The Sarah Whitman Hooker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution announces Good Citizens recipients.
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On February 25, 2023, at the Noah Webster Library Community room in West Hartford, the Sarah Whitman Hooker Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a ceremony for its annual Good Citizens Awards.
Six students were selected from local high schools: Berlin High School student Kailee DeMaio, Conard High School student Afaf Albur, Farmington High School student Avery Sama, William Hall High School student Ameerah Danielle Huie White, Newington High School student Trisha Iyer (DAR Essay Contest winner), and Northwest Catholic High School student Victoria Mealha.
The DAR Good Citizens Award recognizes high school seniors who demonstrate the four qualities of a good citizen: Dependability, Service, Leadership and Patriotism. As part of the Good Citizen’s program, the DAR also provides a Scholarship Essay contest which the Good Citizen students can choose to participate in and which is judged at the chapter, state, and national level.
The event included CEO of Meter Health and creator of Hiccupops, MJ Kievman from Manchester who shared her thoughts on how finding a solution for a medical need can help people who are suffering with chronic hiccups. She also expressed how Good Citizens can play a leadership role through service in the medical, education, business and science fields.
The winner of the Good Citizens Award at Berlin High School is Kailee DeMaio. Kailee is the daughter of Karen Nightingale. Kailee has received high honors academically and is a varsity star in basketball and softball. She is the Senior Class president, and vice president of the National Honor Society for her school. Her role as house leader for Upbeat and mentor to the Unified Theater Group is worth noting. Kailee plans on attending college in the fall in pursuit of a pre-med education.
The winner of the Good Citizens Award at Conard High School is Afaf Albur. She is the daughter of Sahar Omer. Afaf is a member of the National Honor Society for her school, president of Habitat for Humanity for Conard High School, served on the executive board for the Student Council, speaks multiple languages and is president, creator of Human Rights Day at CHS and facilitator of UConn’s Human Rights Institute event: Voting Rights and Access in Our Democracy. Afaf is student leader and director of Unified Theater and co-directed a play at the Ten-Minute Plays festival. Afaf’s future plans include attending college in the fall to study international relations and law.
Avery Sama is the winner of the Good Citizens Award for Farmington High School. She is the daughter of Abigail Sama. Avery is active in a variety of activities for her school. She is the Music leader in her Choral Group and mentor to students in music. She volunteers at the local food pantry, community garden and organizer of school sports meets, and musical performances for community events. Avery has been president of her class for all four years of high school. She is a lead video editor and videographer of the School New Broadcast for Farmington High School. Avery is a member of the National Honor Society and National Music Honors Society. Avery will be attending Northeastern University and is enrolled in the 6-year Doctor of Pharmacy program.
The William H. Hall High School’s Good Citizen this year is Ameerah Danielle Huie White. She is daughter of Sharon Huie. Ameerah is a very active member of her school and received the Hall High School Business Department Service Award, is founder and leader of the Sewing Club, a member of the future educators of diversity at Hall High school, a member of the student-faculty committee, peer leader for Social Justice, and social media manager for Hall High School. She created a book drive for the Bridge Family Center in West Hartford and collected over 200 books for young children She has a passion for education and tutors students of grades K-6 in reading writing, history and spelling. Ameerah’s future plans include attending college in the fall to pursue a degree in business management.
Newington High School chose Trisha Iyer for the Good Citizen Award this year. Trisha is the daughter of Swaminathan and Manjula Iyer. She is the DAR Essay Contest winner for the Sarah Whitman Hooker Chapter this year. Trisha is a passionate and dedicated leader of the school community. She is a top student in the Engineering Program at Newington High. She is a member of the honor societies for science, English, and Spanish. As a school representative for the Board of Education she was a facilitator in introducing her school leaders to recognize the religious holiday of Diwali. She is active as a member of her community mentoring students in writing, engineering, and physics. Trisha plans on attending college in the fall and studying aerospace engineering.
Victoria Mealha received the Good Citizen Award from Northwest Catholic High School. Victoria is the daughter of Philippe Mealha. She is a member of the National Honor Society and president of the Hydroponics Club. She is the leader and moderator for the Future leaders of America for her school and a leader in the Catholic Worker Organization in her community. She has volunteered for the Catholic Worker House after school program and enjoys tutoring students. Victoria plans on attending college in the fall and studying human development and family science and pursuing a teaching career.
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