Rochester City School District honors scholar-athletes at annual recognition ceremony

Cameron Johnson, executive director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics, opened the Rochester City School District’s 2026 Scholar-Athlete Recognition Ceremony, welcoming students, families, district leaders and the superintendent and framing the evening as a celebration of students who balance academics and athletics.

Commissioner Santiago offered congratulatory remarks to student honorees, praising their dedication and urging the audience to applaud principals, coaches, teachers and families who support them. Superintendent Dr. Rosser shared personal reflections on being a former student-athlete and emphasized the importance of prioritizing academics alongside sports, thanking students and staff for representing the Rochester City School District.

Athletic directors and school leaders from James Monroe High School, School of the Arts, Early College, Wilson, East High School, Padilla High School, Edison Career and Technology High School and World of Inquiry introduced individual recipients. Presenters summarized each student’s academic record, athletic participation and extracurricular or community involvement; examples included Senaya (Monroe) — a three-sport athlete and high honor roll student attending the University at Buffalo; Henry Hawkinson (School of the Arts) — a 3.7 GPA student-athlete and recipient of multiple academic and leadership awards; Maya and Kyle (East High) — high-ranking seniors with college plans; and multiple Padilla, Edison and World of Inquiry honorees with noted GPAs, leadership roles and community service.

Students and athletic directors occasionally offered short personal remarks about what being a scholar-athlete means to them, frequently citing time management, discipline and teamwork. Presenters also noted awards, honors and intended postsecondary plans, such as Henry’s plan to attend Alfred State for construction management and several students’ commitments to universities including University at Buffalo, Wesleyan, University of Rochester and Mount Saint Mary’s University.

The ceremony concluded with closing remarks from Johnson, who encouraged students to use the recognition as a foundation for future goals and thanked parents, coaches and school leaders for their support. No formal district actions, votes, or policy decisions were recorded during the event.