Cape students win Jefferson Awards
Cape Henlopen High School honored some of its top achievers recently by giving them Jefferson Awards to acknowledge their hard work.
“The Students in Action Leadership Team is extremely proud of the winners of each award,” said Joel Simon, guidance counselor at Cape Henlopen High School.
The Students in Action Leadership Team presents Jefferson Awards to students who have participated in community action and service. Cape Henlopen is one of 325 schools nationwide that participates in the program. The leadership team picks monthly winners who have been nominated by students or staff.
Community service groups offered at Cape High include Future Farmers of America, Best Buddies, JROTC and the Leo Club.
Simon said the following students received awards for their exemplary service:
• Brianna Gabbard, a sophomore at Cape is an active member of Future Farmers of America. She is an excellent student who has distinguished herself through her volunteer work at Savannah Animal Hospital. She also volunteered at the YMCA during YMCA youth swim meets by helping with concessions.
• Samantha Franklin is a member of the Students in Action Leadership Team. She ranks in the top quarter of the sophomore class and is a recipient of the Governor's Youth Volunteer Award with over 300 community-service hours. She is an active member of JROTC and Future Farmers of America and has lobbied and become a spokeswoman for the YWCA SITE program.
• Elena Campbell, a junior, is active in National Honor Society and Best Buddies and particpates in the theatre program and Cape Chorale. She is organizing events for Best Buddies and recently volunteered to help with autistic students at Camp Barnes. Elena also is hosting an exchange student from Norway this year.
• Senior Tiara Duffy participates in the Students in Action Leadership Team. She is Delaware's field hockey player of the year and led Cape Henlopen to a state championship. She is known for her leadership on the field hockey and softball fields. Tiara is active in National Honor Society, Best Buddies and Leo Club.
• Jason Harris is an 11th-grader at Cape Henlopen. He is involved in the management of the pro start team, club green, and plays varsity tennis. He runs a suicide prevention twitter account in order to raise awareness about bullying, disorders, and depression. He has reached out to thousands of young people and another student reports that Jason has saved 23 lives.
“Cape Henlopen is especially proud of Samantha, Brianna, Elena, Jason, and Tiara who give of themselves for the benefit of the greater Cape Henlopen region,” Simon said.
