On Wednesday, April 19, Vestavia Hills High School held its annual Awards Day ceremony. Awards Day has been a VHHS tradition for years and honors students for their excellence, character, and service to their school and community through a variety of special awards. Many students see Awards Day as an essential school event—it recognizes and rewards students for what they’ve accomplished throughout the year. The event ensures that students who best embody the Rebel spirit are given a chance to be seen and appreciated.
This year, along with the recognition of academically-outstanding students, students who shined in school-related activities such as athletics, theater, art, community service, clubs, and academic teams were recognized and honored.
The ceremony began with a few remarks by SGA Chaplain Campbell Brown and a couple of school officials, and then Assistant Principal Mr. Hollis began presenting the awards.
Outstanding students who participated in school-affiliated extracurricular groups, including dance, visual art, theater, and many more, were recognized first. Then, the school’s best large and small clubs were rewarded for their activities throughout the year: the Spanish Club won the Best Large Club Award, and the Gardening Club won the Best Small Club Award!
Then, high-performing students in certain academic areas were recognized. These included students who performed well in social studies and AP Psychology classes.
After a few academic awards, students involved in several other school groups were awarded for their hard work and exceptional performance as members of these organizations. These students participated in activities such as Peer Tutoring, the Economics Team, Library Aids, FBLA, Ambassadors, Youth Leadership, and plenty more. Additionally, members of the Economics Team were recognized for winning their state competition, and they will soon be competing nationally!
The wide range of activities recognized illustrated to guests, from parents to our city’s mayor, the remarkable involvement of Vestavia’s high schoolers and their noteworthy achievements.
Next, individual students were recognized for their academic achievements and community service. John Michael Chandash was recognized by Representative Gary Palmer for saving a lady from a Mountain Brook fire!
A few juniors were awarded for their service-related and academic achievements. These included:
Addie Wright - Rachel Carson Book Award
Olivia Plant - Rhodes College Award
Gabriela Ramirez - St. Michael's College Book Award
Libby Woodham - University of Kentucky Book Award
Jessica Ma - Yale Book Award
Then, the ceremony proceeded to reward a few select students for their outstanding athletic performance. Former football coach Buddy Anderson recognized the men whom the awards were named after. These awards were created in honor of the late Phillip Puccio, Thomas Ward, and Robert Ray, three Vestavia Hills coaches who tragically lost their lives in a 1971 car accident. Recipients were awarded for overall athletic performance and for accomplishments in wrestling.
As the ceremony drew to a close, students who held the Seal of Biliteracy were also recognized. These included students who are a part of Vestavia’s language classes, including French, Spanish, and German, as well as students who went out of their way to study for and pass the STAMP test in languages ranging from Portuguese to Korean.
Lastly, the 2022-23 SGA Officers passed on their duties to the new 2023-24 officers. SGA President Emma Nunnelley gave one final speech as president, after which the new president, Virginia Eickholt, gave her first speech. Then, next year’s officers took an oath and received their positions. Here are the 2023-2024 VHHS SGA Officers!
President - Virginia Eickholt
Vice President - Eddy Pang
Administrative Vice President - Anna Claire Black
Chaplain - Madelyn Wigley
Treasurer - Chase Kaiser
Director of Community Involvement - Annemarie Merrill
Director of Homecoming - Sydney Allen
Director of Publicity - Kate Hurst
Director of Spirit - Anne Douglas Nunnelley
Director of Student Involvement - Sophie Williams
All in all, this year’s Awards Day wonderfully recognized many Vestavia Hills High School students for their performance in a wide variety of fields ranging from academics to athletics. Once again, this event achieved its goal of honoring the students who embody what it means to be a Vestavia Rebel. Both students and attendees enjoyed the event and look forward to next year’s Awards Day!
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