Students recognized at annual Honors Night for academic and athletic excellence

Kat Shambaugh

A NC student receives an honor for excellence in science classes as AP Environmental Science teacher Julie Hopp presents at the annual NC Honors Night.

Joshua Joines, Reporter
April 21, 2017

On Tuesday, April 18, North Star Church hosted NC’s Honors Night. The annual event gives an opportunity to celebrate students in the classroom and the community.

The night commenced with opening statements from NC’s principal, Bucky Horton. Horton asked students to thank their parents and stated his amazement regarding the number of people receiving recognition during this special night.

The first award announced was the Mayor’s Cup. For the last 14 years, The Mayor’s Cup recognizes a student who impacts their school and community betterment by demonstrating leadership, academic record, and community involvement.

“Teachers and staff say that North Cobb High School is a better place because Andrew Gasparini went here,” Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood said.

Honors night endured successful for Gasparini; one of the four students to receive the Ronald Reagan Leadership Award granted for academic and community leadership and achievement.

“They started listing things I’ve done and I went wow this person has the same interest as me. Then, they called my name and I was like ‘Wow that is me!’” Gasparini said.

The Marine Corps presented awards in the areas of Leadership, Espirit De Corps, Science, Distinguished Athlete, Scholastic Excellence, and Semper Fidilis Music.

The winner of the Marine Corps Science Award, Brittany Ent, attended her first Honors Night as a senior. She also received awards for excellence in AP Biology and AP MacroEconomics. “I felt really great, as if my hard work paid off in some tangible way, and I was honored,” Ent said.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution presented the final award given out during the festivities: The AJC Cup. The AJC cup recognizes the most outstanding senior in the senior class of each Atlanta high schools as voted on by the school’s faculty and staff and Joshua Joines received this year’s AJC Cup for NC.

Some NC students won scholarships at Honors Night. The announced scholarships include The Lindsay Tippens Scholarship, LGE Credit Union Scholarship, American Legion Scholarship, and Cobb Schools Foundation.

Eight seniors received scholarships from the North Cobb Foundation. NJROTC Commanding Officer Angel Maldonado received the largest scholarship of the night, a 4 year full ride scholarship to the University of North Georgia as a part of the Georgia Military Scholarship. When he graduates, he will serve as a Lieutenant in the Georgia National Guard.

The night concluded with department awards and honors. The department head for each of NC’s nine academic areas presented one award for each class offered at the school to a student who demonstrated excellence.

Winners for major scholarships and recognition include:

Marine Corps Leadership Award- Angel Maldonado

Marine Corps Espirit De Corps Award- Jonathan Figueroa

Marine Corps Science Achievement Award- Brittany Ent

Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete- Christian Albright

Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete- Imam Muhammad

Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence- Benjamin Hayes

Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Music- Markell Hardee

American Legion Scholarship- Angel Maldonado

LGE Credit Union Scholarship- Adaugo Okpareke

Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Award- Detriana Edwards

Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Award- Andrew Gasparini