2012 Madison Kiwanis Service and Music Awards

The Madison High School Awards Ceremony for the graduating class of 2012 was held Wednesday, June 21, the evening before commencement, at the Ferguson Recreation Center on the Fairleigh Dickinson University campus off Madison Avenue.

Among many honors for the graduating seniors, the Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club bestowed awards on two members of the Class of 2012, one recognizing service to others, and the second applauding achievement in music.

Former Club President Nancy Boucher presented the Nancy Boucher Service Award to Rebecca Levin. Boucher said “the award is presented to a graduating senior who has demonstrated a commitment to service and through those efforts and by her example has had a positive impact on others.” Boucher also noted that Levin has done an outstanding job as President of the MHS Key Club, a service organization sponsored by the Kiwanis, leading the club in 600 hours of service in 2012.  Key Club projects included Color-A Smile, Babysitting for mothers who attended Dress for Success meetings, conducting a food drive for a local food pantry, making gingerbread houses with cognitively impaired students, staffing the MHS Blood Drive and running a dodge ball tournament to raise funds which were contributed to charities.

Madison jazz pianist Jerry Vezza presented the Jerry Vezza Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in the Field of Music to Sharlys Leszczuk.  Vezza said “the award, is given to a graduating senior who has shown a love for music with passion, discipline and dedication to excellence in the art of music.” Vezza also noted that Leszczuk has been active in MHS musical theater production and is a member of the Chorus and Jazz Choir. Leszczuk has played the harp since she was four years old and has won many classical and Celtic harp accolades. She is also an accomplished tin whistle player, vocalist, song writer, story-teller and Irish dancer. She is a member of the Harmonium Choral Society and Harmonium’s Chamber Singers and has performed with the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. She is a featured artist in Madison and the region, performing with her family, the “eclectic-Celtic” musical group “Dugan’s Hooligans.”

At the Awards Ceremony, Leszczuk also received the Arion Music Award, William Chemerka Student Council Award and Presidential Award for Academic Excellence.