Calendar Student Recognition: 2022-23

Jack Colman
Albany High School (Innovation Academy) 

Jack Colman is a sophomore in Innovation Academy at Albany High School. Both teachers and students alike describe Jack as a very thoughtful young man who takes great care in completing his assignments and always strives to do his best. 

He works well with others and demonstrates a positive attitude in his classes. Jack is heavily involved in the Music Technology Pathway, having taken Piano 1 and currently being enrolled in Studio Recording Techniques. Jack finds his way to the recording studio during his free periods throughout the day, and also attends the Music Industry Club after school. Outside of school, he enjoys playing hockey, as shown in this year's calendar.

Congratulations Jack!

Courtney Fish
Albany High School (Athletics) 

Courtney is a great example of a student who works hard to balance school, athletics, clubs, and work. In addition to her academic successes,, Courtney has also been very active in athletics, playing varsity lacrosse for five years and varsity soccer for four. She also finds time to volunteer as a Youth Soccer Coach and teach lacrosse for City LAX, all while holding a successful part-time job.

One of Courtney’s greatest strengths is her communication skills, which help direct her teammates on the field and refine their skills. An incredibly hard worker, she shows up early to practice to develop her skills, and takes every opportunity outside of our season to continue growing,  including tournaments and a travel team. 

Courtney’s bubbly, enthusiastic personality and skills as a natural born leader make her the perfect student-athlete representative for our calendar!

Congratulations Courtney!

Jessica Korbieh
Albany High School (CTE Programs) 

Jessica is a student whose work ethic and drive is only matched by her kindness and big heart. Jessica has dreams of becoming a veterinarian upon graduation, and is taking advantage of all the opportunities Albany High has to offer to prepare her for the rigors of college. 

She does a wonderful job of finding a personal balance between courses she feels are challenging and classes that bring her joy. She is described by her teachers as a positive student who brightens her class community.

The combination of her enthusiasm, positive work ethic, and eagerness for learning make her a great representative of Albany High’s Career and Technical Education programs.

Congratulations Jessica!

Charles Lipscomb III
Albany High School (Athletics) 

Charles is an amazing student who balances the demands of academics and athletics flawlessly. He has been actively involved with school athletics for many years. A participant in football, indoor and outdoor track, he can be described as an ambitious leader both on and off the field. 

Charles is a student who has volunteered time in the local community, spending time working on a farm and repairing a local church. He has also participated in the Albany Summer Youth Employment Program, spending his summer months helping others. Charles is kind, patient, hard-working, and always eager to help others.

A model student-athlete, Charles takes care of business in the classroom, on the field, and the track. He leads by example, and believes in accountability and holds himself to the highest standard, truly embodying what it means to be a proud Albany High falcon.

Congratulations Charles!

Jae Meh
Albany High School (Discovery Academy) 

Jae Meh is a wonderful student who works hard and achieves highly. She is soft spoken, yet confident and inspiring. 

She is excelling academically and is well on her way to finishing high school and becoming a hard working, responsible young adult. She has shown resilience, drive, and purpose in many ways, including by mastering English as a new language. 

She takes pride in her school work, and works with her teachers closely to ensure that she is doing whatever is needed to pass and excel in all of her classes.

She truly represents the spirit of a Discovery Academy student by using her artistic skills to better herself and the community around her.

Congratulations Jae Meh!

Feroz Bin Sharif
Albany High School (Leadership Academy) 

Feroz entered Albany High School pursuing an honors pathway, and continued to excel in University in High School and AP courses. Feroz will graduate Albany High School with a GPA of 94.9, an outstanding display of his academic performance!

In addition to taking a CTE business pathway, he also is part of our Career Internship Program, gaining valuable experience to prepare him for his next steps. He has also worked each summer for the City of Albany Summer Youth Employment Program, even having the opportunity to be a Renewable Energy Explorer. Most recently, Feroz took a part-time job at a local car wash to help save money for college. 

In addition to being very hardworking and driven, Feroz is warm, kind and thoughtful in all of his interactions with adults and students. He is truly an exceptional young person, and we are honored to have him represent Leadership Academy in this year’s calendar.

Congratulations Feroz!

Isaac Ventura
Albany High School (Citizenship Academy)  

Isaac Ventura is a senior in Citizenship Academy at Albany High School. He joined the My Brothers Keeper (MBK) program last school year, and during this time he participated in a number of community service learning programs, such as Toys for Tots, Feed the Hungry, and cleaning the parks for the City of Albany. 

Isaac has recorded over 20 hours of community service in his Passport for Good, and has been a role model to his peers and a leader in the MBK program. He has also been on the Honor Roll and Principal’s List. For these reasons, we are proud to have Isaac represent Citizenship Academy in this year’s calendar.

Congratulations Isaac!

Nevaeh Harvey
North Albany Middle School  

Nevaeh is a caring and talented young lady, who is hardworking and well-liked among her peers. Her teachers and fellow students appreciate her positive attitude and consideration for others. 

Nevaeh’s work shows her to be a creative, inventive and perceptive thinker. She has a voice of an angel, which she was able to demonstrate during last year’s musical production of Moana. 

She embraces the responsibilities required to maintain strong progress in her schoolwork, as well as her personal goals outside of academics. 

It is a pleasure to recognize Nevaeh as one of our North Albany calendar students for this year.

Congratulations Nevaeh!

Mitchy Jean-Pierre
North Albany Middle School  

Mitchy is diligent, genuine, kind, and inquisitive. He is a conscientious and ambitious student who regularly exhibits excellent problem-solving and creativity. Mitchy demonstrates a high level of maturity, relating well to adults along with his peers. 
He is well-mannered, respectful, driven to do his best, and determined to set a great example for his peers. 

Mitchy is committed to success and always puts forth his best effort. He is always willing to help with whatever task is at hand, and is a true pillar of our school community. We are honored to have Mitchy represent North Albany in this year’s calendar.

Congratulations Mitchy!

Emma Kraus
Myers Middle School 

Whenever you see Emma Kraus, you almost always see her smiling from ear to ear. She has truly blossomed in middle school, going from a quiet sixth-grader to a very confident eighth-grader. 

All her teachers agree that Emma is a fun, conscientious student who participates and adds to the discussions regularly in class. She advocates for herself and her peers, and can have conversations with just about any adult in the building ranging from schoolwork to the wide world outside. 

Outside of academics, Emma is a member of the soccer and track teams, where she is a leader on and off the field. Emma is a true student athlete who represents Myers and the district as a whole in an extremely positive light. We are so lucky to have her as a student!

Congratulations Emma!

Rashon Miller
Myers Middle School 

Rashon Miller represents Myers Middle School so well because he is a charismatic leader and an amazing student! He is very attentive to others and very responsible with classwork. He is always willing to help a friend or teacher, and loves to be a leader. 

Rashon participates frequently in his class discussions, which in turn helps lead to great lessons. When new students start at Myers, Rashon is always the first to volunteer to lend a helping hand and be that warm, welcoming face. 

He is so appreciative of everyone at Myers Middle School and gives so much credit to his teachers and other adults for helping him when needed. He knows how to advocate for himself and always does so proactively. We can all stand to learn a little something from Rashon, and his compassion and emotional intelligence towards others! 

Congratulations Rashon!

Dan Gabbriel Cotanda
Hackett Middle School 

There are so many reasons why Dan Gabbriel Cotanda is an excellent candidate for our district wall calendar. 

He is an extremely well-rounded individual, who excels both in and out of the classroom. Always actively participating, Dan contributes very insightful thoughts and ideas to lessons, projects and classroom activities. 

As a model student for others, Dan successfully shows and demonstrates the three B’s of Hackett’s PBIS expectations. He consistently exhibits safe behavior, respects his peers and adults, and shows responsibility and commitment to his school work and grades. 

Outside of school, Dan enjoys learning martial arts as well as assisting with the younger students in the classes at Pai’s Taekwondo.

Congratulations Dan!

Kadiata Toumbou
Hackett Middle School 

Kadiata is an exceptional student who always works hard to do her best. One of the many talents that she possesses is the ability to write extremely well, which has been one of the many contributing factors to her placement in all honors courses. It is also the reason why she has consistently scored high on local and district-level assessments. 

Kadiata is a role model for her peers and is someone who teachers quickly think of when they need someone to help out in the classroom. She is outgoing and creative, especially in the area of music. Kadiata currently takes both band and vocal music, showcasing her talents on the stage during our school concerts. She is kind and respectful to all, and is a wonderful asset to Hackett Middle School and the City School District of Albany.

Congratulations Kadiata!

Mwajuma Kabwe
Albany International Center

Mwajuma is a leader among her peers at Albany International Center.  She is a hard worker in all her classes and can always be recognized for her friendly and caring demeanor. Mwajuma is always willing to lend a hand to help her peers and her teachers, and her kindness and dedication makes her a pillar of the AIC community. 

She is always safe, responsible, respectful and honest, and looks out for her siblings and her peers.  Her positivity brings joy to her friends, family, teachers and everyone around her. We are so grateful for all that she brings to AIC.

Congratulations Mwajuma!

Sincere Ocasio
Tony Clement Center for Education

Sincere joined Tony Clement Center for Education last year as a Choice Program student. Since then he has worked hard obtaining his freshman credits, doubling-up to earn enough credits to attend Night School.

A pleasure to have in class, during his time at Clement, he was hard working and rarely absent. Always respectful of his peers, faculty and staff,  Sincere often goes out of his way to help other students succeed during class time. His hard work paid off, earning him a spot on the honor roll, and earning him this recognition as a model student and a leader in the building. Always focused in class and with an all-round sweet and kind personality, he truly lives up to his name as a "Sincere" person.

Congratulations Sincere!

Nasir Thomas
Albany School of Humanities

The Albany School of Humanities calendar student this year is fifth-grader Nasir Thomas. Nasir is an amazing example of an ASH Red Dragon. 

He is kind, responsible and respectful to his peers in the building, and is always willing to offer a helping hand to a friend throughout the day. Nasir is an excellent role model for his classmates. He works hard and always puts his best effort into his academics on a daily basis. 

You can often find Nasir helping kindergarten friends to the bus, helping an aide with a bulletin board, or supporting Mrs. Mannato in the art room. We are so proud to have Nasir represent our ASH community.

Congratulations Nasir!

Lilliani Maldonado-Caban
Arbor Hill Elementary School

Lilliani is a bright fifth-grade student who enjoys coming to school each day to be with her friends! In class, she works extremely hard in all subject areas and puts forth great effort to perform at the highest level. 

She is a great help to her peers who may need a little assistance in applying new concepts, especially during academic center rotations. Lilliani upholds the PBIS expectations with ease, and is an all-around great student in and out of the classroom. 

Lilliani enjoys drawing and playing mancala or Uno during recess. She is truly a gem and a great role model for all students! We are beyond lucky to have her at Arbor Hill Elementary!

Congratulations Lilliani!

Tristan Cameron
Dual Language Program

Tristan is a fun loving and energetic first-grader in the Dual Language Program. 

He is eager to learn and participate in class, and his smile and personality brighten the room for everyone he meets throughout the day. A creative problem solver, Tristan enjoys learning new things, and his contributions in the classroom are an excellent inspiration for his peers. He is kind and caring, safe and respectful, and enjoys spending time with his fellow students both in class and on the playground. 

Although he is only in the first years of his academic career, we know that Tristan will go on to achieve great things throughout elementary, middle and high school, and well beyond in life. We are so proud to recognize him as our calendar student for this school year.

Congratulations Tristan!

Colin Wallace
Eagle Point Elementary School

Colin is highly engaged in all activities during the school day, and his participation is contagious to the other students. Colin shows outstanding leadership skills and is always ready and willing to be the first student to attempt a challenging question, make classroom decisions, or stand up for a peer. 

Colin demonstrates high achievement in reading and math, and continues to grow and give effort no matter what the challenge is. He is kind and caring and can be seen supporting his classmates and staff anywhere around the school.

He is a bright, funny, and smart student who always has a smile on his face. He is energetic and eager to learn anything, and he always finds a way to make it fun for him and his classmates. Excited to learn and ready to lead, we are so proud to have Colin represent Eagle Point in this year’s calendar.

Congratulations Colin!

Celiyah Burciaga
Giffen Memorial Elementary School

Celiyah is a bright spot in Giffen's third grade. She is such a responsible, hardworking student who regularly adds great ideas to class discussions around core topics. 

In addition, Celiyah listens respectfully when her peers are communicating their ideas, and works very hard on her classwork, and is always motivated to meet and exceed the expectations her teachers set. She completes all tasks with detail and care. 

Celiyah is also kind to her peers, and is always willing to lend a helping hand when others are in need. A loyal friend who is full of spirit, Celiyah has such a bright future ahead of her and is a model Giffen gem. We are so proud of you!

Congratulations Celiyah!

Grace Nkom
Montessori Magnet School

Montessori Magnet School is so proud to recognize Grace Nkom as our calendar student for the 2022-23 school year. Grace is the special sort of student who fills not only her classroom, but our entire school with positivity.

Grace's teachers have consistently highlighted her excellence and effort, as well as the pride she takes in everything she does. Her teacher has described Grace as one of the kindest, most compassionate students she has ever taught, noting that her personality brought sunshine to their room.

A born leader who shows great confidence, Grace is always ready to help the teacher and her classmates. She is a go-to resource for her peers when it comes to conflict resolution, as well as an athlete with great sportsmanship.

She is a smart, strong, young woman who will surely make something great of herself in life, and an absolutely perfect example of a Montessori student.

Congratulations Grace!

Chance Gardener
New Scotland Elementary School

It gives us great pleasure to recognize Chance Gardener as New Scotland Elementary School's exceptional calendar student. Chance is an amazing fourth-grade leader for her classmates, and a role model for the younger students. 

In the classroom, Chance is always putting forth her best effort – even if the work is challenging – and consistently achieves grade level expectations in all her classes. 

She is the type of student that the teachers can count on to work collaboratively with any classmate and always follows PBIS expectations by using kind and encouraging words. With Chance's work ethic and positive attitude, there is no doubt she will achieve many amazing accomplishments in her future.

Congratulations Chance!

Maida Mohsini
Schuyler Achievement Academy

Maida Mohsini is a truly exceptional fifth-grade student at Schuyler Achievement Academy. 

Maida was voted by her peers to be Vice-President for our student leadership team, a role which she certainly deserves, as she constantly exudes leadership throughout the school. This is the second year that she has been involved in student leadership, having been elected as class representative while in fourth grade. She is always willing to share her ideas with others and more importantly, she is willing to listen. 

Maida has high ambitions for herself, with dreams of becoming an FBI agent. She is aware of the hard work this profession entails, which is why she works her hardest inside the classroom. 

Maida makes sure that everyone is feeling their best self, and she is greatly loved by her Schuyler family. We are so very proud of her.

Congratulations Maida!

Riley Stainrod
Pine Hills Elementary School

Riley has been a student leader at Pine Hills since he was in kindergarten. As a current fourth-grade student, Riley plays an important leadership role on our student Lighthouse Team, providing thoughts and ideas on how to improve our school community. 

As part of this work, Riley also engages in social justice initiatives including school-wide service learning programs and our roll-out of No Place for Hate! He shows leadership in many ways including his work on Leadership Days and supporting and encouraging other students throughout our school community. 

Riley takes pride in his school work and always tries his hardest as he works towards academic excellence. We are so proud to have him represent Pine Hills!

Congratulations Riley!

Car'Meer May
Sheridan Preparatory Academy

Currently in fourth grade, Car'Meer has been a student at Sheridan Prep since the first grade, and no matter who you speak to about him, the same is always said. 

Car’Meer has been an absolute joy to teach! He is an enthusiastic learner, who champions his peers and strives for greatness. He recently completed all of the levels in the Lexia program, being the first student at Sheridan Prep to accomplish this feat! 

A kind brother to his twin sister, Car'Manii, Car'Meer also participates in multiple after school clubs, and is an active member of our band. Well-liked by peers and staff alike,  he is a true role model of a Sheridan Prep Superstar. We are extremely proud to have him as our representative on the calendar!

Congratulations Car’Meer!

Grace Jewett
TOAST

Grace is a model student who is kind and caring, and embodies everything we expect a student to be at TOAST. 

She is inquisitive and curious and loves hands-on activities. She is an avid runner who also attended the RPI engineer club and was excited to participate in our 15 Love tennis club. 

Grace is always willing to help someone in need, especially other students in her class, and gives the best of hugs. She is a resilient student who pushes through obstacles and has no issues voicing her opinions, especially when it is to help another in need. 

We absolutely adore her here at TOAST!

Congratulations Grace!