White Plains High School students earn national recognition for community service impact

A total of 137 White Plains High School students have been honored on the national level in the eighth-annual Community Service Impact Awards for turning compassion into action.

Presented by the United Nations Association of the USA in partnership with InnerView, the scholars are being celebrated for making meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.

Together, the WPHS students logged more than 11,031 hours of community service, earning the prestigious Emerald School Impact Award — a distinction given to schools surpassing 2,000 collective hours of service.

Their work contributed to a nationwide student effort totaling more than 2.3 million service hours, representing an estimated $78 million in community impact.

“Once again, our students completed more than 10,000 hours of community service this year,” said WPHS reading teacher and learning facilitator Jennifer Stein. “Their commitment to helping others continues to make us incredibly proud.”

The awards program connects student service to real-world outcomes, skill development and pressing community needs, with a focus on advancing the United Nations’ Global Goals. White Plains students were specifically recognized for their contributions to quality education, demonstrating how local initiatives can drive global progress.

“Even as the world faces tough questions about the future of international cooperation, students are supporting the Global Goals with heart, hard work and a clear path forward,” said Farah Salim Eck, managing director of UNA-USA, a grassroots movement that supports the work of the United Nations in U.S. communities, colleges and Congress. “While the challenges of our time are real, seeing young people step up reminds us that change is always possible.”

Kristine Sturgeon, CEO of InnerView, a national student engagement platform, said the recognition reflects more than just participation.
“This recognition represents the time, care and commitment these students are putting into causes that matter to them,” Ms. Sturgeon said. “They’re not only creating impact today, they’re building the skills and confidence that will shape how they lead and contribute for the rest of their lives.”

The three-tier award program honors students for sustained service throughout the school year:

Ambassador Award – 100+ hours of service
Honor Award – 60 hours of service
Merit Award – 40 hours of service

Students also received special recognition through the Zero Hero Awards, presented by The Kroger Co., for efforts supporting initiatives related to Zero Hunger and Zero Waste.

Among the top honorees, Ambassador Award recipients are Gabrielle Brice, Naiara Carrera, Cristina Damato, Connor Dominick, Yael Feit, Gerrard Fernandez, Anabella Henriquez, Adolfo Hernandez, Ethan Menothumalil, Rafael Ramirez, Abigail Vega and Lucy Wright.

Dozens more students were recognized at the Honor and Merit levels, reflecting a broad culture of service across the school.

Honor Awardees: Bryce Abolafia, Maryam Ahmadi, Sofia Andrade, Luke Anselmo, Dulce Argudo, Joseph Auletta, Maximiliano Barrera, Maya Bautista, Hayley Brick, Alice Brodsky, Stephany Camargo, Samantha Castro, Emma Corona, Justin Djelosevic, Vera Driscoll, Gianna Ebert, Lia Ferrara, Francis Fokoue-Nkoutche, Allie Garelick, Nathaniel Gosdin, Michael Grande, Elijah Haimowitz, Karim Hammami, Nizar Hammami, George Ibrahim, Shea Jones, Riley Keane, Sophia Levine, Michael Mark, Hector Pagan, Jeremy Remicio, Orli Rivel, Mary Grace Ryan, Yvette Sadler, Simal Sagnak, Liora Shuf, Christian Soh, Vienna Solano, Rachel Stone, Luisa Suarez, Mila Tomlin, Julia Vieira and David Zuckerman.
 
Merit Awardees: Sydney Abolafia, Mary Alexan, Sean Alfalla, Noemi Alvarez, Paul Aquino Huaman, Brandon Archer, Sofia Argote, Michelle Arias, Stephanie Arriaga, Morgan Au, Luis Bances, Andre Barrientos, Nathan Beck, Pierce Biffert, Ava Blount, Kingston Boykin, Rebecca Braun, Matthew Bucaj, Nicholas Bucaj, Jessica Camacho, Dyanna Cameron, Aimi Castillo, Josimar Rubi Chacon Quevedo, Kailey Clark, David Cliffe, Dariana Cuautle, Esperanza Cylich-Schneider, Emily Dang, Jason Dang, Camila Delgado, Arin Diaz Lawson, Amy Dominguez Encalada, Sara Espaillat, Jonathan Ferrell, Ollie Galkin, Holly George, Reona Guillaume, Connor Ha, Sydney Harris, Miles Ingram, Stella Khachetoorian, Elisabeth Kim, Remi Kuczinski, Sofia Levine, Eliana Lieber, Kaden Matthew-Withy, Tomas McDermott, William McDermott, Gianna McMahon, Sean Meegan, Amir Melibaev, Sophie Mercer, Danielle Mitchell, Emily Moreira, Alisson Morocho, Neve Mulcahy, Vivi Nguyen, Lily Obligado, Paola Parra, Alejandro Prieto-Duenas, Gabriel Racaniello, Alejandro Reluzco, Melanie Rodriguez, Brissa Luana Ruiz Rodriguez, Helen Sanchez, Ethan Shifrin, Valeria Sosa, Madison Steptoe, Leo Tashman, Jayden A. Tineo, Kelly Tirado, Yumiko Tonachel, Alondra Felicita Torres Martinez and Adrian Valle.
 
Several students also earned Zero Hero Awards for their targeted efforts to combat hunger and reduce waste in their communities.

Zero Hero Awardees: Brandon Archer, Sofia Argote, Sophia Artunduaga, Sabrina Bonelli, Justin Djelosevic, Gerrard Fernandez, Nathaniel Gosdin, Sydney Harris, Adolfo Hernandez, Elisabeth Kim, Francesca Marcotullio, Michael Mark, William McDermott, Danielle Mitchell, Emily Moreira, Neve Mulcahy, Danna Ochoa, Hector Pagan, Alejandro Prieto-Duenas, Jeremy Remicio, Ava Ritterman, Helen Sanchez, Vienna Solano, Rachel Stone, Joshua Vergara, Matthew Vergara and Layla Vergaray.
 
In a letter to Principal Emerly Martinez, Ms. Sturgeon praised the school’s continued commitment to service.

The honored White Plains High School students serve “as an inspiration for other students to get involved in their community,” she wrote. “These awards connect student service activity and impact to the Global Goals, with additional recognition for students working toward a world of Zero Hunger and Zero Waste.”

Beyond recognition, students receive a digital service impact resume through InnerView, allowing them to showcase their community involvement, leadership and skill development for college and career opportunities.

The honor underscores a defining characteristic of WPHS -- a student body that not only excels academically, but also embraces the responsibility of giving back.