Awards
Each year, students are recognized for their artistic endeavors through regional and national arts competitions.
Performing Arts Awards
The AHA Theatre program has been garnering recognition since 2004.
Metropolitan High School Theater Awards:
2016 – Ariela Pizza ’17 – Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
2017 – George Croom – Music Direction, Outstanding Stage Crew
Helen Hayes Metropolitan Awards:
Katharine McSherry ’04 – Winner in 2004 for Lead Actress in Anything Goes
Allegra Leland ’07 – Winner in 2007 for Lead Actress in Sweet Charity. Nominee in 2006 for Lead Actress in Leader of the Pack
Elicia Guarino ’08 – Winner in 2006 for Supporting Actress in a musical in Leader of the Pack
Cassie Faulborn ’09 – Winner 2009 as Student Choreographer in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Jessica O’Hagan ’10 – Winner 2009 as Student Choreographer in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Christine Byrne ’11 – Nominee 2011for Outstanding Actress in Kiss Me Kate
Nora Neus ’12 – Winner in 2011 for Outstanding Instrumentalist (Flute) in Kiss Me Kate
Elizabeth Bilka ’14 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Natalie Freay ’14 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Jackie Fusco ’14 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Grace Fuselier ’14 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Alyssa Gentile ’14 – Nominee for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Christina Sirico ’14 – Nominee for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Megan Valentine ’14 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Graphic Design for Seussical the Musical
Heather Mueger ’15 – Nominee 2014 member of Featured Ensemble Group in Seussical the Musical
Sydney Peterson-Quinn ’15 – Nominee 2014 member of Featured Ensemble Group in Seussical the Musical
Risako Arcari ’16 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Emily Loftus ’16 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Michaela Mudrick ’16 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Lobby Display for Seussical the Musical
Sheena Santos ’16 – Nominee 2014 for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and for Outstanding Duet in Seussical the Musical
Sofia Carvajal ’17 – Nominee 2014 for member of Featured Ensemble Group in Seussical the Musical
Ariella Pizza ’17 – Nominee 2014 for member of Featured Ensemble Group in Seussical the Musical
Papermill Playhouse Rising Star Awards
Melissa Diaz ’02 – Winner 2000 for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in St. Joseph Reg. HS production of Into the Woods.
Orchestra 2002 – Winner 2002 for Outstanding Orchestra in HMS Pinafore
Cassie Faulborn ’09 – Winner 2009 for Student Choreographer in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Natasha Gonzalez ’09 – Winner 2009 for Student Achievement as Musical Director for Thoroughly Modern Millie
Jessica O’Hagan ’10 – Winner 2009 for Student Choreographer in Thoroughly Modern Millie
Katherine Dominguez ’11- Nominee 2011 for Student Achievement Award – Student Director for Kiss Me Kate
Victoria Oggioni ’11 – Nominee 2011for Student Achievement Award – Student Properties Designer/Creator/Lighting Director for Kiss Me Kate
Megh Valentine – Winner 2013 for Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design for Into the Woods 2016
George Croom winner in 2016 Outstanding Musical Director
Best Performance by a Chorus -2016
Katherine McSherry ’04 – Winner of Outstanding Director in 2016
Outstanding Performance by a Chorus – 2017
Valeria Gonzalez ’21 – “Sister Act,” Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actress category.
Chloe Ibrahim ’22 – Rising Star Award student director of Holy Angels’ spring 2022 production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” winner in 2022.
Thomas Snyder – from Saint Joseph Regional High School, nominated in 2022 for Best Leading Actor for his portrayal of William Barfee.
Fine Arts Awards
In recent years, the Fine Arts students have been submitting work competitively and in just a short time have received many accolades for their masterpieces.
Scholastic Art Awards 2022
Gian Lee won a National Gold Medal for her painting, “Photosynthesis”
Regional Scholastic Award Winners:
Gold Keys: Jacqueline LaMastra, Emma Yale, and Faith Youn
Silver Keys: Ava Goyal, Gian Lee, Grace Sawyer,
Honorable Mentions: Mariah Anderson, Lizelle Bacolod, Julianna Dail, Ava Goyal, Amy Kim (Joung Youn), Reese Orlofsky, Shivani Sahu, Grace Sawyer, Emma Yale, and Faith Youn
American Art Awards 2021
First Place: Gian Lee
Congressional Art Awards 2021
First Place Honors: Gian Lee
Scholastic Art Awards 2017
National Silver Medal: NaYoung Lee in Painting for her watercolor “Saudade.”
National Silver Medal: Margeaux Gould in Jewelry for her necklace design, titled, “Nailed to the Neck.”
Regional Scholastic Award Winners:
Gold Keys: Jillian Tracy, Roubing Yang, Milena Correa, Margeux Gould, and Na Young Lee
Silver Keys: Jillian Tracy, Roubing Yang, Elizabeth Braun, Ashley Chang, Tyara Estrada, Na Young Lee, Joanne Li, and Elena Pulanco
Honorable Mention: Bridget Hayden, Timea Papp, Samantha Ryan, Grace Velarde, Sophia Georgiou, Katarina Katzarov, Garbiella Licini, Isabella Pineda, Elena Pulanco, Roubing Yang, Sabrina Celis, Noelle DeConzo, Tyara Estrada, Margeux Gould, Mary Haws, Alexa Hernandez, Haley Kuznetzow, Na Young Lee, Joanne Li, Caroline McGann, and Jessica Yale
Scholastic Art Awards 2016
National Gold Medal: Risako Arcari for Cut and Fold Typography
National Silver Medal: Kyra Gensinger for Fork in the Road Jewelry Design
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 2015
AHA received four Gold Key Awards (with a special secondary award for Ruby Kang ’15 who was given an American Visions Nominee Award), 13 Silver Key Awards and 20 Honorable Mentions.
Gold Key Awards: Tyara Estrada, for her photograph entitled “Black White Color,” Angelica Pasquali for her photograph entitled “Old Fashion,” Ruby Kang in the Drawing and Illustration category for her piece entitled “Nightmares” and Molly Menapace for her Jewelry piece entitled, “Swirls of Color.”
Silver Keys: Photography category to Colleen Cotter for “Artificial,” Samantha Kim for “Metamorphosis,” Angelica Pasquali for “Likely Sleeping, Darling” and “Trip”, and to Danielle Saxenian for “Autumn Landscape.”
In the Jewelry Category to: Jae Eun Cho for “Queen Sun Flower” and Jillian McEvoy for “Branch Out.” AHA received three Silver Keys in the Drawing and Illustration category: Suwon Joo for “Journey Through Life”, Ruby Kang for “Utensils” and Vanessa Sakong for “September Bicycles.” Additional Silver Keys were awarded to Ruby Kang for her Art Portfolio “1207,” to Ashley Misciagna in the Printmaking category for “Gothic Ephemeral” and to Suwon Joo for her painting, “Looking Inward.”
Honorable Mentions in the Photography category: Sophia Cotter for “She Needs Her Beauty Sleep”, Kayla Cristofoletti for “Warry Traveler,” Lisa Harootunian for “The Last Night,” Clara Jeon for “I’m One of a Kind,” Ivelisse Mandato for “Florence,” Angelica Pasquali for “Grace Identity” and “Fall Life,” and Danielle Saxenian for “Night.” In the Drawing and Illustration category: Risako Arcari for “Bike Crop,” Jae Eun Cho for “Mother Nature,” Renata Francesco for “Niagara: Rise and Fall,” Ashley Misciagna for “The City of Lights,” and Jiin Suh for “Just Like an Ordinary Day” and “Temptation.” In the Jewelry category to Risako Arcari for “Corky” and to Briar Connors for “Green Silver.”
Ruby Kang received an Honorable Mention for her untitled painting in that category; Maggie McCarthy received an Honorable Mention in the Mixed Media category for her work entitled, “Patwork Trip” and Elaine Ruiz received an Honorable Mention in the Architecture category for her piece “Sustainable Theater Architecture.”
Creative Writing Awards
Scholastic Writing Awards 2017
Silver Keys: Megan Cawley, Nikki Margiotta, Timea Papp, Natalie Kinoian, and Allyx Miles
Honorable Mentions: Megan Cawley, Nikki Margiotta, Timea Papp, Natalie Kinoian, Yeron Jeong, and Mary Petito
Scholastic Writing Awards 2016
Gold Keys: Christine Lim, Nikki Margiotta, Bellami Radosti, and Meredith Shamamian
Silver Keys: Julia Keem, Nikki Margiotta, and Claudia Morgan
Honorable Mentions: Julia Keem, Nikki Margiotta, Francesca Marsh, Claudia Morgan, Sadiya Ramos, and Meredith Shamamian
Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards 2015
Silver Medals: Nikki Margiotta and Christine Lim
Gold Keys: Victoria Cabales, Christine Lim, and Nikki Margiotta
Silver Keys: Victoria Cabales and Caitlyn Smith
Honorable Mentions: Victoria Cabales
Scholastic Arts & Writing Competition 2014
National Silver Key: Alana Spendley
Gold Keys: Alana Spendley
Silver Keys: Victoria Cabales, Ruby Kang
Honorable Mention: Victoria Cabales and Carolina Zulaga
NJ Governor’s Awards in Arts Education 2014
Gold Medal: Alana Spendley