PATTON, Pa. (WJAC) -- A few hundred students and parents packed into Cambria Heights High School Thursday night for the annual academic awards banquet.
For graduating seniors, it's also a time for many to receive scholarships from several organizations and area businesses.
"We have organizations such as local legions and VFWs and then some businesses from the community as well, that really want to recognize our seniors and help them out as they go on to trade schools, two-year schools and four-year schools," said Principal Ken Kerchenske.
Kerchenske says the annual academic awards banquet recognizes underclassman who have a 92 percent or higher GPA for the year.
"Tonight is meant to be a recognition of our school's finest and brightest students,” said National Honor Society president Adam Bobak. "To just be in attendance tonight is an achievement worthy of praise."
Bobak delivered the opening remarks.
"I've known him as his teacher. I coached him in soccer and also as his principal,” Kerchenske said. “(He's) a great role model. I don't know that there's any student or teacher in the building that would have anything bad to say about him."
Every year, Seton Hill University awards three full-tuition scholarships to students.
"We really only select the best of the best, and something that's really unique about Seton Hill and this high school, we've actually in my time at Seton Hill, this is our second full-tuition scholarship that we've given in the last three years," said admissions counselor Laneka Hainesworth.
This year, Bobak was one of those three. He'll be studying osteopathic medicine on a full ride.
"It's a huge deal. It's a very big deal,” Bobak said. “It's something I never imagined would have happened. I'm very grateful to Seton Hill for giving me that. The fact that there were two other full-tuition scholarships just in my class alone is amazing."
Bobak was also admitted in the direct high school to med school program.
"Seton Hill has a program with ... a medical school in Erie. As long as I keep a 3.5 all throughout college, I have my seat in medical school already, so after graduating from Seton Hill, I'll go right into LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) and start my medical school there."
Bobak is one of 117 students graduating this year.
Also at the awards ceremony, Nicholas Brawley got a full ride to Penn Highlands Community College and Brayden Marra got a full ride to Washington and Jefferson College.
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