Awesome Amount of Honors at Albany High

We at Patch like to recognize exceptional achievement by young people in our communities, but our coverage is far from complete and is often determined by what we hear about from various sources here and there.

We know that every year many graduating seniors at Albany High School receive awards, scholarships and various other honors that deserve congratulations. So we asked Becca Burns, a counselor at the school, if we could publish a list of this year's senior honors.

She kindly provided the list below. The ones in italics are winners selected by staff or local benefactors familiar with Albany High, and many of the rest are state or national prizes.

We encourage you to take a look at the honorees. We think there's a good chance you'll be impressed.

Senior Awards – Albany High School, June 2013

Class of 2013 Valedictorian: Wenye Li

Class of 2013 Salutatorian: James Ren

National Merit Scholarship Program Finalist Awards and Scholarships: These students scored in the top half of one percent of the nation’s high school seniors on the PSAT in their junior year: Alan Dai, Wenye Li, James Ren, Myles Walden, Amy Xie, Felix Yoon.

National Merit Commended Students: These students scored in the top five percent of the nation’s PSAT test takers: Hannon Ayer, Matthew Blankinship, Morgan Chen, Cerina Epple, David Friedman, Margaret Greene, Kelin Kurzer-Ogul, Jingyi Li, Anthony Lyons, Chris Mullaney, Treva Obbard, Yang Ren, Jack Robinson, Kevin Sun, Terence Sun, Hannah Trumbull, Noah Usher, Joshua Wang, Jerry Wu, Ruellia Zhang

President’s Award for Educational Excellence: The following students have a minimum 3.5 unweighted G.P.A. and have achieved high scores on standardized achievement tests: Julie Ahranjani, Noah Amme, Marissa Anderson, Tenzin Arya, Elizabeth Asarnow, Michael Ashtari, Hannon Ayer, Hannah Benau, Matthew Blankinship, Daniel Byun, Annie Chen, Sovannlyly Cheng, Charles Chu, Evan Class, Lucas Condeni, Tenzin Daden, Alan Dai, Alvin Dang, Maya Delany, Yazan Eliyan, Kaitlyn Endo, Cerina Epple, Conrad Federspiel, Aya Folk, David Friedman, Sophie Gabel-Scheinbaum, Enkhsan Gankhuyag, Alexandra Gates, Yumeng Ge, Margaret Greene, Tiffany Hendric, Jackie Hong, Lauren Jacobs, Xueer Jiang, Glory Jo, Devon Jones, Asitha Kaduwela, Maya Kato, Amar Khalilollahi, Aranz Khalilollahi, Jonah Korchin, Christine Lam, Hannah Lehman, Denise Leung, Jingyi Li, Wenye Li, Hannah Long, Luna Luo, An Qi Ma, Clara MacLeod, Aireana McDade, Madison Miller, Kusha Miraftab, Tohid Moradi, Christopher Mullaney, April Ngo, Michael Nguy, Camille Obata, Treva Obbard, Spencer Perry, Amy Peterson, Miriam Priven, James Ren, Yang Ren, Jack Robinson, Katy Robinson, Saba Sahebjam-Atabaki, Flavia Sannibale, Andrea Saw, Roisin Shannon, Eric Slack, Zohe Slack, Kevin Sun, Terence Sun, Whitney Tamaki, Ning-Kit Tang, Gabriella Tannady, Vivian Ting, Toai Tran, Hannah Trumbull, Noah Usher, Myles Walden, Joshua Wang, Tony Wang, Pasang Wangmo, Alvin Wong, Jenny Wu, Jerry Wu, Robert Wu, Amy Xie, Felix Yoon, Yingwen Zhou

President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement: Mitsuko Corbett.

State Seal of Biliteracy. The State Seal of Biliteracy is an award from the State of California and sponsored by Albany High School. The students honored with a Seal of Biliteracy have studied and attained proficiency in more than one language, thereby positioning themselves to become truly global citizens: Elizabeth Aguayo, Marvyn Alvarado, Michael Ashtari, Ivory Beltran, Karen Caycho, Chelsea Chan, Florencia Chavez, Noah Derish-Luby, Tenzing Dolma, Conrad Federspiel, Aidan Gadberry, Alexandra Gates, Srijana Giri, Margaret Greene, Edwin Gutierrez, Lauren Jacobs, Xueer Jiang, Asitha Kaduwela, Christine Lam, Wenye Li, Luna Luo, John Layton, Eric Ming Hin Lee, Wingman Mandy Leung, Nancy Li, Anna Lin, An Qi Ma, Clara MacLeod, Kusha Miraftab, Chris Mullaney, Treva Obbard, Miriam Priven, James Ren, Jack Robinson, Alexandra Rubio-Talavera, Magdalena Rutherford, Flavia Sannibale, Terence Sun, Ning-Kit Tang, Gabriella Tannady, Hannah Trumbull, Noah Usher, Myles Walden, Pasang Wangmo, Angela Wong, Isis Wozniakowska, Ruellia Zhang, Yingwen Zhou

The students in the next two categories were selected by faculty to represent AHS and attended the statewide conferences:

• Boy’s State (Sponsored by the American Legion Post 292): Ruben Chavez and Damani Neal, please come forward.
• Youth and Environmental Recognition (American Legion): Hannah Lehman and Pasang Wangmo, please come forward.

 The following two students were selected by faculty during their junior year for excellence in their field.

• University of Rochester Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award for Achievement in the Social Sciences – Aireana McDade.
• University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Science Award: Joshua Wang.

North Coast Section Scholar Athlete Awards. These students earned a 3.5 GPA or above during at least one season of the 2012-13 school year in which they participated in a sport: Julie Ahranjani, Noah Amme, Hannon Ayer, Matthew Blankinship, Daniel Byun, Ashley Chao, Charles Chu, Jesse Chua, Clare Davis, Kaitlyn Endo, Cerina Epple, Molly Greene, Robert Holthe, Jackie Hong, Lauren Jacobs, Asitha Kaduwela, Maya Kato, Jonah Korchin, Luna Luo, Clara MacLeod, Aireana McDade, Elisabeth McKee, Kusha Miraftab, Sarita Ng, April Ngo, Jack Robinson, Whitney Tamaki, Toai Tran, Pasang Wangmo, Jenny Wu, Robert Wu.

Doug Kagawa Victory with Honor Awards

Student athletes at AHS must commit to pursuing victory with honor according to the CIF's core principles of conduct: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. The Doug Kagawa Victory with Honor Award is awarded each year to a male and female senior athlete nominated by their coaches as embodying these principles. This recognition is named after our own Doug Kagawa, who retired as head basketball coach after instilling these values in all his teams throughout his long career. The recipients this year are Kaitlyn Endo from the basketball teams, and Kevin Ward from the golf team.

Grace Dinsdale Most Outstanding Female Athlete Award: Clara MacLeod.

Paul Pericoli, Al Sieling Most Outstanding Male Athlete Award: Robert Wu

Larry Eaton Student Athlete Award (honors scholar-athletes): Clara MacLeod and Robert Wu.           

John Wallman Memorial Track Award: Hannon Ayer

Robert Giblin Memorial Award (Honors enthusiasm in both play and practice): Michael Rabin

The Reginald Jackson Memorial Sports Award (for sportsmanship): Jesse Chua

Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Scholarship: Andrea Saw

Asian Pacific Fund Scholarship: Toai Tran. Toai is also the winner of the Ronald McDonald Scholarship Award.

Berkeley Buddhist Temple Scholarship: Maya Kato. Maya is also the winner of the Berkeley Buddhist Women’s Association Scholarship.

Cash for College Scholarship: Jeremy Juwono and Srijana Giri. These students won this scholarship from attendance at the Cash for College Financial Aid Workshop at Albany High School last January.

Cash for College Performance Based Scholarship: Tenzin Daden. Tenzin attended the Cash for College Workshop at Albany High School and took important steps to pursue education beyond high school that will help her reach her personal and professional goals.

Chevron Corporation International REACH Scholarships: Amy Xie and Felix Yoon

Do Something Leadership Scholarship: Tenzing Dolma

Fratellanza Club Louis C. Biondi Memorial Scholarship: Michael Rabin.

Gates Millenium Scholarship: Tenzin Arya. Tenzin is also the recipient of the Zonta Club Young Woman in Public Affairs Award.

Horatio Alger California Scholarship: Pasang Wangmo

Japanese American Citizens League Scholarship: Whitney Tamaki. Whitney is also the recipient of the Bio-Rad Scholarship.

Tulen Foundation Scholarship: Xian Wong

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Scholarship: Krystal Swan

Terry Corpuz Memorial Scholarships: Joshua Glatt and Luna Luo

Albany Chamber of Commerce Youth of the Year Award: Kaitlyn Endo

Albany Chapter, California School Employees Association Scholarship: Oscar Rodriguez

Albany/El Cerrito Kiwanis Club Scholarship: Arnelle Nketiah and Toai Tran.

Albany Education Foundation/Wells Fargo Scholarships: Tenzing Dolma, Toai Tran, and Xian Wong

Albany High School Parent Teacher Student Association Scholarship: Tenzin Daden and Arnelle Nketiah

Albany Police Activities League Scholarship: Kymberly Ikeda

Albany Teachers Association Scholarship: Krystal Swan

Joseph and Dorothy Villa Rotary Foundation Scholarship: Xueer Jiang

Kiwanis Club of Berkeley Scholarships. This year, Albany High students were awarded 6 of the 10 total scholarships available to local schools including Berkeley High, El Cerrito High and St. Mary’s. This is a remarkable achievement. Cerina Epple, April Ngo, Spencer Perry, Terence Sun, Whitney Tamaki, Noah Usher

Maris Family Opportunity Scholarships: These scholarships are generously given by the Maris family. Allan Maris has been highly involved at AHS and in the Albany community: Elizabeth Aguayo and Robert Holthe.

Retired Albany Employees Scholarship: Anushma Maharjan

The Roth-Armstrong-Hayes Scholarships. These four generous scholarships are funded yearly by a former neighbor of Albany High School. Cerina Epple, Jarin Panigbatan, Ghazal Rezvani, Pasang Wangmo