Mililani High School’s student council received the 2015 National Gold Council of Excellence Award by the National Association of Student Councils.
The award is given for an exemplary record of leadership, service and activities for the school and community, according to a news release.
The council this year facilitated pep rallies, service projects, leadership trainings, spirit weeks, homecoming events and the winter ball, among other activities. It partnered on service projects with organizations such as Chinen & Arinaga’s Shoebox for the Homeless Toiletries Collection, a movie drive for the Mililani YMCA and Ronald McDonald House, Mililani Town Association’s Make a Difference Day, A Million Thanks: Letters to Soldiers, the Hawaii Foodbank’s Annual Food Drive and Special Olympics Hawaii’s Preschool Play Day.
"Receiving an NASC National Gold Council of Excellence Award reflects the highest dedication on the part of the school to providing a strong, well-rounded student council program," said Ann Postlewaite, National Association of Secondary School Principals student programs director. "NASC applauds the work of the National Gold Councils of Excellence and challenges them to continue their leadership and service to their schools and communities."
Council officers are President Austin Ajimura, Vice President Lindsey Gano, Recording Secretary Cameron Muh, Corresponding Secretary Dean Barlan, Treasurer Alysse Nakasato, Historian Jamie Cambra, Activities Chair Natalie Koch and Hawaii State Student Council representative Mari Domingo. Janet Leilani Ward-Riehle and Danielle Castro are faculty advisers.
Among other recent awards and honors:
» Stephanie Downing of Ewa Beach was awarded a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship for 2015-2016, and will study Hindi in India for the summer.
While in India she will receive formal instruction and informal language practice in an immersion environment.
The NSLI-Y program seeks to increase the number of Americans who can engage with native speakers of critical languages. It is administered by American Councils for International Education.
» Kapolei seventh-grader Caitlin Tynanes won a grand prize in a nationwide contest to spread the word about automobile recycling.
Students in grades K-12 were asked to create either an original video or poster in the style of a public service announcement to raise awareness that nearly every commodity involved in making car parts is recyclable, according to a press release.
"The recycling industry congratulates Caitlin on her creativity and commitment to raising awareness of the importance of automobile recycling," said Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
The finalist videos and posters are featured on the ISRI website.
