Eighty Mount St. Mary Academy students have been awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award, the nation's highest honor of recognition for student service.

The President's Volunteer Service Award recognizes young adults who have demonstrated exemplary citizenship through volunteering. Sixteen students received the Gold Award which recognizes 250 or more service hours performed over a 12-month time period. Eleven students received the Silver Award, recognizing 175 - 249 service hours. Fifty-three students received the Bronze Award, recognizing 100-174 service hours.

"Mount St. Mary Academy was founded on a mission of service." says principal, Dawn Riggie. "To see students strive to find volunteer opportunities, compete for the most service hours and ultimately receive recognition from the President of the United States shows a realization of our purpose."

Under the leadership of Campus Ministry Director, Helen Scimeca, the Mount St. Mary student service program has expanded and has reached new heights in student popularity.

Service is an integral part of the school's curriculum. Each student is required to participate in a quota of service hours, dependant on their grade level. Seniors are required to perform 60 service hours, a requirement which Scimeca feels trains students to consider service a necessary component of their adult life.

"Each of us is blessed abundantly in our lives," says Scimeca. "Community service allows us to use these blessings and give back to people in need in our school, community, neighborhood and society. We may appreciate what we have more because of community service."

Students volunteer in their communities, parishes and even in the school neighborhood. School organized volunteer hours have included visiting residents of the Schofield Retirement Facility, which neighbors the school property.

Though most volunteer hours are performed independently, many students belong to Serteens, the school's extra-curricular volunteer club which is a chapter of Ken-Ton's Sertoma (Service to Mankind).

Serteens has been largely student-driven, with students having selected and organized many of the club's volunteer efforts including Re-Tree WNY, UNYTS Blood Drive and Books for Kids.

The President's Volunteer Service Awards have motivated students to volunteer more than needed for class participation. Over 25% of the student body performed substantially more service hours than the school requirement and will receive the Presidential Award.

Highest honors were awarded to Kenmore resident Amanda Myers who performed 605 service hours, the most of any Mount St. Mary student this year. Myers is a Junior and intends to continue her service efforts in the next school year.

The awards will be presented on June 1, as part of the school's annual student award ceremony.

Mount St. Mary Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur in 1927, is an all-girls, Catholic college-preparatory high school located at 3756 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. Mount St. Mary's is ranked in the top 5% of all Western New York high schools.