More than 40 students awarded accolades, scholarships from colleges

Forty-two Red Hook High School students received scholarships and awards from more than 15 colleges and organizations at a small ceremony at the school earlier this month.

The awards recognized students for academic achievement, community service and involvement, intentions to explore specific fields of study and a variety of other factors. While some of the recognitions came with the promise of scholarship funding should the student choose to attend the awarding school, others included tokens like books.

The school planned to present the awards last June, but were unable to do so following the fire that forced the school’s closure for more than a month. Instead, the seniors received their awards from Student Services counselors on Oct. 1, during a small ceremony in the Performing Arts Center’s atrium following the annual Student Picnic. The timing of the presentation was strategic; each student was able to list the awards as honors on college applications, with some schools’ deadlines for early action beginning as early as today, Oct. 15.