Students of Distinction
SPONSORED BY
Nicolas Silva /
Dahlia Harvey
February 2019
Middle Village Preparatory
Charter School
Middle Village, New York
Typically our Students of Distinction
are nominated from the many noteworthy
High Schools throughout our
borough. Our February 2019 Students
of Distinction both hail from Middle
Village Preparatory Charter School
(MVP). One is a senior, while the other
is a fi rst-year attendee. Middle school
years can be fraught with worries about
peer acceptance and fi nding one’s way
in a larger environment. Both our nominees,
however, deftly navigate through
diffi cult coursework and increased
responsibility with kindness, grace, and
academic prowess.
Nicolas Silva
Whether you fi nd Nicolas Silva on
the soccer fi eld or in the classroom,
you will fi nd him hard set at succeeding
at the task at hand. An eighth grade
student at MVP, he has earned a perfect
My is
A+ GPA. This academic achievement
has resulted in his placement in the MVP
chapter of the National Junior Honor
Society.
Teachers have praised Nicolas stating
he is an enthusiastic learner who
tackles new challenges eagerly. He is
also known as a self-motivated worker
who maintains a positive attitude. According
to Paulina Callender, English
Language Arts teacher, “Throughout the
year, Nicolas has proved himself to be
a responsible and diligent student who
always puts 100% effort into his assignments
and class work. All assignments
submitted are extraordinary, as he
properly analyzes advanced-level texts
and responds to prompts creatively and
innovatively. He is the personifi cation of
a student that is passionate, engaging,
and believes in using literature as a tool
to help him understand the world and
his life.”
Nuanced texts that are far beyond
his grade level have been a part of his
development into a caring young man.
These texts include S.E. Hinton’s The
Outsiders, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird,
and the more contemporary The
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
Several teachers note Nicolas is a
kind, helpful, and generous person by
nature. These characteristics naturally
segue into his helping peers. Guidance
Counselor Tara M. Deahn expresses,
“Not only is Nicolas a model student
within the classroom but his personal
attributes are also noteworthy. He
collaborates well with his peers and is
always willing to help classmates.”
Desire to help others combined with
dedication to and love of soccer led him
to volunteer with Samba 360, an organization
that provides disadvantaged
children with donated sports equipment.
Founder Shawn Brown enthuses,
“Nicolas has volunteered with us for
the past three years. With his help, we
have collected hundreds of soccer balls,
uniforms and more for disadvantaged
children. “
Clearly his many skills, his intelligence,
and kind spirit will lead him
forward to even more accomplishments.
Dahlia Harvey
Our second Student of Distinction is
not only a scholar, but also a thespian.
Dahlia, who is in sixth grade, has
earned an A+ average and received the
Mathematics Awards for earning 100%
in her studies. Perfect marks have also
earned her a place on the Principal’s
List. Her academic excellence was one
aspect that brought her to our attention;
her interest in helping others succeed is
what elevates her above her peers.
“Although her academic ability is
strong and she concentrates on her
work, Dahlia can often be seen helping
peers that are struggling with a topic,”
says, Maiken Bursig, Science teacher.
Dahlia can be found helping others
even outside of school. For example,
through the Girl Scouts, she volunteers
with Sacred Heart of Glendale’s food
"#$%
pantry. In her service as a volunteer
Dahlia goes door-to-door to collect
donations for the food pantry.
Girl Scout Troop Leader Doreen Pratter
proudly states that “Dahlia is a positive
force within the Girl Scout Junior
troop. She was awarded the Bronze
Award for helping to fi ght hunger within
the community. She is a true sister to her
troop’s members.”
Another passion is pursuing her
talents. Since the moment Dahlia was
able to talk, she has enjoyed singing.
She attended Juliet Music School, Forest
Hills, where she was awarded Most
Talented.
During the weekdays after school,
Dahlia takes acrobatics classes at CK
Kids. While attending CK Kids she
learned about American Dance and
Drama Camp (ADDC) and thus began
her acting pursuits.
In 2017 she performed in an ensemble
in Astoria Performing Arts’ “Battle
of the Boroughs” and played the lead
role in ADDC’s production of “Seussical
Jr.” One year later Dahlia won the
lead role in “The Little Mermaid Jr.” at
DCCA. Later last year she brought her
singing and acting chops to bear on
Off-Broadway for the Triad Theatre’s
“Christmastown.”
The love and support Dahlia receives
from her family is Dahlia’s primary motivation
while she juggles school studies
and extracurricular activities. As she
looks towards her future, she dreams
of attending Laguardia High School of
Performing Arts or Frank Sinatra School
of the Arts. Any place where she can
continue pursuing the activities she loves
while pushing herself towards being her
very best will be the perfect place.
Congratulations to both our February
Students of Distinction!
!
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM MARCH 1-7, 2019 15
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