8th graders honored at annual Academic Awards Assembly

North Hills Middle School’s annual Eighth Grade Academic Awards Assembly was held on Thursday, May 29. Traditionally held on the last day of school, students are given awards for not only academic achievement but for displaying the characteristics that make up the pillars of the school’s Strong as Steel positive behavior reinforcement program.

For each eighth grade team, an award is given to two students in the core subjects of English, Math, Social Studies and Science. Additionally, students are chosen for each team’s Rising Star, Most Diligent Worker and Mr. Rogers Good Neighbor awards.

Departmental awards are given to students for band, orchestra, chorus, tech ed, art, computer science, literacy arts, health and physical education, and world languages, among others.

Musical groups also perform during the event and students who achieve highest honors during the school year are recognized. Violet Taylor served as this year’s eighth grade student speaker. Gracie Rahenkamp was the poet laureate and Mackenzie Baxter was the student artist.

The awards assembly is organized each year by eighth grade teachers Vicki Truchan and Joe Welch. Students do not know ahead of time that they have won, adding to the fun of the event. Parents typically attend.

This year was the eighth year for the awards assembly. Congratulations to our 2025 winners:

• Principals' Strong as Steel Awards: Aryanna Isasky, Mai Chau and Eliza Jiminez Gonzales
• Principals' Student of Distinction Award: Julia Kaufmann, Sophia Porter and Aubrey Hitchcock
• Perseverance in Progress: Isaiah Moreno
• The Heart and Hustle Award: Kenzleigh Fuchs
• The Game Changer Award: Aiden King
• Striving for Excellence Award: Kylie Hart
• Perfectly Positive Award: Masum Yildirim
• Student Leadership Award: Abigayle McElhinney

Team Awards

Team Westinghouse

• English: Molly Schneider and James Dietz
• Math: Carson Wieseckel and Izabella Macioce
• Social Studies: Eddie Spontak and Lisa Sanchez
• Science: Dibyangshu Kumar and Sydney Myers
• Breakthrough Scholar: Giovanna Valentim and John Heisel
• Most Diligent Worker: Josee Connors and Jackson Anzaldi
• Mr. Rogers Good Neighbor Award: Jocelyn Long and Lily Balousek

Team Carnegie

• English: Violet Duermeyer and Lea Mayer
• Math: Michael Duty and Isabella Ketterer
• Social Studies: Cooper Kosek and Nevaeh Spreng
• Science: Charlie Beatty and Morgan Wirtz
• Breakthrough Scholar: Judith Gulabe and Madison DiCostanzo
• Diligent Worker: Dom Lyons and Jordyn Reeg
• Mr. Rogers Good Neighbor Award: Ryker Cardwell and Gavin O'Malley

Team Heinz    

• English: Makenna Futrell and Evan Lantz
• Math: Roman DeMartino and Liam Dick
• Social Studies: Will Gianoglio and Daniel Huynh
• Science: Trevor Francis and Shruthi Selvaraj
• Breakthrough Scholar: Isabele Cunha and Leticia Araujo
• Most Diligent Worker: Gracie Rahenkamp and Brendan Regan
• Mr. Rogers Good Neighbor Award: Assia Charkaoui and Masayoshi McGahey

Departmental Awards

• Band: Megan Snyder and Matteo Trombetta
• Orchestra: Eli Blondin and Gigi Trombetta
• Chorus: Maura Foltyn and Michael Thomas
• Music: Evan Shiring and Samara Manuel
• Tech Ed: Elizabeth Morris and Timothy Korey
• Sustainable Engineering: Madelyn Benacquista and Jonah Frost
• Family & Consumer Science: Mohammad Salim Musa and Haven Rusak
• Art: Stephen Novick and Brigid McKiernan
• Digital Art: Violet Taylor and Lillian Moran    
• Next Level Fitness: John Mullen and Tyler Giles
• Health: Ryan Trosky and Katelyn Walters
• Literacy Arts: Margaret Kozak 
• GATE: Liam Nelson and Spencer Gratz
• Computer Science: Julianna Mullen and Kennedy Oyler

World Language Awards

• German: Kaz Remp and Kellen Plummer
• Latin: Elissa O'Kelly and Samuel Humphrey
• French: Emma Sutton and Aubrey Brisco
• Spanish: Ava Meadows and Rory Leuch