Patel*, Jeffrey Patino, Santiago Pelaez Castano, Gabriela Andrea Penagos, Christian D. Perez, Katriel J. Perez, Heaven Marie Petters, Julisa Tatiana Piedra, Elena Plumser, Michael Poulter, Alissa Rose Powers.
Daisy J. Quizhpi, Luis Fernando Quizhpi.
Jeffrey Gordan Rafalko, Michael Thomas Ragno, Valerie Ragno, Faraz Rahman, Rithika Ramasubbu, Sarah Elise Real, Noah Joseph Trenery Reiss, Jomarys Reyes, Luis Alberto Reyes, Debora E. Reyes Sandoval, Nelson A. Rivera, Kristian A. Rodas, Romi Roman Cabrera, Ashley Elizabeth Romeo, Keith Rose, Jonathan Drew Rosen, Kilber Ruiz, Logan Rupp, James Russell, Emily Galbraith Ryer.
Jocelyn Melissa Saavedra, Ishika Sachdeva, Virginia Alejandra Salazar, Charles J. Salstead, Frederik Omar Sanabria Ayala, Jasmine Alexis Santalla, Lauren Felicia Sappok, Jessica Alexandra Saquicela, Kaela Katelyn Sarcone, Akhil Saripella*, Luther Andrew Schlaifer, Michael Scotto DiMonaco, Alexis Francisco Serrano Lopez, Meera Samir Shah, Shil Arpit Shah, Shilp R. Shah, Vatsal Shah, Neil S. Shah*, Sahal Shaikh, Niranjan Shankar*, Delaino Shaw, Mariam Shehata, Christian Sherwin*, Sarah Y. Shikarchy, Kimberly Silva, Jacob Simon*, Joseph Sinacore, Gurjit Singh, Karamvir Singh, Randall Joseph Sivak, Namratha Sivakumar*, Alisha Belle Smith, Spencer D. Smith, Anthony Solares, Austin Garrett Soriano, Sydne Sosa, Destiny C. Spearman, Charlene Renee Stango, Swetha Subramaniam*, Nicholas Dylan Sunga, Andrea Nathali Suquilanda, Emily Ariane Swart, Evan Glen Swart, Mason Switsky.
Okoye M. Taylor, Jessica Tenempaguay, Jonnathan Xavier Tenesaca Alvarracin, Nala Cherryl-Lynn Thomas, Jackson Blizzard Thompson, Makenzie Tiernan, Julia Elizabeth Tillman, Kevin Toledo, Christopher D. Trejos, Alexander Thien An Trieu, Dylan Trimboli, Julia Trost, Jericho Emil Tulayan.
Pooja I. Udeshi*, Allison Unger, Juan Uribe*.
Jay Vaingankar*, Jaime Santiago Vallejo, Austin M. Van Hise, Matthew R. VanWhy, Kemp Vasquez, Bruce Velecela, Kevin Alexander Velez, Logan Paige Vest, Anna Marie Villante, Max Vuolle, Madhir Vyas*.
Lauren Ashlee Walker, Sabrina Mildred Walley, Molly Marie Walsh, Korey Anna-Marie Ward, Kelyn Martere Watson, Justin Alexander Weinberg, Jessica Harley Weingast*, Elizabeth Weissenberger, Khalil White, Brianna Alexis Williams, Daniel Lee Willis, Alexandra Lauren Witlieb, Sarah Ann Woodill*, Grace Catherine Wroblewski, Michael Robert Wulstein.
Maria Fernanda Yunga Saeteros.
Areebah Ahsan Zia, Jack Zosulis.
The Senior Awards winners included:
Abigail Nickerson- Music Boosters Organization Award, Partners in Performing Arts Technical Theater Award, Principal’s Award for Excellence in English, Principal’s Award for Excellence in French, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Social Studies.
Adam Block – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Physical Education & Health – Male Student.
Alba Gamboa – MCCC Scholarship/Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Alexander Cobos – Friends of Alvin Townsend Jr. Memorial Award.
Allison Gleich – Friday Club of Hightstown Community Service Award.
Allison Kurs – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Anna Cox – Partners in Performing Arts General Drama Award.
Anna Viillante – Ray Willbergh Memorial Scholarship.
Arelis Calderon – Elaine B. Martin Business Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Austin Van Hise – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Benjamin Hezrony – Catherine Gager Memorial Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Caitlyn Bernard – Alvin Townsend Jr. Memorial Award.
Cassandra Morris – Emily Silverstein Scholarship for a Better World Award, Joshua Harr Shane Foundation Scholarship, Music Boosters Organization Award.
Cesar Marroquin Mendez – English as a Second Language Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Charles Carr – Marc Scott Seiden Memorial Award, United States Marine Corps.
Chirayu Gupta – Principal’s Award for Excellence in German, Senator Linda Greenstein Award for Public Service.
Christian Sherwin – ERA Edge Scholarship, U.S. Presidential Scholars.
Cody Madden – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Devon DiComo – Partners in Performing Arts Musical Theatre Award, Tina Petri Memorial Award Sponsored by Music Boosters Organization.
Elena Plumser – Alvin Townsend Jr. Memorial Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Emily Jarvis – Principal’s Award for Excellence in German.
Emily Kang – John Phillip Sousa Award Sponsored by Music Boosters, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Family and Consumer Sciences.
Emily Ryer – Gracious Professionalism Award.
Emily Swart- Elizabeth “Betty“ Reeves Klank Memorial Art Award.
Erykah Jenkins – Succeeding in Life Award.
Etienne Fougnies – Robert Abrams Memorial Award.
Galen Freedman – The Seeing Eye Dog Award.
Grace Wroblewski – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Industrial Arts.
Haley Branstrom – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Industrial Arts.
Isabella Iavarone – Ella Mount Burr Educational Trust Scholarship, Partners in Performing Arts General Drama Award.
Jacob Simon – United States Marine Corps – Male Athlete.
Jai Patel – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Math.
James McDaid – Louis Armstrong Jazz Award Sponsored by Music Boosters.
James Russell – Succeeding in Life Award.
Jay Vaingankar – Emily Silverstein Scholarship for a Better World Awards.
Jela Clark – Kurt Shapiro Memorial Scholarship.
Jeremy Arias – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Joseph Adragna – Nathan Bard Memorial Award.
Joshua Fayer – Leonard J. Millner Award for Public and Community Service.
Joshua Hubbard – MCCC Scholarship/Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Justina Kulick – Marie Parker Black Scholarship Award.
Kayla Andrade – Ethel McKnight Sponsored by the EWEA.
Kayla Clavijo – Eric Whitney Memorial Science Award.
Kelyn Watson – Alvin Townsend Jr. Memorial Award.
Korey Ward – Craig Goldhammer Memorial Award, Music Boosters Organization Award.
Kylie Foradori – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Lilian Palmere – Excellence in Singing Award.
Luther Schlaifer – Kelly’s Heroes Scholarship Award.
Madhir Vyas – Principal’s Excellence Award in the All-Around Category.
Makenzie Tiernan – Lawrenson C. Rue Memorial English Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Mason Switsky – Eric Whitney Memorial Scholarship.
Max Vuolle – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Television Production.
Mayank Gulati – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Chemistry, Gracious Professionalism Award.
Nala Thomas – Al Punk Memorial Award Sponsored by the EWEA.
Namratha Sivakumar – Anthony Ruggiero Marching Band Award, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Spanish.
Na-Tori Nance – Katherine A. Kreps Scholarship for Biological Studies.
Nicole Charache – Ella Mount Burr Educational Trust Scholarship, Ina B. Wichansky Theatre Arts Award Sponsored by the EWEA, Joseph Kluxen Memorial Scholarship Award, Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation Award, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Vocal Music.
Niranjan Shankar – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Biology.
Parthkumar Patel – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Raveena Kumar – Ella Mount Burr Educational Trust Scholarship, Partners in Performing Arts Musical Theatre Award, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Business.
Rebbecca Infosino – Health Professional Scholarship, Jason Segarra Organ Donor Awareness Memorial Award .
Ritheshkumar Neelamagam – Philip Barlow Memorial Mathematics Award, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Physics.
Rohan Buddala – Katherine A. Kreps Scholarship for Biological Studies.
Romi Roman Cabrera – Principal’s Award for Excellence in ESL.
Sarah Real – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Art.
Shil Shah – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Shivani Pandya – Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation Award.
Shivani Patel – Hightstown Women’s Club Health Studies Award.
Swetha Subramaniam – Mehjabin Saifi Memorial Science Award.
Syed Medhi Hussaini – Principal’s Excellence Award in the All – Around Category.
Tehya Linton – United States Marine Corps – Female Athlete, ChazMaTazz Formalwear Scholarship.
Thaisha Chery – A. Danforth Cope Memorial Award.
Thomas Cuba – Milton J. Richey Memorial Sponsored by Music Boosters Organization.
Thomas Distelcamp – Music Boosters Organization Award, Skills USA & Ryder Diesel Scholarship.
Thomas Juckett – Partners in Performing Arts Acting Award.
Timothy Aveni – Joseph Kluxen Memorial Scholarship Award, National Merit Scholarship Corporation, Principal’s Award for Excellence in Instrumental Music, United States Marine Corps Musical Excellence Award.
Traci Mitchell – Principal’s Award for Excellence in Physical Education & Health – Female Student.
Vaibhav Mehta – Principal’s Excellence Award in the All-Around Category.
Zachary Gloos – Ray Willbergh Memorial Scholarship.
