As the school year comes to a close, members of the Class of 2019 prepare for the end of their high school careers, as they experience their final memories at Midlothian High School. Seniors did so on Friday, May 31, 2019, as they attended their last end of the year awards assembly.

A sea of blue and gold filled the commons, as the soon-to-be-graduates lined up to process into the auditorium. The ceremony began with a welcoming speech delivered by Senior Class President Sujeet Alwin. Principal Shawn Abel then reflected on some of the memories and great accomplishments that the Class of 2019 has experienced through the past four years, articulating perfectly just how fast time has flown. Dr. Abel then turned the program over to a representative from each department, who recognized seniors for their outstanding work in specific subject areas over the past four years. After the various departments gave their respective awards, Activities Director Shea Collins recognized outstanding Midlo athletes who went to regionals and states, as well as All-Region, All-State, and All-Metro athletes, followed by a recognition of senior class officers by Mr. Eliot and Mrs. Manheim. Next, cellists Jason Hwang and Brianna Cantrell, accompanied by percussionist  AJ Moraski, delivered a lovely arrangement of the theme from Game of Thrones and a lively rendition Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal that had the audience’s toe tapping.

Dr. Abel then recognized six Midlo seniors who have achieved perfect attendance during all four years of high school: Joshua Babb, Ethan Brown, Jacob Benzinger, Ian Helm, William Morris, and Sherinne Zhang, followed by numerous prestigious awards and scholarships, including: Principal’s Leadership awards, Top Ten medals, Michael Rowe’s appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, and Liam Wasson’s appointment to the United States Naval Academy.

After the presentation of awards and scholarships, the faculty turned over the floor to the class officers, who recounted the class history and achievements of the class, presented senior superlatives, and showed the senior video, created by senior Maclane Self, for a trip down memory lane. 

Finally, to end the event, Sujeet Alwin passed the gavel to next year’s senior class president, Preston Willett, who accepted it and the responsibility that comes with it wholeheartedly, starting with dismissing the Class of 2019 to gather for the class picture and prepare for more senior festivities in the afternoon. 

Senior Class Officers

President: Sujeet Alwin

Vice President: Josue Candelaria

Treasurer: Amanda Chok

Secretary: Da-Lan Pham

Historian: Maclane Self

Senior Class Sponsors

Mrs. Carolyn Manheim and Mr. Christopher Eliot

Class of 2019 Departmental Awards

IB Program

IB Student of the Year Award: Britney Price

IB CAS Students of the Year Award: Zane Ruzicka and Nabiha Rais

English Department

Write Now! Contest Winners: Lauren Wilkinson, Angel Hudson, Sydney Washington, and Ellie Northrop

English Teacher Senior Awards: Ms. Crerie: Reem Alabood; Mrs. Fischer: Sydney Havemann; Mrs. Palenski: Ellie Northrop; Dr. Rand: Winston Kakande; Mr. Spewak: Halleigh Carson and Kirsten Hebb; and Mrs. Tully: Sebastian Knaupp

Herff-Jones Editorial Leadership Award: Madison McCallum

Senior Journalism Award: Sophie King

Best Essayist: Tess Wlader

Best English Student: Michael Rowe

Social Studies Department

Social Studies Award for Civic Engagement: Spencer Willett

United States Government and Politics Student of the Year: Will Morris

Social Studies Teacher Senior Awards: Mr. Abell: Grace Wells and Zoe Davis; Mr. Johnson: Carrie Rowley and Nabiha Rais; Mrs. Aiello: Kyle Kinskie; Ms. Canty: Immanuel Pierce; Mr. Giddings: Zane Ruzicka; Mr. Kirkbride: Sebastian Knaupp; and Mr. Steele: Marisa Ruotolo

Mathematics Department

Math Modeling and STEAM Challenge 2019: Delaney Novak, Brianna Cantrell, and Zack Mawaldi

Senior Virginia Math League Award: Kyle Keunnen & Zach Speitzer

Computer Science Award: Curtis Fowler

Outstanding Mathematics Award: Logan Shapiro and Brianna Cantrall

Science Department

Science Teacher Senior Awards: Mrs. Booher: Carrie Spichiger; Mr. Cheatham: Jordan Carrara; Mr. Davis: Chris Dutton; Ms. Goins: Jessica Sullivan; Mrs. Patel: Logan Georgel; and Mr. Wade: Besmah Al-Ashari.

IB Science Award: Halleigh Carson

IB Chemistry Award: Zack Mawaldi

World Language Department

Outstanding ASL Senior Award: Victoria Willoughby

Outstanding French Senior Awards: Czar Gentius-Harris & Ashley Peterson 

Outstanding German Senior Award: Ian Helm

Outstanding Latin Senior Award: Kyle Kuennen

Outstanding Spanish Senior Award: Halleigh Carson

Career and Technical Education Department

Business Student of the Year: Dan-Lan Pham

Outstanding Student in Information Technology: Logan Shapiro

Marketing Student of the Year: Will Morris

Outstanding Engineering Student of the Year: Alby Koolpurackal

Fine Arts Department

Visual Arts Teacher Senior Awards: Ms. Joswick: Isabel Dingus and Abigail Healy; Ms. Veseley: Morgan Sensabaugh and Tess Wladar; Mrs. O’Kleasky: Carrie Rowley and Abi Allums; Mrs. Good: Kate Woodington and Halleigh Carson

Chorus

All County Chorus: Sydney Havemann, James Pridgen, Anna Patterson, and Yosef Collins

All District Chorus: James Pridgen, Josue Candelaria, Sydney Havemann, Anna Patterson, Hunter Pearson, and Yosef Collins

All Virginia Chorus: Sydney Havemann

Most Outstanding Chorus Student: Sydney Barefoot

Band

All-County Orchestra: Brianna Cantrall, Clay Webb, and John Williams

All-Virginia Orchestra: Jason Hwang

Theatre 

Outstanding Senior Theatre Students: Samantha Ramirez and Michael Rowe

Health and Physical Education Department

Distinguished HPE Student Awards: Peyton Klee, Hunter Klein, Jalen Turner, and Aaron Vardell

Distinguished PE Student Award: Amanda Nimmons 

Athletics

Scholar Athletes of the Year: Will Pomeroy and Erin Babashak

Prestigious Awards and Achievements

Superintendent’s Student Advisory Group for Education: Devyn Vernier

National Merit Scholarship Program Letter of Commendation: Elizabeth Bolstad

Outstanding Success Mentors Award: Reem Alabood, Abigail LaMere, and Spencer Willett

Success Achievement Awards: Jessica Acosta-Lopez and Logan Ashman

Scholastic Excellence Awards: Joe Hester and Noelle Baptiste

Semper Fidelis Awards: Whitman Martin and Noelle Baptiste

Distinguished Athlete Awards: Brayden Staib and Zoe Hammond

Richard B. Engard Award: Winston Kakande

Midlothian High School Student of the Year: Michael Rowe

LaVerne Morton Williams High Achievers Award: Isaiah Morton

Herff Jones Principal’s Leadership Award: Zane Ruzicka

Midlothian Leadership Awards: Chayton Altice, Erin Babashak, Noelle Baptiste, Sydney Barefoot, Amanda Chok, Isabel Dingus, Tyler Green, Joe Hester, JP Jarratt, Sophie King, Madison McCallum, Da-Lan Pham, Will Pomeroy, Resshma Rajendran, Rachel Rivera, Michael Rowe, Zane Ruzicka, Brayden Staib, Sydney Washington, Jack Williams, and Tess Wladar

Class of 2019 Top Ten 

Kyle Kuennen, Valedictorian

Tess Wlader, Salutatorian

Joe Hester

Delaney Novak

Jack Maloy

Logan Georgel

Noelle Baptiste

Elizabeth Bolstad

Maclane Self

Will Pomeroy

Thank you to the following Midlo seniors for their decision to serve our country: Allen Steele, Alezander Cavanaugh, Tyler Moore, Jacob Morrison, and Trevor Nuckols

Class of 2019 Scholarship Awards

Michael Rowe: United States Air Force Academy Appointment

Liam Wasson: United States Naval Academy Appointment

Cody Cantrall: Four-Year ROTC Scholarship

 Noelle Baptiste: American Association of Blacks in Energy Scholarship

Sydney Johnson: Emelyn Markwith Scholarship

Samantha Ramirez: Women’s Club of Walton Park

Da-Lan Pham: MHS PTSO Scholarship

Carter Averette: FC Soccer Club Scholarship

Logan Georgel: Joseph Andrew Armstead Memorial Scholarship

Czar Gentius-Harris: The Rho Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Scholarship

Carter Averette: University of Lynchburg Sigler Academic Scholarship

Brayden Staib: Coach Dave Cooper Scholarship

Cheyenne Cannon-Martin: Chesterfield Cheerleading League Scholarship

Habonimana Marceline: Chesterfield Retired Teachers Association Award

Isaiah Morton: GRASP Last Dollar Scholarship

Zane Ruzicka: Roper Memorial Scholarship

Winston Kakande: Rene Wagner Smoots Memorial Scholarship

Kate Woodington, James Pridgen, Tyler Green, and Megan McLees: Band Booster Scholarship

Zoe Hammond: Louis and Jill Marmo Scholarship

Brianna Cantrell: Orchestra Scholarship

Sydney Barefoot and Isaiah Morton: Chorus Booster Scholarship

Christopher Carlson: Theatre Partisons Scholarship

Ian Helm: Chesterfield Federal Credit Union Scholarship

Britney Price: Latin Club Senior Scholarship

Zane Ruzicka: Richmond Association of Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship

Sydney Johnson and Chloe Naughton: Homework Helpers Scholarship

Zane Ruzicka, Czar Gentius-Harris, and Nabiha Rais: Midlothian IB Parent Council Scholarship

Bailey Honrado: SCA Leadership Scholarship

Elizabeth Bolstad and Tess Wladar: VCU Provost Scholarship

Ian Helm: Class of 1995 President’s Scholarship, recognizing Frau Boer

Spencer Willett and Devon Patrick: Randoph Macon Presidential Scholarship

Jack Maloy: German Honor Society Delta Epsilon Pi Scholarship

Ian Helm: German Club Scholarship