Morristown Beard School Honors Students for Community Service

At a special awards ceremony on Friday, May 6, Morristown Beard School recognized more than 50 Upper School students who have exhibited an exceptional dedication to community service. 

The spirit of volunteerism has become synonymous with Morristown Beard School and its mission. To assist students on their journey towards becoming productive and responsible citizens, the School requires community service of all students in grades 9-12. As a result of their volunteer efforts, students are doing more than gaining personal satisfaction and self-confidence; they are enriching their communities and transforming the lives of those around them.

The following 23 students were recognized for contributing more than 100 hours of community service: Alexis Algazy, Zachary Aycock, Gianna Becchi, Carly Cipriano, Katherine Degnan, Matthew Dixter, Ellie Frohlich, Joseph Geoghan, Nyla Gordon-Crocker, Samara Green, Natalie Hess, Emma Hughes, Meera Iyer, Andrew Low, Brandon Mandel, Dylan Mandel, Olivia Mann, Sophie Schramm, Michael Sciarra, Ria Shah, Yash Shah, Isabella Villanova, and Kate Wenzel.

Thirty students were honored for contributing more than 75 hours of community service: Nora Aycock, Zachary Braun, Cadence Christel, Ethan D’Andrea, Alexandra Dorrego, Christian Ewig, Abigail Ewing, Bridget Ewing, Colleen Ewing, Nicolas Fonseca, Sarah Freeman, Dani Gates, Charlie Gibbs, Christopher Hauk, Ryan Hauk, Charles Hutchinson, Addison Kelly, Dylan Locke, Phoebe Merrigan, Sophie Minocha, Angie Ramos, Hailey Rollins, Marlee Ryan, Annabel Simon, Samantha Simon, Rebecca Stulberger, Charlotte Sussman, Avesh Verma, Jonas Weinmann, and Gabrielle Wolin.

As part of the awards ceremony, The Morristown School Class of 1958 Award for Humanitarian Action was presented to Ellie Frohlich ’23. The award recognizes a student’s record of humanitarian deeds and awareness, as well as his/her recognition that with one’s privilege comes a responsibility to care about and contribute to the well-being of others.

Ellie earned 169 service hours this year. During the pandemic, she started an annual food drive for the Interfaith Food Pantry called “Always Hungry.” She has since organized three successful “Always Hungry” food drives, both at MBS as well as in her local community.  “Hosting a food drive has allowed me to take action against food insecurity, which, I believe is one of the most pressing issues right now,” she said. “It is incredibly satisfying to be able to host a successful food drive and raise support and awareness for the Interfaith Food Pantry Organization.”  

In addition to organizing food drives, Ellie serves on the interfaith Food Pantry Teen Board and also volunteers on the Tom Malinowski Youth Advisory Council.

This year’s Frederick Cross Remington Award was presented to Kate Wenzel ’22.  The award is given by the Remington family to that student who shows genuine concern for others and diligently devotes time and effort to community service.

In addition to starting the Lotus Club, a group which provides a safe and supportive place for members to socialize and work on projects, Kate Wenzel devoted 305 hours this year by volunteering with the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA).  Kate is New Jersey’s chair and coordinator for the NEDA annual walk.  She spent many hours fundraising, seeking sponsors, and planning for the event. Kate also designs and sells various items, such as T-shirts, bags, and mugs online and donates the profits to NEDA. 

Kate also volunteers in Summit at Bridges, an outreach center dedicated to aiding the homeless; she was also a Blood Drive coordinator this spring at MBS.