Congratulations from the Dec. 15 issue.
The following Jamaica Plain individuals, businesses and organizations deserve recognition.
Elodie Paquette received Honorable Mention in the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Annual Online Student Essay Contest.
Lawrence DiCara of Nixon Peabody LLP participated in a Suffolk University forum on “The Call to Public Service: Is Anybody Listening?”
State Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez received the Legislative Leadership Award from the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.
The following members of Boston City Singers JP Training Program participated in the Walk for Music fund-raiser: Zephy Chang, Alejandra Nunez, Kayla Chang and Joshua Holtzman.
Discount Foundation Executive Director Henry Allen received an Open Doors Award from the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston.
Susan Naimark and Ben Naimark-Rowse ran in the Boston Marathon, raising more than $2,500 for Community Change.
Mayor Thomas Menino thanked Michael Reiskind and other JP residents for their help in the Boston Shines cleanup.
Myra Hindus was appointed as vice president for cultural diversity at Berklee College of Music.
Brooke Taylor Adkins was among the students who participated in the Rally to Stop Genocide on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Sam Blackman will ride in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge fund-raiser cycling event.
John Panzera and Isabelle Salsal were among the recipients of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Employee Service Awards.
MSPCA-Angell appointed Carter Luke as CEO and Dana Ramish as president of the Angell Animal Care Network.
The Hyde Square Task Force’s Ritmo en Acción youth dance team was selected as a semifinalist in the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ Coming Up Taller program, making it eligible for a $10,000 award and White House ceremony.
Poems by the following Agassiz School students in Deborah Tynes and Luz Morales’ Learning Adaptive Behavior Class had their poems selected for publication in the “Young American Poetry Digest” by the National School Project: Oshea Kerr, Kenya Williams, Stephanie Samuel and Corey Farrenkopf.
Cooperative Artists Institute received a grant from the Dana McLean Greeley Foundation for Peace and Justice for its Peace Drum Project.
The following students received Approbation with Distinction awards at Boston Latin School: Joshua Barash, Alden Diiannimorton, Rose Frank, Anna Frappaolo, Molly Goodkind, Anne La, Ruyue Qiao, Samuel Strassman, Nicole Tenen and Edward Wong.
The following students received Approbations awards at Boston Latin School: Hunter R. Baum, Ava Buchanan, Luke Burrows, Nicholas Cameron, Randy Coplin, Leanna Ehrlich, Sasha Friedsnoad, Marcelle Goggins, Miles Grover, Odalisa Gutierrez, Megan Hiserodt, Eli Hoffman, Cheng Huang, Tadesh Inagaki, Rebecca E. Kan, Samantha L. Kaufman, Soumey Lor, Gina Lu, Hazel Manko, Reed McConnell, Robin McNamara, Zachary Modest, Kayla Monks, Mathilde Montpetit, Samantha Namkrane, Virginia Ng, Maya Nojechowicz, Jerome Ogrady, Adeoye I. Owolewa, Jonathan Park, Nicholas Parker, Kermshlise Picard, Chloe A. Prahl, Alexander Pryse, Yunci Qi, Amanda Ruiz, Christelle Saintis, Eleanore Saintis, Ruby Sarron, Lauren F. Shapiro, Noah Shapiro, Elizabeth Shrobe, Andres Simpson, Fei Song, Claudia Tenen, Graham Thompson, Warren Thompson, Sierra M. Tilton, Brian Whittemore, Alicia Williams, Katie Woorainer and Amelia Youngstrom.
James Buni was named a Super Dad by the For Fathering Project of The Medical Foundation.
Artists Frank Egloff, Vico Fabbris and Sarah Slavick, and author Cynthia Riede, were recipients of awards from the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Artist Grants Program. Finalists included Eric Lewandowski and Eric Merrill.
Tracy Wu and Melissa DeMoura were named to the dean’s list at Bentley College.
Ka Chan and Ian Pineda were named to the dean’s list at Suffolk University.
Nelson Arroyo was among 20 volunteers honored by the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation at a Gillette Stadium ceremony as a Community MVP for his work with the Hyde Square Task Force, which received a financial contribution in his honor.
Shawn Belton-Perry graduated from Cathedral High School.
Thea Cooper graduated from Dana Hall School.
Matthew Gallagher graduated from Bridgton Academy.
Alan Khazei, chief executive officer and co-founder of City Year, received an honorary degree from Suffolk University and delivered the commencement address to the university’s Sawyer Business School graduate students.
Rachael Fulp received an award at the annual meeting of the Partnership for a Heart-Healthy/Stroke-Free Massachusetts.
Emil Penarubia received a US State Department Fulbright Fellowship—the second he has received—to attend the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece.
Rachel Katz graduated from the Winsor School.
The following students graduated from the New England Institute of Art: Mali Cooper, Ben Kindberg, Daniel Sigrist and Neal Connolly.
Brad Jones graduated from the Dedham Country Day School.
Kenneth L. Turner was named vice president of marketing at Simmons College.
Virginia Pratt was part of a “Citizen Diplomat” visit to Jordan and Syria to discuss the Iraq War with Iraqis, organized by the human rights group Global Exchange.
English High School student Wanda Rodriguez received a scholarship to Northeastern University with the assistance of The Bottom Line.
Sherrill House received a 2006 Step II Quality Award from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living.
The following teachers were among those honored as Teachers of the Year, by Mayor Thomas Menino: Blanca Burgos of the Hernandez K-8 School; Maureen Costa of the Hennigan Elementary School; Janet Amrock of the Agassiz Elementary School; and Tony Robinson of the J.F. Kennedy Elementary School.
The following students graduated from Boston University: Vernette Allen, Julie K. Anderson, Christina M. Andrews, Joel L. Boutin, Makara E. Cayer, Kathleen E. Clancy, Noelle M. Cocoros, Kristin J. Collins, Mark D. Derleth, John T. Edwards, Greg T. Gentry, Sionne George, Lev N. Grossman-Spivack, Charles A. Hernick, Bruce E. Koehler, Henry S. Louis-Charles, Carrie C. Main, Alex Merlis, Jenny L. Nathans, Katherine K. Reed, Mark S. Ribble, Stephen F. Rickard, Jenaya R. Rockman, Natasha T. Seaman, Karen D. Sullivan, Baylah S. Tessier-Sherman, Garnett L. Vamos, Rachel C. Wein, Jenifer H. Wohn and Marina Wolf.
The following residents rode in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge bicycling event to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund: Sarah Ernst-Edwards, Marjorie Hanson, Mark Hanson, April Jasak, Julie Jette, Susan MacPherson, Bonnie Ruegsegger, Kerry Rumore and Karen Wepsic.
Gracie Bieda Javier, program coordinator for the Women’s Health Network at Martha Eliot Health Center, was chosen as an Ambassdor by the American Cancer Society for a Washington, DC lobbying event to increasing cancer research and program funding.
Christina Severin was named senior vice president of the Cambridge Health Alliance and executive director of Network Health.
The following students graduated from Springfield College: Michael
FitzGerald, Linda Galloway, Wanda Turner and Karen Chacon.
The following organizations received grants from the Community Benefits Trust Fund: Hyde Square Task Force ($5,000), La Piñata ($4,350), Bikes Not Bombs ($5,000), Bromley-Heath Cheer & Dance Programs ($4,560) and Jamaica Plain Community Centers ($5,000).
Jamaica Plain Community Centers and the Somali Development Center were among the recipients of English for New Bostonians grants for English-language classes awarded in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians.
At the Newton Country Day School’s Prize Day, the following students were honored: Camile Rodriguez (Red Ribbon and University of Rochester Xerox Award), Mia Dunfey (Red Ribbon and Academic Prize in music), Bianca Vitale (Red Ribbon and Alice Husson Award), Elizabeth Greene (Red Ribbon and Academic Prize in English), Cecelia Hanifin (Academic Prize in religion) and Mackenzie Parker (Academic Prize in religion).
Hana Skirkey received a Boston Public Schools Grace N. Aznive Visual Arts Scholarship to Boston Arts Academy.
City Councilor John Tobin was appointed a trustee of the Boston Neighborhood Jobs Trust.
Jessie Auger of the Hernandez School was named 2007 Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education.
The following students were named to the honor roll at Beaver Country Day School: Madeline Kiefer, Michael Everdell, Nathaly Figueroa, Yuri Bredbeck and Kelly Kretschmar.
Cesar Pena graduated from the JFYNetWorks’ Environmental Technology Training Program at a ceremony held at Suffolk University Law School.
Génesis Peña-Cruz graduated from Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.
The following students were named to the dean’s list at Simmons College: Amanda McCormick, Christine Krones, Dakota Allstadt, Luciana Ambrosi-Sleight, Anna Ellingboe, Ashley Haight, Brooke Adkins and Nanette Savides.
The following students graduated from Simmons College: Susan Russell, Leah Handverger, Paul Wilkstrom, Jennifer Horton, Shana Witkin, Susan Bermon, Christine Krones, Rosalind Trent, Michele Curry, Charlotte Collins, Robin Anderson, Julie Myers, Shari Cahill, Elizabeth Icaza, Kate Gubata, Carolyn Chu, Deeth Ellis, Todd Strauss, Jennifer Mason, Michael Allen and Melissa Andrews.
Rachael Fulp, administrative director for the Center for Cardiovascular Disease in Women at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, graduated from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation’s Massachusetts Institute for Community Health Leadership.
Henry Spitzer received the Outstanding Male Athlete award and the Coach’s Award for varsity boy’s baseball at Brimmer and May School.
Christopher L. Milliken graduated from Framingham State College.
Yoshie Tsuda was named to the dean’s list at Framingham State College.
The South Street Youth Center received a $5,000 grant to create a community garden from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
English High School student Dagmawit Sirmollo received a $1,000 scholarship from Comcast’s Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program.
Amonita E. Harmon graduated from Stonehill College.
John Matthew Tobin III was born June 27 to City Councilor John Tobin and Kate Plunkett Tobin.
Jorge Casas joined the Boston Building Materials Resource Center’s board of trustees.
Keith Jackson graduated from Williams College.
Joshua Cooper Rand was born May 11 to Douglas and Kimberly Rand.
Erin O’Connor was named to the dean’s list at Roger Williams University.
Kara Marie Higgins was named to the dean’s list at Drew University.
Paige Kretschmar was named to the dean’s list at Goucher College.
Marty Wrin of Grassroots International will attempt to walk from JP to Provincetown within 36 hours as a fund-raiser to ship medical supplies to the
Palestinian Medical Relief Society.
Miguel Williams graduated from Goucher College.
Recipients of grants from the Summer Safety Funding Collaborative formed by The Boston Foundation, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and others to expand summer programs for at-risk youth included: ESAC ($7,500); Egleston Square YMCA Youth Center ($10,000); Generation Excel ($10,000); Hyde Square Task Force ($20,000); and Spontaneous Celebrations ($7,500).
Andrew Pond was appointed president and CEO of Justice Resource Institute.
Billie MacDonald and Sophie Lazar were in the cast of the original musical “A Town Called Civility” by Tom Megan, which premiered at the Park School.
Monica Chopra participated in the Wilderness Heals hike that raised more than $85,000 for the Elizabeth Stone House.
Mildred Silva was honored as one of Avon’s “best of the best” sellers with a trip to Cancun, Mexico.
Ruby Baez of Greater Egleston High School won a scholarship from the Boston Teachers Union.
Thomas Edward Tully achieved Honors at Boston College High School.
Dominique Stokes was named to the dean’s list at the University of New Haven.
Joseph A. Richard was inducted into the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta at Providence College.
The following residents earned Child Development Associate credentials from the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation’s Family Childcare Program: Sandra Matos, Carmen Ortiz, Yolanda Nova, Xiomara Peña, Mariluz Pimentel and Ivana Rezende. Also nearing credential status are Aracelis Medina, Yanelis Peña and Maria Quezada.
Hongria Peña and Radhames Pérez completed the first childcare assistant training program offered by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Elsa Ortiz earned child care credentials from the National Associations for Family Childcare.
Paul Martin graduated from Loyola University.
Megan Pitts was named to the dean’s list at Loyola University.
Tom Davey and the Starr Lane Community Park won first place in the Community Garden category of Mayor Thomas Menino’s 2006 Garden Contest and will be honored with the “golden trowel” award at a ceremony with Menino and Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Antonia Pollak.
Erica Bial will run in the Nike Women’s Marathon in October to benefit the Massachusetts Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Austin Elizabeth Brayton and Amanda Bastanzuri Loring graduated from Vassar College.
Elizabeth Glenn graduated from Lexington Christian Academy and will attend Boston University.
The following students were named to the dean’s list at the University of
Massachusetts Boston: Mary Thibeault, Zaida Valdez, Jin Wang, Jesse Wilson, Molly Carrier, Kimberly Chacon, Robert Day, Francis Deignan, Kevin Dillon, Mary Dolson, Hannah Dromgoole, Johanna Esquivel, Michael Faulkner, Aidan Flax-Clark, Judith Goldberger, Brandee Gomez, Michael Grohall, Robert Kilgore, Nora Kochie, Amelie Laferriere Sheets, Amber Loren, Lindsey Medeiros, Bruno Molteni, Sarah Okolita, Junior Pena, Randi Powell, Penny Price, Paul Reynolds, Nima Samimi, Kevin Schneider, Matthew Shugrue, Marie Sillice, Ezra Star, Amy Starnes and Trista Stevens.
The following students were named to the dean’s list at Northeastern University: Robert H. Guen, Ashley R. Penvose, Alejandro T. Smith, Candice S. Williamson, Sarah Zwickel, J. Courtney Gianaris, Manolo Solis, Laura A. Huber, Janelle M. La Marche, Nathaniel Davis, Scott D. Heines, Binyam S. Gemeda, Benjamin J. Ricci, Jennifer L. Bergeron, James A. Coffey, Lisa Li and Jennifer Burchell.
The following students graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art: James Arthur O’Brien, Lillian Chan, Elizabeth Agnes Gallagher, Laura Ann O’Donnell, Jose Hernandez, Katarina Olujic, Shawn Jacobs, Maura Jasper, Cory Skuldt, Camille Azura Maye, Sandra Claudia Powers, Natalie Dawn Lachall, Jimi Dean Franklin, Luis Emilio Brens, Rockford J. Orvin, Gordon John Riker, Miranda Justine Bushey, Kimberly Kristen Jackson, Michelle Lynn Millette, Theofano M. Pitsillidou, Stephanie M. Becker, Annu Margaret Ross, Jill Margaret Martinelli, Mary Rebecka McGahren, Andrew Roy Churchman, Timothy Thomas Baum, Diana Vladimirovna Pyatov, Rebecca Ledoux and Jane Moore.
Winston Robert Chmielinski and Rittick Ghoshroy graduated from the Roxbury Latin School.
Paul R. Heimlicher graduated from Babson College with a master of business administration degree.
Julio A. Cabral received the Boston College High School Teacher’s Book
Association award.
Lucia Catano was among the participants in the city’s WriteBoston Journalism Camp.
Thomas Alex Waterman and Stephen Michael Rabasco were named to the dean’s list for spring 2006 at Mount Ida College.
Tenor saxophonist Anant Pradhan won a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music.
Jason Daniel Allukian graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Vanessa Benzan was named to the dean’s list for spring 2006 at Regis College.
The following students graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst: Elissa J. Dunn, Anisa G. Ibrahim, Tobin Scott Mckenna, Pablo A. Picker and Heidi Suite.
Samuel H. Akiba, Cornelius Y. Taabazuing and Nicole M. Uhrig were named to the dean’s list for spring 2006 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Sean R. Belton-Perry won Boston’s Youth Enrichment Services Richard Williams Scholarship Program for teen’s ages 17-19, he is enrolled at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Fla.
Mala M. Rafik was honored at Massachusetts Lawyer’s Weekly’s 10th Annual “Up and Coming Lawyers.”
Adneris Torres, a senior patient account specialist in the Department of Finance at Boston Medical Center (BMS), recently received a $2,500 scholarship from BMC’s second annual President’s Scholarship Fund.
Robin Canale presented his scientific research and participated in the Forsyth Institute summer mentorship program.
The Julia Martin House, a new affordable senior housing project developed by the JP Neighborhood Development Corporation in collaboration with the Bromley-Heath Tenant Management Corporation, has received a housing design award from the New York City/Boston American Institute of Architects.
City Councillor John M. Tobin, Jr. was honored by the Boston Jaycees at the 55th Annual Ten Outstanding Young Leader Awards. He was also recently named to serve on the Board of Directors of the Boston’s Children’s Theatre.
Christina Severin has been appointed as senior vice president of the Cambridge Health Association and executive director of Network Health, a Massachusetts health plan that provides high-quality and accessible health-care coverage for nearly 80,000 Massachusetts residents with low and moderate incomes.
The 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program has named Harry Alper as a Commended Student in recognition of her exceptional academic promise.
James Jones Jr. has recently won the Eastern Mass. Bridge Association Sectional tournament. He won the Swiss Teams event at the Summer Sectional.
Sandra Melo has started her freshmen year at Commonwealth School.
David Nagle, a partner at Sullivan and Worcester LLP, has been named the co-chair of the State and Local Tax Committee of the Boston Bar Association’s Tax Section.
Anisha Varma-Wilson, MD, has joined the medical staff in the department of gastroenterology at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center.
The Cooperative Artists Institute has received a matching grant of $4,600 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Anant Pradhan received a full-tuition scholarship from the Berklee City Music Program.
The Martha Eliot community health center received $100,000 from the statewide Essential Community Provider Trust Fund.
Stop and Shop has raised $6,500 as part of the 2006 Triple Winner Game to benefit The Jimmy Fund.