Two Avon students - Sean M. and Josephine V. - are recipients of the 2022 Teen Recognition Award.
Given annually by the Livingston County Board of Supervisors and Youth Bureau, these awards are earned by high school teenagers as young as 15 who are committed to community improvement, demonstrate leadership or are role models for others by virtue of having overcome personal challenges.
The awards recognize youth in the community who subtly go about making the world around them a little more special through their actions and attitudes.
Josephine, a senior, was nominated by High School Principal Ryan Wagner and Board of Education member Karen Vanderbilt. In his nomination, Wagner pointed not only to Josephine’s kindness, but her involvement and leadership in a variety of school and community-based activities.
“She is the president of Interact Club and she participates in the Student Council and the Superintendent’s Advisory Council. Through these committees, she has demonstrated leadership abilities and has provided valuable input around school activities and issues,” wrote Wagner. “In addition, Josephine volunteers regularly in the community. She has participated in the Day of Caring, and has volunteered for the mini-hoops program, the Genesee Country Museum, the Special Olympics, and the Rotary Road Rally. She always gives her best and has proven to be caring and trustworthy.”
In her nomination, Vanderbilt said Josephine has “a quiet confidence and love of her community” and characterized her as “a very accomplished young lady with significant academic achievements" and "a myriad of extracurricular activities and community involvement."
More specifically, Vanderbilt cited Josephine’s enthusiasm in leading the district’s Interact Club, which has faced fundraising and membership challenges the past couple of years because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Even before school started, she helped organize a fundraiser alongside the Rotary Club of Avon. She solicited our local bakers to donate cookies to go along with the lunch that the Interact Club was selling the day of the event,” said Vanderbilt. "She recruited help from members that would be needed as we had not yet had our first meeting. She confidently runs each of the meetings and participated in World Interact week by running the meeting at our Rotary Club of Avon. Many members approached me after the meeting and complimented her organization and presentation of what Interact has done and the club's future plans.”
Sean, a sophomore, was nominated by Marnie Baker, a teacher with the Hornell City School District who knows Sean through his involvement in Avon’s Boy Scout Troop 26.
In her nomination, Baker pointed to Sean’s community service - specifically his recent Eagle Scout project to build outdoor classroom space for Avon Central Schools.
“He spent a lot of time in the planning stages - getting ideas for what would be valuable to the community, obtaining approval for his project from both the school and scout leaders, and then fundraising to make it possible,” said Baker. “He bought the materials and recruited volunteers to help him. He brought his volunteers together to build the components and installed the classroom outside at the school. He put a lot of effort into making this a successful project. His project will be used by the community for many years to come. This is just one of the many ways this young man has given back to his community.”
Sean and Josephine will be honored along with award recipients from other towns in Livingston County during a ceremony at the Willow Creek Venue in Lakeville in April.