Old Rochester Regional High School celebrated the accomplishments of underclassmen on Thursday, June 12. At Undergraduate Awards Night, ORR’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors gathered with family to recognize academic and service achievements.

Presidential Service Awards were presented to 15 students who completed either 100, 175 or 250 hours of community service.  In addition to a service pin, the students received a letter of thanks from President Barack Obama congratulating them on their “devotion to service and for doing all they can to shape a better tomorrow.”

Approximately 75 Certificates of Achievement were handed out representing excellence in science and technology, unified arts, foreign language, English, mathematics and social studies classes. In addition to individual class accolades, two scholarships were awarded.

The Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award is a four-year scholarship to the University of Rochester given to a, “Top science student in the junior class who takes challenging courses and excels in each one.”  Austin Salkind took home this honor. Additionally, as the top-performing student in the junior class, Salkind received The Harvard Book Award.

“I’m really honored, it’s been a lot of hard work,” Salkind said.

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal is a scholarship given to a junior who has “distinguished his or her self in math and science” throughout all three years of high school. Andrea Harris received this honor.

Ten juniors took home an American Legion Award given to the students who will represent ORR at Boys and Girls State starting Saturday, June 14.  This program, held at Stonehill College, teaches the inner workings of government. Participants “run for office, learn public speaking, create and enforce laws and actively participate in all phases of creating and running a working government.”

Salkind, Stephen Burke, Michael Kassabian, Gerald Lanagan, Ian MacLellan, Morgan Browning, Madeline Cafarella, Jackie Dyson, Ashley Pacheco and Angie Wiegel were chosen by staff and sponsors to represent ORR.

“I’m honored to represent my school at Girls State,” Pacheco said about winning the American Legion Award. Pacheco also earned a Presidential Service Award.

Kassabian took home the American Legion Award along with the junior class’s Principal’s Award.

“I’m honored, it’s very nice to get recognized,” he said.

Brooke Santos and Jacob Plante earned the freshmen and sophomore Principal’s Awards, respectively.