Rotary/PTSA Students of the Month

Grand Island Dispatch, April 4, 2008

Kristin Toellner

Kristin Toellner has been enrolled in the Grand Island school system for her entire life with the exception of fourth and fifth grades of which she was in Grand Rapids, Mich. She went to Charlotte Sidway Elementary, Ruth Road Elementary, Veronica E. Connor Middle School and Grand Island Senior High School.

She has received honor roll and high honor roll status throughout high school. Kristin has also received her Academic Excellence certificate, pin and varsity letter; and she is currently on her way to earning her bar. She also received a Pride of the Island award in her junior year of high school. She has also enjoyed the opportunity of taking Advanced Placement classes during high school. In 2008, she’s intending to graduate with an Advanced Regents Diploma with Distinction.

Kristin has competitively swum year-round since the fourth grade. She swam for the Rapids Area YMCA Swim Team in Michigan, and then began swimming in sixth grade for her current team, the Grand Island Swim Club. She’s been on the Grand Island High School swim team for six seasons, earning her letter and four bars. She started on junior varsity in seventh grade and moved up to varsity in eighth. In ninth grade, she started qualifying for sectionals, and has swum her best event, the 500 yard freestyle, in the meet along with various other events. Kristin has received the Scholar Athlete Award annually since eighth grade, and was also inducted into Who’s Who Among American High School Students Sports Edition for the 2005-06 school year.

Kristin has participated in many volunteering activities. Throughout the summer of 2007, she was a junior volunteer at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital, and in the spring of 2008, she plans to participate for the third time in the annual Relay For Life event to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She has also volunteered for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, Olmstead Park, Montgomery Park Nursing Home, Kids Escaping Drugs and the Western New York Food Bank.

Kristin plans to attend a four-year college and pursue the medical field after graduation. She also has hopes to continue swimming at the collegiate level after high school.

Rich Karpie

Rich Karpie was born in Tonawanda and moved to Grand Island when he was almost 2. Throughout the next 15 years of his life he has challenged himself by partaking in rigorous honors and Advanced Placement courses as well as participating in many extracurricular and community activities.

Rich has been on the honor roll throughout high school and has also received the Academic Award for Excellence, as well as the academic pin and letter. He was the recipient of the Clarkson Achievement Award that includes a $36,000 scholarship to Clarkson University. Rich has been listed in Who’s Who in American High School Students three times and in Who’s Who in America’s High School Students Sports Edition once. He also has been a scholar athlete for both basketball and volleyball and received the Pride of the Island award.

Rich has remained active in his school and has been a member of DECA for two years and a member of the National Honor Society since his junior year. He has also participated in the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession program sponsored by the New York State Society of CPAs in June 2007 at the University of Buffalo. Rich has been a member of the Grand Island High School Basketball team for the last five years as well as the team co-captain during his freshman and sophomore years. He has also been a part of the varsity volleyball team for three years and baseball for two.

Rich continues to be active in his community and has participated in many activities both on Grand Island and in Western New York. He has participated in the Lion’s Club Special Kids Picnic and the Lion’s Club Spaghetti Dinner, as well as the St. Stephen’s Basketball Camp and the Buffalo Lives Clean-Up Day. Rich has been an assistant coach for the Grand Island Soccer Club for three years. He has also been a part of the Neighbor’s Foundation Holiday Distribution and Relay For Life.

Rich plans on majoring in business administration.

Sara Kurpiewski

Sara Kurpiewski is the daughter of Zig and Joanna Kurpiewski, and a Grand Island resident all her life. She attended Grand Island schools since kindergarten and has been an active member in Student Council throughout middle and high school. She served as president of the class of 2008 during her freshmen and sophomore year. As a junior, she was selected to be part of the shared decision-making committee and took pro in the Dale Carnegie leadership training seminar. As a senior she was elected president of Student Council, where she was instrumental in organizing several events including the recently held homecoming bonfire, an old tradition that has not been held at GIHS in 35 years. She participates on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, and is also a member of the DECA business club. She is involved in the CEIP/Internship program where she spends time at Charlotte Sidway School helping students and learning techniques and responsibilities of elementary education teachers.

Sara has a passion for dance and enjoys team sports. She started dancing at Janet Dunstan’s Dance Academy at age 4 and continued until 16. She also played Grand Island club soccer. In the eighth grade, she started playing varsity tennis and continued for four years receiving a varsity letter, three gold bars and several scholar athlete award. She started playing lacrosse with the Grand Island girl’s indoor league as a junior and continues to play on the Lady Viking’s varsity lacrosse team receiving a second varsity letter.

Sara used the skills learned through the Dale Carnegie leadership seminar to promote organ donor awareness at Grand Island High School. She was selected to be part of the team to make presentations at Kleinhans to showcase the Donate Life Organization and the work done at GIHS to promote organ donor awareness programs.

She volunteers in the mentor program at Kaegebein School, which gives young children an opportunity to stay after school and receive assistance with their schoolwork rather than going home to an empty house. Through her association with the dance academy, she participated in annual recitals, competitions and exhibitions to raise funds for various charities, including the Kiwanis clubs of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Lewiston, and the Niagara Falls Firefighter Fund.

Sara plans on attending a local university to complete a dual degree in early childhood/childhood education, followed by graduate school for a master’s degree.

Josh Kaplan

Josh Kaplan is a lifelong resident of Grand Island and has attended Grand Island schools since kindergarten. He has maintained honor or high honor roll status throughout middle school and high school while taking many Advanced Placement classes. Josh is a two-time recipient of the Pride of the Island Award and has also received the French award for excellence in a foreign language, the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence, as well as earning his academic certificate, pin and letter.

In addition to academics, Josh takes an active role in school and extracurricular activities. He is currently a member of the National Honor Society as well as a member of the Superintendents Advisory Council. He participates in the Rotary Interact Club and has been a volunteer in many of the club’s functions, such as the lobsterfest, highway cleanup, hot dog sale and box sleep-out to benefit the homeless. Josh has been a member of the ski club since eighth grade and has participated in events such as the Corporate Bowl, the Student Olympics and Spotlighters with a role in the play “Go Ask Alice”

Josh is a talented musician who plays the saxophone in the high school wind ensemble. He has competed in numerous music festivals and achieved top honors. Last year, he was selected to play tenor sax in the Erie County Senior High Band. Josh also has been a member of the Pep Band, Jazz Ensemble and Saxophone Quartet. He has received his varsity letter and two bars in music and is currently stage manager for the wind ensemble.

Kaplan has been a part of the boys swimming and diving team since eighth grade. He’s received his varsity letter and bar for swimming and has been a scholar athlete for two years. He qualified for sectionals for the past two years and, in 2007, qualified for states where he competed in the backstroke. He was also the top point earner for his team last year and is co-captain of this year’s team.

Outside of school, Josh trains year round with the Piranhas Swim Club, where he has been part of the competitive team for four years and has won various medals and trophies. Last year, he was a member of the relay team that competed at Eastern Sectionals at Harvard. Josh is also an avid soccer player and has participated in house and travel soccer leagues for 11 years.

Every Sunday, Josh volunteers at Temple Beth Zion as an assistant kindergarten teacher. He also volunteers during Mitzvah Day at his temple on various projects such as Habitat for Humanity, the Western New York Food Bank and clean up at Ronald McDonald House. Josh has also had the opportunity to assist younger swimmers on the Piranhas to learn various strokes and techniques.

After high school, Josh plans to attend college where he wants to major in business and minor in history. He also plans to be an active member of his university’s swim team.