In most high schools athletes get the lion’s share of glory, but at Holy Cross in Flushing, achievement in academics and service are celebrated as well, as evidenced by honors bestowed on exemplary students recently.
On Monday, May 11, hundreds of proud family members and friends filled the auditorium of the school, located at 26-20 Francis Lewis Boulevard, for Holy Cross’s annual Academic Convocation.
The school has celebrated student achievement in academics as well as athletics since it was founded by the Brothers of the Holy Cross in 1955, as the first Catholic high school for boys in Queens.
On this night, the school’s president, Brother Stephen LaMendola, presided as outstanding seniors received school awards in various individual subjects and President’s Education Awards from the U.S. Department of Education.
These were distributed by Principal Joseph Giannuzzi and Assistant Principal for Academics Loreen McCarthy.
Seven outstanding seniors received special recognition from Queens County Savings Bank, a division of New York Community Bancorp, including framed Certificates of Achievement, United States Savings Bonds and debit cards.
Salvatore Spano, a corporate senior vice-president and director as well as Queens County Savings Bank branch manager, presented senior Michael Archetti with the bank’s Achievement Award for Math.
Seniors Jefferson Kurtz received the bank’s Award for Outstanding Community Service, from Spano, while Kenneth Thornhill, John Pagano, Kevin Smith, Donald Hebel and Peter Levantis were honored for their outstanding academic achievements.
Following the awards, a reception for parents, students and faculty members was held in the school’s cafeteria.
In his remarks, Brother LaMendola congratulated the honorees whom he described as the “modern stars who through their ideas, discoveries and talents, would shape our destiny and transform our world.”
The next day, at Terrace on the Park in Corona, Brother LaMendola was honored as were three seniors chosen from among a corps of student volunteers: John Pagano, Joseph Farrell and Nicholas Clemente.
These honors were conferred at the annual awards luncheon of VISIONS, a non-profit that provides services for the blind and visually impaired. The students were honored for their volunteer work, such as reading to and shopping for clients.
Michael Genovese, Director of the Service Learning Program at Holy Cross was also honored. “He’s been fabulous,” said VISION spokesperson Ruth Schlossman. “He’s been coordinating the program for over 20 years.”
Other honorees included Lorraine Orlando, vice president for Human Resources New York Hospital Queens and Geralynn Randazzo, executive director of North Shore-LIJ Health System’s Forest Hills Hospital; Janine Regosin, executive director of the Queens Medical Society; City Councilmember Tony Avella and attorney Jeffrey Ruggiero.
