Meet the News-Press Student of the Week winner. High achiever picked 'most likely to succeed'
Mark H. Bickel
Cypress Lake High School senior Kalyssa Kennelly is the News-Press Student of the Week for Marc 4-7, receiving 61.77% of the votes.
Joseph Nicolette of Fort Myers High was second (26.77%) and Katie Kuieck of Estero was third (4.17%).
It was the second week in a row a Cypress Lake student won the Student of the Week honor with the most votes. Last week junior Zeke Dube-Garrett recorded the most votes.
Congratulations to Cypress Lake!
Here is the nomination for Kalyssa: A senior at Cypress Lake High School, Kalyssa is set to graduate with both her AA degree from Florida SouthWestern State College and her AP Capstone diploma. Known for her captivating performances on the stage within the theatre department, Kalyssa maintains an exceptional 5.25 GPA, having taken on the most demanding coursework available. Her peers recognized her talents and potential, honoring her with the title of "Most Likely to Succeed." Additionally, she is an active member of the National Honor Society.
Beyond her academic accomplishments, Kalyssa has devoted herself to community service. Over the past four years, she has been a dedicated mentor through her participation in 'Be a Buddy' and the Special Olympics program. She generously volunteered her time and skills for the summer theatre program and joined in campus cleanup efforts after Hurricane Ian. Kalyssa Kennelly's achievements and contributions are commendable, and we eagerly anticipate her bright future ahead.
Here's a recap of last week's other outstanding nominees:
Fort Myers High School - Joseph Nicolette
Joseph "Joe" Nicolette is a courageous young man and hardworking IB student at Fort Myers High School. He is one of those rare people who knows just how to make others laugh after a rough day and sees the bright side of difficult situations. Joe is held in high esteem by his close circle of friends and generously shares his gift of humor with all those he comes across. He truly represents what it means to be a Greenie: dedication and positivity!
Estero High School - Katie Kuieck
Katie Kuicek excels in her academics, as well as community service. She is helping to pioneer the first A level Digital Media and Design and she is making top marks in all of her photo shoots, edits and research for her proposed brief. She uses her photography talent to help local leaders in Lee County to photograph important events on her own time! A role model to her peers and our community!
Bishop Verot - Joseph Stross
Joseph Stross will be graduating Summa Cum Laude this coming May. He is a motivated and incredibly hard working student, who has a level of understanding about complex topics and concepts that is unparalleled. Joseph pushes himself in all of his classes and is a leader both academically and socially. He is always willing to share in class discussion and works his hardest no matter the task before him. He is an active member in the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and serves as Treasure of the Spanish Honor Society, in addition to playing sports and being involved in the Chess and Young Investors Club. He is also a National Merit Commended student. Joseph is kind to his peers and respectful to his teachers. His humility and open mindedness make him the perfect student of life.
Dunbar High School - Nishini Fernando
Nishini Fernando is a high achieving student at Dunbar High School who has had a phenomenal week. Let me review the past week alone. On Friday, February 23, she placed 1st for the memoir category and 2nd for poetry in the county Aspiring Authors competition. On Saturday, February 24, she captured a 3rd in the state in one of the divisions at the Technology Student Association state competition. Finally on Wednesday, February 27, she captured Best of Fair for the senior division biological division and will be representing Lee County at the International Science and Engineering fair in May which will be held in California as well as the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair. Although only in her sophomore year, she already has a cumulative 4.82 GPA and scored a perfect score this year on the PSAT. Nishini has also had high success on 3 Advanced Placement exams and is currently projected to pass 4 more AP exams this spring. She is a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Dunbar High School and serves as President of the Dunbar HOSA club, a member of the Math Team as well as the TSA team and the Jabba the Hutts Robotics team. She also received the honor of being selected for the Florida All-State Chorus. She is truly a student who has already earned significant achievements.
Ida S. Baker High School - Alex Dignerson
Alex Dingerson is a hard-working student with a GPA that reflects all of his efforts. He is ranked 12th out of 414 seniors. Alex is kind, helpful, and considerate to others. He is a candidate for the AICE Diploma, on the honor roll, nominated for the Top 10 senior award, and many other accolades. Throughout his high school career, Alex has participated in football, basketball, Key Club, National Honors Society, and National Technical Honors Society.
Alex will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall and plans to major in Aerospace Engineering. He balances high academic achievement, sports, and school/ community involvement while maintaining part-time employment. We look forward to see what the future holds for Alex Dingerson.
Island Coast High School - Bertin Vences Aguiar
Bertin Vences Aguiar is a four year member of the Island Coast High School JROTC Program. He is currently the Battalion Commander of the JROTC responsible for leadership of 200+ JROTC cadets. Her has served on the JROTC Command Staff for three consecutive years and led the JROTC Raiders Team to the 2023 Florida State Championship!!!!
Ranked in the top 5% of students in the Class of 2024, Bertin is also a member of the Varsity Track team and has contributed artwork to the Island Coast High School Art Display. Envisioning a career in Structural Engineering/Architecture, Bertin will pursue his passion on an ROTC Scholarship at the University of South Florida.
Mariner High School - Trentonn Olsen
I write this email with great pleasure to recommend senior Trentonn Olsen for Student of the Week. As the Principal at Mariner High School, I have had the privilege of knowing Trentonn both in and out of the classroom environment for the last three years.
Within this period, Trentonn has shown himself to be a person of high character with an unwavering commitment to service and leadership. As a student, Trentonn consistently displays remarkable academic aptitude, maintaining an impressive grade point average while taking challenging courses. Beyond his academic prowess, Trentonn has been an integral part of our school’s JROTC program, where his exceptional leadership skills have been noted by both his peers and instructors.
Trentonn's ability to balance his academic responsibilities with his commitment to the JROTC program is truly commendable. He has not only excelled as a cadet, but also taken on leadership roles within the program, guiding and mentoring his fellow cadets. His dedication to the program, his school, and his community exemplifies the principles of an honorable young man.
Outside of school, Trentonn is equally committed to serving his community. He has volunteered countless hours to local charities and non-profit organizations, demonstrating a level of selflessness and community spirit that is truly inspiring. His genuine concern for the well-being of others, coupled with his strong sense of duty and responsibility, make him an exceptional candidate for this award.
In conclusion, I wholeheartedly endorse Trentonn Olsen for Student of the week. He is a young man of exceptional character and potential, who consistently demonstrates a commitment to leadership, service, and excellence. I am confident that he will continue to embody these qualities in his future endeavors, and I believe he is fully deserving of this recognition.