Tag Archives: Alyson Raywood

Schools Scene

RFH Class of 2015: Awards, Scholarships to More Than 80

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The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Class of 2015 is graduating Friday night, and not without many of its members first recognized for special achievements

More than 80 awards were given out at the RFH Annual Awards Program on June 8, including valedictorian recognition, departmental achievement, student life, and honorary awards as well as scholarships.

RFH Principal Dr. Tracy Handerhan presented the Valedictorian Achievement Award to Alexandra Siwulec, who also received the American Association of University Women 2015 Book, Catalyst STEM, Holy Cross Church Scholarship, U.S. Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence and Superintendent’s awards.

Siwulec will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, where she will major in biophysics and minor in Latin as part of the College of Arts and Sciences and Vagelos Molecular Life Sciences Program.

At RFH, Alexandra’s extracurricular activities include: co-founder and co-president of Global Women Empowerment Club, president of Paws and Claws, chairman of the Gender Issues Committee of the Social Justice Club, and junior board member for Change a Life Uganda. She is an accomplished pianist, having participated in the Golden Key Music Festivals in Vienna and New York City as well as the annual Monster Concert at Brookdale Community College.

Some of the highlighted awards presented to RFH seniors were:

• Alyson M. Raywood Scholarship — Erin Blewett

A 2013 RFH graduate, Alyson M. Raywood completed her first year at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia before passing, after a  courageous two-year battle with cancer, on October 14, 2014 at the age of 19.

The Alyson M. Raywood Scholarship was created to honor an individual who has suffered a tragedy but continues to fight on while maintaining a positive outlook. The scholarship was presented to Blewett by Alyson’s mother, Ro Raywood.

• Class of 2009 Scholarship Award — Ashley Adler

RFH Class of 2009 graduates Stephen Noglows, Timothy Robinson, and Daniel Ryan presented this new award to Adler in honor of their late friend and classmate Robert Anthony Melita. Funds for the scholarship were raised by the First Annual Robert Melita Softball Tournament.

• Robert Anthony Melita Scholarship — Abbey Weis

This scholarship is awarded to an RFH senior who, like Robert Anthony Melita, possesses the courage to stand up for what he or she believes in regardless of popular opinion and serves as an advocate for others. This year’s Robert Anthony Melita Scholarship was presented to  Weis by Robert’s sisters Lauren and Haley Melita.

• Catalyst STEM Award — Russell Binaco and Alexandra Siwulec

This new award recognizes two outstanding students planning to study science, technology, engineering, or math at the post-secondary level. Dr. Tracy Handerhan presented the Catalyst STEM Award to  Binaco and Siwulec.

• U.S. Army Reserve Top Future Soldier Award

This award was presented by Sargent Ethan Newago to Anthony Sciametta, who has enlisted in the Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

• American Patriot Award

This award is given to a senior who has displayed honor, courage, and commitment by taking the oath to protect and defend our country as a United States Marine. Michael Longo received this award from Sargent Pedro V. Roman.

• Gold and Silver Awards were presented to RFH seniors at a breakfast held on April 17. Students from the RFH Class of 2015 amassed 58 Gold Awards and 31 Silver Awards.

A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 4.00 at the conclusion of the seventh high school semester qualifies students for the Gold Award. A cumulative GPA of 3.67 at the conclusion of the seventh semester earns the Silver Award.

— Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School press release (edited)

Local Life

Rumson Teen Relays in Memory of RFH Grad, Grandma

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By Elaine Van Develde

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate and lifetime Rumsonite Brittany Hopkins is prepping to take long trek for life in remembrance of two people who made an indelible impact on her life through their fights with and deaths to cancer — former fellow RFH grad, Alyson Raywood, and her grandmother, former Aberdeen resident Mathilde Altinger.

Both died in the fall of 2014 — Raywood on Oct. 11, 2014.

Raywood, 18, a member of the RFH Class of 2014 who is now a freshman at Boston College (BC), will join roughly 1,500 fellow undergraduates in a 12-hour American Cancer Society Relay for Life walk-a-thon,  at the college this weekend. And she’ll be doing it in the name of Raywood and Altinger.

At Boston College, where there are 9,000 undergraduates, “it is the largest non-athletic event on campus,” Hopkins said. “On Feb. 22, BC officially hit the $1 million mark of fundraising over the past 8 years. We are the first university in Massachusetts to do this. Boston College is trying to raise $175,000 this year; and so far we have raised $102,000.”

Hopkins was motivated by the love of her grandmother and the perseverance of Raywood, a 2013 RFH grad. Though she said she wasn’t close with Raywood, she saw her grow sick and couldn’t help but admire her for her positive outlook and bright smile in the face of adversity.

Hopkins’ motivation catapulted her into the fundraiser walk. She felt it was the least she could do to help in the fight against the cancer that stole two people with pivotal, unassuming roles in her life and the lives of so many others.

“When Alyson passed away, it seemed like a part of Rumson passed with her,” Hopkins said. “You could see how distraught the community was. This was the same with my grandmother. My grandmother was the most genuine, kind, generous person that anyone could imagine. When I lost her, I lost a part of myself.

“My grandmother and Alyson were incredibly strong and could put a smile on anyone’s face. It was a shame to watch cancer take over them, but I know they’re still with us in a way. It’s sad that a disease can take such special people away. I hope that we can decrease the amount of people diagnosed and that one day we can find a cure.”

Hopkins is Corporate Sponsorship chair on the Relay for Life Committee.

She has set a personal goal to raise $3,000 and is $300 shy of it. She is appealing to the Rumson-Fair Haven community for a boost for the May 20 to 21 walk.

Check out Hopkins’ fundraising page for Relay for Life at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/brittanyhopkins
or contact Hopkins directly at [email protected].