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Holmdel board honors students for state, national wins across academics, arts, STEM and esports
Summary
At its May meeting, the Holmdel Township School District recognized students for county, state and national achievements in math, language arts, science, theater, robotics and e-sports, and acknowledged student representatives ahead of upcoming graduations.
At its May meeting the Holmdel Township School District Board of Education recognized numerous students for academic, arts and extracurricular achievements spanning county, state and national competitions.
“It's one of my favorite meetings of the year,” said Dr. Gascon, who opened the program and called principals and advisors to the stage to present awards and photos. Board President Reddy and other board members joined the presentations.
Highlights included Village School's multiple Continental Math League placings and a sweep of national language-arts distinctions for the school's third-grade class; the board named Juliet Lukasiewicz a national language-arts champion and listed several grade-level winners and honorable mentions. The district also noted Monmouth County contest winners at Indian Hill School, including Leo Du (grand prize, Monmouth County Fair Housing Authority poster contest) and an honorable mention in the Monmouth County Historical Commission essay contest for Akil Cruz.
The meeting recognized science finalists from the National Science League across elementary and middle grades, and the board applauded a top-ranked sixth-grade Continental Math League team that the speaker said placed in the top 10 nationally.
In the arts, district leaders cited a Silver Honor Troupe award at the 2026 New Jersey Thespian Festival and superior ratings at national and state thespian events; student honorees included Sophia Premiano (contrasting monologues) and Samantha Ayers (costume design), and three students were noted for leadership at the 2026 Basie Awards.
The board also recognized extracurricular programs that draw on district facilities and staff support, from robotics to e-sports. The e-sports team, coached by high school math teacher Michael Moore, finished as state champions in the program's first two years and this year placed second, the board said. Student rosters for robotics and e-sports were read aloud and board members invited photo opportunities with the teams.
Student representatives received a board recognition before the meeting's close; Bella Spicer was thanked for her service and wished well as she prepares to leave for the University of Tennessee. A late-arriving student, Akil Cruz, was invited to the stage to accept his essay contest honorable mention.
The meeting concluded with photo opportunities and no formal votes recorded on the awards program. The recognitions were ceremonial acknowledgements of student achievement and did not carry district policy changes or funding decisions.
