Monday, April 21st, three Staples seniors, salutatorian Melissa Beretta, Parker Stakoff, and Player’s president Will Haskell, were honored with nominations for the Key Award.
The award, according to Mr. Dodig, is given every year to a senior who “has been dedicated to bettering Staples,” in and out of the classroom, including academic excellence, involvement in ext`racurricular activities, and leadership in the Staples community.
“I honestly just think that I’ve gotten really lucky that I’ve had some great teachers who teach classes I’ve always been intrigued by, meaning that in classes I was able to be super passionate and interact a lot with my peers,” Beretta said. “I’ve played tennis all four years too, so I’ve gotten a chance to spend time with people in all grades and years, so that also has given me opportunities to contribute in more avenues than just in the classroom.”
One special aspect of the Key Award is that the winner is decided by both faculty members and the nominee’s peers. Faculty members make initial nominations and the final winner is elected by the senior class.
Both Haskell and Beretta felt that being given the nomination by their teachers made the recognition particularly special.
“I’ve loved all my teachers and classes at Staples, so being nominated for an award for contributing to the Staples community is such an honor,” Beretta said.
Haskell shares Beretta’s sentiment, saying, “I am really thankful that my teachers thought to nominate me, and I think I am fortunate to have built really great relationships with some of my teachers, both past and present,” Haskell said. “Melissa and Parker are both amazing candidates and I am really honored to be considered.”
Though the winner has yet to be decided, Dodig commends the three nominees, saying, “It’s kind of like the Oscars, it’s great just to be nominated.”
According to Dodig, seniors will be receiving an email in the coming weeks with information about the election of the winner, which will be announced on Tuesday, June 10th, at Awards Night.
