2023 Senior Awards Night
May 26, 2023
On the evening of May 16, seniors, friends and family gathered in the gym for West Ranch’s annual Senior Awards Night. During this intimate event, medallions, sashes, cords and certificates are handed out, recognizing the excellence of West Ranch seniors throughout their four years of high school before the seniors say their goodbyes at graduation.
West Ranch’s principal Mr. Fisher explained, “I think it is an important night to celebrate the seniors’ four years of hard work and accomplishments. It is that gratification [of] knowing that their work is recognized and celebrated before going off into their future.”
The night opened with JROTC’s flag presentation and the Pledge of Allegiance led by ASB e-board President Siddarth Sudan along with a speech by Mr. Fisher, praising the academic and extracurricular journeys of the students. Seniors sat eagerly in the student section awaiting the long night of awards, recognitions and scholarships. Audience members sat in the bleachers with their phones in hand, ready to capture their seniors’ achievements.
The night proceeded to the presentation of awards, starting with the AP Scholar awards. When called, students walked on stage to receive their medallions for their outstanding AP scores. From there, various leadership and athlete awards were presented to select seniors.
After that, clubs and programs on campus, including NHS, ASB, Speech and Debate and CSF, took turns handing out sashes and cords to members who showed brilliance in mind and character.
“I got cords from Speech and Debate, NHS and CSF,” senior Jo Jojo, who earned numerous awards at the awards night, explained. “I am happy that seniors were able to be recognized for their years of hard work in these clubs.”
Finally, the part many students were waiting for arrived–the scholarship awards. During this portion of the night, select seniors are awarded scholarships worth anything from a couple hundred dollars to six-digit checks.
Mr. Fisher gave his thoughts on the scholarship awards as he explained, “For me, my favorite part of the night is all of the scholarships. Seeing the seniors’ faces when they are awarded any sort of money and being recognized, for me, is the fun part of the night.”
Scholarships give students the ability to better pursue their academic goals and future by alleviating some of the financial burdens of attending a college. Local and nationwide organizations, as well as certain military academies awarded scholarships to those who had shown excellence and determination throughout their high school career.
Two winners of scholarships included Jojo, who earned the SCV Teachers Association scholarship, and Adhitya Ram, who earned the SCV Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation Scholarship for $3,500.
Lastly, the night ended with the recognition of the Latin Honors students, which awards students based on their high academic achievements rather than GPA differences.
For underclassmen who strive to be recognized for these awards and earn scholarships, Ram and Jojo shared what they did to get to where they are today.
“The most important thing I did was always put my best foot forward no matter what I did, especially academically,” Jojo explained. “I took the hardest classes and always studied well before exams. I also worked my way to becoming president of the Philosophy Club and Stand Up for Kids.”
Along with earning a scholarship from the SCV Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation, Ram was awarded AP Scholar with Distinction and recognized for the National Speech and Debate Degree of Distinction.
“The most important thing that I did to earn these awards was ensuring that not only were my academic achievements substantial, but also that I was a well-rounded person outside of school, participating and leading various projects and organizations,” Ram explained.
Showing his gratitude to the night, Ram remarked, “The Class of 2023 worked extremely hard for the past four years and Senior Awards Night is a time where all that hard work can be recognized and appreciated.”
