Two students at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke are recognized for their hard work inside and outside of the classroom.
Left to right: Holyoke Family Literacy Director Jody Spitz; Andrew Melendez, Holyoke Director of Mass Latino Chamber of Commerce; Wesley Velez Cappa, "H Award" Winner; Mayor Elaine Pluta; Principal Linda Rex, Dean School; Culinary Director Ralph Webb.Holyoke – Two students from William J. Dean Technical High School in Holyoke were presented with the monthly ‘H’ Award today.
Today’s award, presented by Mayor Elaine E. Pluta and the Holyoke Literacy Coalition, went to Wesley Velez Cappa and Joshua Suriel-Montero for their outstanding community service and their hard work inside of the classroom.
The ‘H’ awards, which stands for ‘Hardworking Holyoke Heroes,’, have been issued since January 2011. The award honors students in the Holyoke school system who put in an extra effort to succeed. Students receiving the award are recommended by teachers and the school principal. Teachers are encouraged to reward students for improvements outside of reading and math.
Andrew Melendez, director of the Holyoke Latino Chamber of Commerce and the founder of the ‘H’ award, said that anywhere from 70 to 75 Holyoke students are presented with the award every month. “Not every student can be an ‘A’ student, but any student can be an ‘H’ student,” he said.
The purpose of this award, according to Melendez, is to recognize young students for their hard work. “This is a way to have an impact on the kids. The award highlights the success stories of Holyoke students,” he added.
The award given to the winning student bears the signatures of Mayor Pluta, Superintendant David L. Dupont and Melendez. Each student who receives an ‘H’ award is entered into a raffle and the student’s name that is selected is invited, along with their families, to have lunch with the mayor in her office.
According to Melendez, oftentimes a student will improve their grades in school but a lack of support and positive reinforcement at home leads to a decline in grades again. Recognizing their hard work, said Melendez, is essential for their self-esteem and gives those students a reason to continue on that path.
“The kids appreciate knowing that someone sees how hard they worked,” Melendez said.