Pennsbury High School announced its Top 20 Scholars for the class of 2022.
Aidan Catalano
Activities: Bucks County Student Forum – Mental Health Subcommittee, R&D Coordinator at The Spearhead Group, Math and Physics Tutoring, Mathletes, Young Engineers, Pennsbury Association for Technology Help (PATH), Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Summer Programs, National Honor Society tutoring and volunteering, Odyssey of the Mind, Piano
Honors: AP Scholar with Distinction, Lendo Fellowship Recipient, Rochester Institute of Technology Creativity and Innovation Award, Spanish National Honor Society, Academic Excellence in Computer Science (9th Grade), Academic Excellence in Science (10th and 11th Grade), Candidate for US Presidential Scholars Program, USA Physics Olympiad Qualifier, National Merit Commended Student, 2022 National Spanish Exam Gold Medalist
Plans: Carnegie Mellon University
Major: Physics
Matthew Cohen
Activities: Future Business Leaders of America, Young Engineers, Spanish Exchange Program (canceled – COVID), Lower Makefield Football Association Flag Football Coach, 9th Grade Basketball, McCaffery’s Supermarket employee, Lower Makefield Football Association Flag Football referee, Morrisville Little League umpire, Pennsbury Recreational Basketball League, St. Ignatius Regional Basketball
Honors: Wilkes University Colonel Emerging Leaders, Furman University Scholars’ Program, Morehead-Cain Scholarship Nominee, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National Business Honor Society
Plans: University of Pittsburgh
Major: Business – Bachelor/MBA
Courtney Cooper
Activities: Anatomy Club (Founder and President), The Pennsbury Voice (High School Newspaper – Editor), Bucks County Student Forum (Pennsbury Student Representative), Principal’s Advisory Committee (Appointed Member), Peers of Pennsbury (Mentor), Bucks County Performing Arts Center, Children’s Musical Theatre (Volunteer), Sunrise Senior Living (Volunteer)
Honors: National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society
Plans: Thomas Jefferson University
Major: Accelerated five-year dual degree Health Sciences BS/Physician Assistant MS program
Jessica Firestone
Activities: Young Investors Society (YIS) Global Student Advisory Board (Executive Board Secretary), YIS Global Stock Pitch Competition (Pennsylvania State Winner, East Coast Regional Winner, Advancing to International Competition), Pennsbury’s YIS Club (President), The Pennsbury Voice (Editor and Club Co-Leader), Pennsbury Political Awareness Club (Social Media Coordinator), Teen Civic Engagement Fellow (Religious Action Center), Lobbied Congress and Attended L’taken Social Justice Seminars (Religious Action Center), Gwynedd Mercy University Business Case Study Competition (1st Place), Temple Youth Group (Executive Board Secretary), Pennsbury Judaism and Culture Club (Co-President), Synagogue Program Planner/Volunteer, Rita’s Italian Ice (Treat Team Member), Bucks County Community College Courses (Ethics, Intro to Philosophy, Intro to Psychology)
Honors: Superintendent’s Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, The Brown University Book Award, Certificate of Merit for top 5,000 SAT score in Pennsylvania, Dollar-A-Day Young Investors Society Money Match Scholarship Recipient, Academic Excellence Award for Business, Computers, and Information Technology (2021 and 2019), Business Student of the Marking Period, American Association of University Women STEM Award, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society
Plans: Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University
Major: Philosophy (Justice, Law, and Values concentration)
Aditya Gaba
Activities: Class of ’22 Student Representative to the School Board of Directors, Future Business Leaders of America (President), RBC Wealth Management Intern, Tennis Team (Captain & 4-Year Letterman), Golf Team (Captain & 3-Year Letterman), First Tee of Greater Trenton Volunteers (Lead Coordinator), District Equity Leadership Team, Math Tutor, Old York Country Club Caddie
Honors: National Honor Society (Treasurer), National Business Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, Arthur J. Lendo Fellow, Academic Excellence in Business & Computer Science, Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology, National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, SOL Golf All-League First Team, SOL Tennis All-League First Team Doubles
Plans: University of Michigan
Major: Finance
Ezra Greenberg
Activities: Scouts BSA Troop 30, Youth Orchestra of Bucks County (Principal Cellist and Teaching Intern), Mathletes (Captain), Key Club (Past President), Positive Notes Board Member
Honors: Eagle Scout with 5 Palms; National Merit Finalist; President’s Volunteer Service Award: Bronze; Coolidge Senator; Qualified for AIME twice; Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science 1st place in Microbiology at States; American Chemical Society Award; ABRSM Grade 8 Cello with Distinction; Royal Conservatory of Music Level 10 Piano Honors; YOBC Concerto Soloist; Student Representative to HOBY; AP Scholar with Distinction; National Honor Society
Plans: Johns Hopkins University
Major: Biophysics
Rebecca Guloy
Activities: PHS Environmental Science Club (President), HomeFront: Camp Mercer (Camp Ambassador), Bucks County Public Library (Volunteer), Anatomy Club, GSK Science in the Summer (Teacher Assistant), Concert and Symphonic Orchestra, Proline Music (Piano Student)
Honors: Chatham University: Rachel Carson Healthy Planet Award, National Merit Scholarship Program: Letter of Commendation, Arthur J. Lendo Fellowship Award, LYFT Pennsbury Character Award: Responsibility, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, PHEAA Certificate of Merit
Plans: The College of New Jersey
Major: Biology
Zachary Hetrick
Activities: Pennsbury Chapter of Students Demand Action (Vice President), Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Orchestra, Pennsbury Marching Band, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen Volunteer
Honors: Academic Excellence in Mathematics, Academic Excellence in English, Clarkson School Scholars Award, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, AP Scholar with Honor
Plans: Villanova University
Alen Ibric
Activities: Yardley Makefield Soccer Club Soccer (Captain), National Honor Society (Vice President), Operation Smile (Secretary), Sports Nite (Captain), Pennsbury Falcons Varsity Soccer
Honors: Wesleyan University Book Award, Academic Excellence Award in Spanish (3x), Academic Excellence in Social Studies, National Spanish Honor Society, AP Scholar with Honor Award
Plans: University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, or University of Michigan
Major: International Relations
Pujeet Kapoor
Activities: JV Tennis, Varsity Tennis, some volunteer work
Honors: Wilkes University Colonel Emerging Leader Award, National Honor Society, National Business Honor Society, French National Honor Society: French 3H/4H, Certificate of Merit Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency: Top 5,000 SAT score in PA
Plans: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Major: Computer Science
Paul Kearns
Activities: Young Engineers (President), Boy Scouts of America, Mathletes, Intramural soccer
Honors: Lehigh University National Merit Scholarship, AP Scholar with Distinction, RIT Bausch & Lomb Science Award, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Academic Excellence in Mathematics, Academic Excellence in Science, Lendo Fellowship
Plans: Lehigh University
Major: Computer Science
Anika Koul
Activities: Falcons for Orphans (Founder and President), Unicef club (President), Speech and Debate, Young Engineers, Tennis
Honors: Academic Excellence in English, Academic Excellence in History, Academic Excellence in Science, HOBY Leadership Conference, University of Pennsylvania Book Award, National Merit Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society
Plans: University of Pennsylvania
Major: Bioengineering
Gabrielle Kruczkowski
Activities: Historian of National Honor Society, Cross country, Swim, Track, Polish Scout Troop Leader, Volunteer at Wallace and Nilan Physical Therapy Office, Biomedical and Surgical Research Inductee at Boston Leadership Institute, Research Assistant
Honors: Student of the Marking Period, Suburban One League Champion in swimming 2020, Honors Graduate from St. John Cantius Polish School, Wellesley College Book Award, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, AP Scholar with Honor
Plans: Tufts University
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Henry Lane
Activities: STARFORGE Project (Researcher), CIERA at Northwestern University (Summer Researcher), Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (Research Intern), Odyssey of the Mind (Captain), Pennsbury Association for Tech Help, Young Engineers, Competitive eSports
Honors: First-author publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2022 Regeneron STS Scholar, International Astronomical Union Symposium 362 Contributed Talk, S.T Yau Honorable Mention (USA Finals, Physics), OOTM: 3rd World Finals (2020), 7th & 9th World Finals (Virtual & In-Person, 2021), 2nd State Finals, 1st SEPA Regional Finals (2021). Harvard Book Award, Lendo Fellowship, earnings from Fortnite World Cup Qualifiers
Plans: Caltech
Major: Physics
Nicholas Terry
Activities: Marching Band, Jazz Band, Symphonic Winds, Mathletes, Reading Olympics, Boy Scouts, and Karate
Honors: Eagle Scout, 3rd Degree Black Belt, Bucks County Region Band, National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Presidential Scholar Applicant, National Merit Commended Scholar, Academic Excellence in Mathematics, Instrumental Music Award, George Eastman Young Leaders Award
Plans: University of Pennsylvania
Major: Mathematics
Ansh Shah
Activities: Odyssey of the Mind, Pennsbury SeaFalcons, Flight Training, Mathletes, Reading Olympics
Honors: Lendo Fellowship Awardee, Academic Excellence Award in Applied Engineering (9th and 10th)
Plans: Penn State University – Schreyers Honors College
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Pranav Shah
Activities: PHS Chess Team, PHS Varsity Tennis, Mathletes Captain, Programming/Coding
Honors: 2x High School State Chess Champion, National Merit Commended Scholar, Rochester Institute of Technology Computing Medal
Plans: University of Maryland
Major: Computer Science
Krishna Desai Thaker
Activities: Pennsbury Association for Tech Help (President), PHS Origami Club (Founder & President), PHS Yearbook Club (Editor & Senior Representative), PHS “The Voice” Newspaper Club (Editor), PHS Key Club (Vice President), PHS Multicultural Youth Leaders Club (Vice President), Pennsbury Ultimate Female Frisbee (Captain), Bucks County Courier Times “Teen Takes” Panelist, Volunteer at the Fallsington Library Science Meets Art Programs, Speaker at Canvas Learning Management System InstructureCon 2021, Acclaro, Inc. Intern, vWise Research at Rutgers University (analyzed + published DNA sequences in the NCBI database), PHS Prom Committee (Chair), Pennsbury District Equity Leadership Team, PHS Building Equity Leadership Team, PHS Principal’s Advisory Committee
Honors: LYFT Character Award for Respect, Student of the Quarter, AP Scholar with Honor, 2x Dr. Arthur J. Lendo Fellowship Award, Rochester Institute of Technology Computing Medal Award, PHEAA Certificate of Merit, B2BA Scholarship, National Business Honor Society (Leadership Board Member & Secretary), Spanish National Honor Society, National Honor Society, Drexel University Presidential Scholarship
Plans: Drexel University – Pennoni Honors College
Major: Finance, BS/MBA accelerated program
Megan Walsh
Activities: PHS Girls’ Varsity Tennis (Captain), Prom Chair, Mind2Mind Mentoring Program, Marc Hill Tennis Academy, Jacome’s Tennis Academy, USTA Tournament Player
Honors: National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, AP Scholar, Wells College 21st Century Leadership Award, PIAA State Doubles 3rd Place (2021), PIAA State Doubles 4th Place (2019), SOL Doubles 1st place (2021, 2019), SOL Doubles 2nd Place (2020, 2018), District Doubles 4th Place (2021, 2019), SOL Singles 2nd Place (2019), SOL All League First Team Singles (2019), SOL All League Second Team Singles (2021, 2018), SOL Team Champions (2021, 2020), PIAA State Team Tennis Final Four (2021)
Plans: University of California, Davis
Major: Biology
Anna Ye
Activities: Pennsbury Marching Band, Pennsbury Symphonic Winds, Pennsbury Symphony Orchestra, Pennsbury Jazz Ensemble, Pit Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Bucks County, Philadelphia Young Artists’ Orchestra, PHS Key Club, PHS Literature Club, PHS Reading Olympics
Honors: National Merit Scholarship Finalist, Tulane University Book Award, Furman University Scholarship Program, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Inducted for levels 3 and 4, AP Scholar Award, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Piano Grade 8, Pennsylvania Music Educators’ Association (PMEA) All State Wind Ensemble, Region 6 Band, District 11 Band, District 11 Orchestra, AP European History Virtual Learning Feature
Plans: New York University
Major: Undecided
