Pali High Honors Seniors During Annual Awards Program

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Palisades Charter High School hosted its annual Senior Awards Program virtually on Tuesday, June 8, recognizing the academic, artistic, philanthropic, musical and athletic achievements of hundreds of students before graduation.

Organized by Karen Ellis, the school’s director of college advising, the presentation lasted over two hours and included a welcome message from Principal Pam Magee, who presented the Rose Gilbert Academic Excellence Scholarships (in memory of the beloved “Mama G” who taught English at Pali High for over 50 years before passing away in 2013 at the age of 95) to Valedictorian Walker Uhls and Salutatorian Isaac Ethan Hamid.

Magee also announced the recipients of the Dick & Debbie Held Leadership Ambassadors: Peyton Pollard, Laila Tehrani, Grace Binder, Kalea Martin and Sophie Shumilov. Teacher Robert King announced the Dick & Debbie Held Leadership Scholarship/ASB winners: Michael Brent IV, Isabel Gill, Itzel Hernandez, Kayla Sadaghiani and Selene Lam.

Don Scott and Richard Wilken presented Cailey Stewart, Laila Tehrani, Selene Lam, Marco Rodriguez, Malia Mitchell, Arsema Araya, Noelle Winter and Halsey Hulse with Palisades Optimist Foundation Scholarships.

Palisades Rotary Scholarship Awards were given in several categories: Poetry (Milly Hopkins); Athletics (Isaac Ethan Hamid and Grace Binder); Community Service (Kayla Hayempour); Fiction (Serena Broome); Rotary Scholarship (Hailey Heirigs, Leslie Jeronimo, Laila Tehrani); and Scholar of the Year (Isaac Ethan Hamid). A Compass Education Group Scholarship went to Malia Mitchell.

The Dillon Henry Memorial Scholarship, named after a former Pali High student, was presented by Harriet Zaretsky to Arsema Araya, Michael Eberlein and Alexa Alvarado-Servellon. M.A.T.H. Awards were presented to Sean King and Isaac Ethan Hamid, and the Travis DeZarn Award went to Myles Mills.

The James A. Mercer Scholar Athlete Award (for a student who played two or more varsity sports) went to basketball and track standout Gabrielle Ligon. Assistant Principal Russ Howard announced the Booster Club Athletic Award winners: Alex Brous (tennis); Jeremy Nelson (tennis); Kyle Grassil (baseball); Marco Rodriguez (soccer); Eric Smith-Williams (wrestling); Isabel Gill (soccer); Miranda Shriver (cross country/track); Maxine Eschger (water polo); and Alexa Hogan (volleyball).

Teacher, swim coach and alum Maggie Nance presented Booster Club Foreign Languages Awards to Emerson Coronel and Valentina Silardi. Booster Club BSU honors went to Dayzee Betton-Calix and Malia Mitchell. The Booster Club DECA Award went to Dennis Dolmatsky, the Booster Club Link Crew Award went to Alexa Hogan and Mariam Emerson won the Booster Club Envirothon Award.

Football player and track runner Brandon Forrest and girls basketball point guard Alexis Pettis won the Palisadian-Post Cup Awards as the school’s outstanding senior athletes.

On behalf of the English Department, Anouk Wijeratne received the Anita Stephens Memorial while American Legion Post 283 Scholarships were given to Earl Brien, McCartney Hutchinson, Patrick King, Sean King, Alexandra Much, Maximillian Much and Sydney Savarese.

Kathy Later of the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club honored Selene Lam and Hailey Heirigs; Cheri Smith presented the Michelle Misetich-Friedlander Memorial Award to Jack Essner; and Russ Howard gave the Convey-Egan-Mortensen Memorial Scholarship to Selene Lam.

Dennis Dolmatsky, Jennifer Hughes, Kristina Kobuke and Kayla Sadaghiani were recognized for having perfect attendance all four years. The Academic Decathlon “Most Inspirational Competitor” was Adam Yakhin; Rose Gilbert Academic Promise Scholarships were awarded to Grace Binder and Ruben Gonzalez; the Rose Gilbert Future Educator Awards went to Leslie Jeronimo and Amber Cruz; the Maggie Gilbert All-Around Scholarship went to cross country runner Sydney Savarese; the Maggie Gilbert Courage Award went to Selene Lam; Rose Gilbert First Generation Scholarships were given to Mireya Lopez, Diane Nario and Anastassia Roberts; and Ellis presented the Mama G Award for Excellence in English Literature to Milly Hopkins and Paige Snepp.

Girls tennis player Kalea Martin received the Rose Gilbert Woman Scholar Athlete Award. Ellis also recognized the school’s four National Merit Finalists: Patrick King, Daniel Ravicz, Sydney Savarese and Walker Uhls.