Middle Country Celebrates February Students of the Month

Congratulations Kaitlyn Lerner, Chris Cartolano, Logan Squillace, and Lukas Wolpiuk

CENTEREACH, NEW YORK (FEBRUARY 2021)—The Middle Country Central School District (MCCSD) recently announced its February students of the month: Kaitlyn Lerner, Newfield High School (NHS); Chris Cartolano, Centereach High School (CHS); Logan Squillace, Selden Middle School (SMS); and Lukas Wolpiuk, Dawnwood Middle School (DMS). These four distinguished students were recognized and honored for their academic success and positive contributions to their learning environment and the community.

“The District is incredibly proud of Kaitlyn, Chris, Logan and Lukas for their academic and extracurricular accomplishments,” said Dr. Roberta Gerold, Superintendent of Schools. “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the positive impact that they all have made on our school community. We look forward to witnessing them continue serving as role models for their peers.”

Kaitlyn Lerner, a senior at Newfield High School who is widely recognized for being attentive and conscientious towards her work, currently maintains a 92.5227 weighted Grade Point Average (GPA). She will have completed a total of 10 college level and Advanced Placement (AP) courses upon graduation. In addition to her participation on the varsity cheerleading team, National Honor Society and General Organization (G.O.), Kaitlyn works several hours a week at a local acai and bagel shop.

Come this fall, Kaitlyn plans to study environmental engineering and work towards her goal of becoming an environmental engineer. Saving the planet is something Kaitlyn is passionate about.

Centereach High School’s Chris Cartolano is someone who routinely exceeds expectations as a result of his focused dedication and intense work ethic. His attitude, coupled with his desire to learn from teachers and coaches, has served him well both inside and outside of the classroom. As someone who approaches his academics and athletics with the same level of concentration and determination, Chris regularly volunteers at his local church, contributes to the district’s booster club with its various events, and serves as a positive role model while coaching and training youth basketball. 

Upon graduation in the spring, Chris intends on studying locally, while also considering enlisting in the military. 

Logan Squillace, eighth grader at Selden Middle School, is a selfless individual who continues to put service before self. His love for his country, matched with his passion for American history, has been a driving force in his participation with student government and community service. While attending the Westhampton Beach Learning Center, Logan was a recipient of the Leadership Certificate. Outside the classroom, Logan spends time with “Helping Makes You Happy, a local organization that aims to demonstrate how every human is capable of making a difference through volunteering. As a sports enthusiast, Logan enjoys basketball and football and will be trying out for the basketball team in high school. In the future, Logan plans to join the armed services to serve his country and pursue a career in politics, in the hopes of becoming President of the United States.

Dawnwood Middle School seventh grader Lukas Wolpiuk, a conscientious student who strives to perform his best in all aspects of life, currently maintains a 100 GPA. While some may be appropriately impressed with his report card grades, it’s Luka’s genuine desire to invest time, effort and hard work to consistently achieve success that sets him apart. Most recently Lukas, who has a passion for trains and transportation, was featured in several regional news outlets discussing his concerns for proposed bridge and toll hikes, parking costs, and agreed that the delay in raising fares was the right move. Lukas is steadfast in taking his passion to the next level and intends on pursuing a career in engineering for Amtrak or holding a position on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) board when he completes school.