Seniors William Ostrow and Esme Baldo are this year’s recipients of the Academic Excellence Award. Every year, Superintendent Julie Hackett gives this honor to two seniors at Lexington High School of great achievement. The two students have shown not only academic prowess, but have given back to the community through their involvement in theater, music, teaching, and the student body.
Since candidates for the award are passively nominated, many students are unaware that such an award exists. Therefore, award recipients are motivated not by the award itself, but by themselves.
“I didn’t know the award existed until I was chosen, so I never approached schoolwork with this award in mind,” Ostrow said.
The primary consideration factor of the Academic Excellence Award is the recipient’s academic performance in school. It means being able to manage schoolwork, rigorous courses, and receiving good grades, all at the same time.
“It involves going the extra mile on assignments, a fair amount studying, and good time management,” Ostrow said.
However, in addition to many academic achievements, students’ involvement with LHS and the greater Lexington community is also strongly considered.
When students are chosen for the award, the district’s core values are kept in mind.
“We also look at their counselor statements to make sure that they’re positive contributors to our community, which means the high school, and the larger community,” Andrew Baker, Principal of LHS, said.
Overall, the LHS administration looks for students who are high-performing in their scheduled courses. Students with academic success are not rare at LHS, but these Ostrow and Baldo are also curious and outgoing students.
Baldo is organized, collaborative, and applies herself in rigorous classes. She is curious, learning French in school but also challenging herself with Latin and Polish. Baldo exemplifies curiosity, hard work, and growth—all criteria that Hackett uses when evaluating candidates.
Shortly after they were notified, the LPC office held a ceremony for receiving the award.
“There was a ceremony at the LPS office, where students and teachers throughout the district were recognized for not only academics, but also character and community service,” Ostrow said.
The award is a showcase of a student’s achievement in academics and especially helpful for the seniors chosen, since it can be put on college applications. However, even though the award is a great achievement, the winners believe that it is not the only indication of a student’s success or ability.
“I know that grades are only one reflection of a person’s ability to work hard and succeed, and I think it’s easy to over-emphasize grades,” Ostrow said.
