An important part of Pelham Together’s work is to elevate our youth—recognizing and celebrating their wonderful character traits and how they make the world, and Pelham, a better place. One of the ways we do that is through our Heart of Pelham (HOP) and HOP Jr. Awards.

On Friday, December 14th, four outstanding young people were recognized for their contributions to the community and the character traits we all aspire to—compassion, empathy, kindness, leadership, and commitment to others. The ceremony, held at J Care, was led by Danielle Marrero, PT’s Youth Advocate, and attended by the winners, members of their family and friends, and administration from both Pelham Middle School and Pelham Memorial High School.

One of the HOP awards went to Ana Ramirez, a senior at PMHS. Ana Ramirez, was nominated by a member of the community for her attributes of kindness, courage, and being a good role model. Ana was recognized for her tireless efforts as a front line worker at DeCicco’s during the entire pandemic—consistently showing up to work with a smile on her face for everyone, customers and co-workers alike, no matter the situation. As her nominator mentions, Ana’s spirit exemplifies the idea that “you do not have to set out to change the world, but consistently showing up to make your part of the world a little bit better does have a direct impact on everyone around you.” Congratulations, Ana! 

Another HOP award was also given to Cristina Stefanizzi, a junior at PMHS. Cristina was nominated for her leadership, empathy, and community engagement. Cristina was nominated by two separate nominators in town who both describe her relentless drive to lead, organize and inspire her peers, going above and beyond with any task at hand. Cristina is kind, compassionate, and nothing is too big for her to tackle if it leads to improving her school and larger community. Cristina holds numerous positions in clubs and leading projects in town, and does so with integrity and a passion that you can’t teach. She has raised money for causes such as breast cancer research, coordinated small business campaigns, and created social media content to raise awareness around social and emotional health for her peers. One nominator mentions, “As a mom of two little ones... I hope my children demonstrate the wonderful qualities Cristina has. She is one special person!” Congratulations, Cristina!

One of our HOP Jr. winners was Nathaniel Reynoso, an 8th grader at PMS. Nathaniel was nominated for his kindness and consideration for others. According to his nominator, Nathaniel has displayed selflessness from an early age and has demonstrated that he empathizes with the needs of others. Nathaniel is extremely caring and finds a way to support and speak positively about anyone he comes in contact with. Nathaniel has a way of making you feel like you are the most important person in the room. He is introspective and even when he advocates for himself, Nathaniel thinks about the big picture. Nathaniel stands for what is good and fair and is an ambassador of kindness in his school community in both his actions and words.  Congratulations, Nathaniel for continuously showing and sharing your beautiful heart with others! 

Our other HOP Jr. winner was Adrianna Stewart, an 8th grader at PMS. Adrianna was nominated for her compassion for others and kindness. According to her nominator, when you first meet Adrianna, you can literally “see” her kindness and compassion through her warmth towards others. She is a natural born listener, making her a friend and caretaker to those around her. Adrianna works hard to steer clear of the drama in the world made worse by social media. She seeks to support her peers and has kind words for everyone, even when situations can be cruel and divisive. Adrianna has an exceptionally positive spirit, making her a wonderful role model for others as an Ambassador of kindness in our school community. Congratulations, Adrianna!

The HOP and HOP Jr. Awards are a great way to recognize all the positive ways a young person contributes to making our community a better place. Pelham Together extends these awards twice per year. As an adult in town who interacts with young people in various ways, please take the time to nominate a high school student who you think exemplifies character traits worth celebrating; middle school students are nominated by PMS staff and faculty. Our next round of awards takes place in June and the nomination deadline is May 16, 2022. To learn more and to nominate a teen, click here.