“You’ve been caught,” reads the heading on the list of Saugerties Youth Awards recipients. Young citizens are selected by members of town and village government, the school district, the Saugerties Boys and Girls Club and the Family of Woodstock, as well as by individuals.
The awards, developed by SAGE (Saugerties is About Growth Experiences), reward community service, support of peers, general selflessness and a spirit of cooperation.
Four awards were presented at the Saugerties village board meeting on December 17.
Trevor Brodie, 11, was nominated by Mount Marion School principal Carole Kelder, and by teachers Kerri Molini and Rachel Fisher. Their description states that “Trevor works hard every day to be a good citizen, help others and better himself. Trevor is kind to all his classmates and sets a good example.”
Shaun Sussman, 14, was nominated by Lindsey Quick. “Shaun has been a member of the Boys and Girls Club since he came in at the beginning of the school year expressing interest in being one of its volunteers,” according to a description. “He has done an exceptional job with being a role model for the younger members and being very helpful around the club. He is always willing to lend a helping hand and work with the members.”
Ashley Pettengill, 17, was nominated by Joe Defino. “For two years, Ashley has devoted herself selflessly and skillfully to the Hope Rocks Mission,” Defino states in his nomination. “She is an outward advocate and an internal cog in our mission to illuminate the darkness of addiction and suicide as well as provide real solutions to reverse the trend of death currently in epidemic proportions. Ashley is involved in the implementation, planning and execution of all of the events and programs.”
David Henkel was also nominated by Joe Defino. “David has donated hundreds of hours of service towards the Hope Rocks Mission of illuminating the darkness of addiction and suicide with the goal of reversing the epidemic trend of death in our community. He has worked as a volunteer for the Hope Rocks Festival, Hope Rocks Christmas and many other events important to Hope Rocks objectives. He is a critical component of our success in outreach, implementation and vision,” according to Defino’s statement.
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