Julia Esposito: 9th Grade

This is Julia’s first year at West Morris Central. She displays passion through her hard work and good grades in each one of her classes. She is happy that her teachers and administrators have noticed her hard work in the few months that she has been here, and is glad to be on the right track for success in high school. Julia believes that PRIDE is “a great way to live your life as an individual” and that it has personalized the school. If students try to embody pride then collectively the “student body will be more kind and determined than we already are” states Julia. For any student looking to be more passionate and involved in school Julia recommends “try new things and put your personality out there!”

Elizabeth Erfanian: 10th Grade

Elizabeth Erfranian is currently a sophomore at WMC. She displays passions through her school spirit during football games, as a cheerleader. Not to mention that she never misses a day during spirit week. Elizabeth is “so proud to be one of the first recipients” of the PRIDE award and believes it is a great achievement of hers that she can even note on her college applications. According to Elizabeth, the best way to display passion is to sign up for some of the many clubs and activities West Morris Central offers. Lastly, Elizabeth believes PRIDE “is a wonderful way to encourage students to strive to be their best selves.”

Basil Iacampo: 11th Grade

Basil Iacampo is currently a junior at West Morris Central. He devotes himself to the school community in any way he can. He is “extending [him]self to the betterment of West Morris Central” even if it is just “by coming to school with a smile.” Basil loves going to school and he especially enjoys getting to go to a school with such a great community.  He stated that being “ awarded for [his] passion and dedication to our community” is a huge honor. His advice for anyone looking to more passionate about school and the community is it simply come to school focused and be open to collaboration because the whole school is part of one team. He believes by showing the PRIDE attributes “you are setting yourself up for great years here at West Morris Central!”

Michael Battaglino: 12th Grade

This year Michael Battaglino’s final year at WMC. Winning this award, to him, is a great honor because he is being recognized for not only the passion he displays but for the role model he can be for younger students. Mike is heavily involved in football and FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and displays his passion for the school through his participation. For anyone looking to follow in his footsteps, he advises “find what you enjoy or have an interest in and run.” Mike believes one of the best parts of West Morris Central  is the amount of clubs and activities one can join . However, many people are scared to put themselves out there. To them, he says take a risk because “you never know what you may learn or find out about yourself.” All in all, he believes PRIDE is creating a positive environment especially important for new, younger, students at WMC because it encourages involvement. The last piece of advice Mike has is to “be the best person you can be for your community” and that seems to be the meaning of PRIDE at WMC