RPS student recognized for leadership capability
Rebecca Zahora earns Norman J. Field Student Achievement Award
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Rebecca Zahora, of Roosevelt, recently won the Dr. Norman J. Field Student Achievement Award for her academic achievements and leadership ability.

ROOSEVELT - Rebecca Zahora, 12, has a heart of gold and a mind that enjoys working out different kinds of problems.

The sixth-grader at Roosevelt Public School (RPS) was recently honored with the Dr. Norman J. Field Student Achievement Award for her academic achievement, citizenship and leadership ability. Rebecca received the award at a special awards ceremony held at the Colts Neck Regional High School on March 29.

One student in every school in Monmouth County is chosen annually as an award recipient. RPS teachers Scot Gershman and Jeff Santanello, along with Principal Shari Payson, nominated Rebecca for the award.

When asked how she felt about receiving the honor, Rebecca said that at first she thought she was in trouble.

"I was called to the principal's office, and she started asking me all of these weird questions like what do I do after school," Rebecca said.

When Rebecca later found out she had won the award, she felt relieved.

"I was really happy," she said. "I forgot about the award, even though my brother got it when he was in the sixth grade."

Her brother, Joseph, won the award when he attended RPS.

Rebecca said she was even more surprised to find out from Payson that she had been nominated for the award when she was a fifth-grader but did not receive it because the honor traditionally goes to a sixth-grade student.

Her mother, Diane, said Rebecca's family is very proud of her.

"The award is for a well-rounded child, and that is exactly what she is," Diane said. "She is a considerate kid who cares about everyone's feelings. She helps in any way she can, both in and out of school."

Rebecca takes her school work very seriously and as a result gets straight A's on almost every report card. She attributes her academic achievements to doing all of her homework as soon as she gets home from school.

"When I forget to do one little thing, people at school joke around and say, 'Oh she didn't do something,' " Rebecca said.

If she has a problem with an assignment, she said she can always turn to her father, Joseph, or her brother for help. Her favorite subject is math.

"It's challenging, and I can do it easily," Rebecca said.

Believing that community service is important in building a person's character, Rebecca is president of the RPS Student Council. With help from the council, she organized fundraisers in school this year to collect money for local hospitals and also collect used clothing for the less fortunate.

"Community service is important because it helps you grow up, and you will end up in a better place," Rebecca said.

Rebecca also just recently completed a baby-sitting training program sponsored by the American Red Cross. She is now certified to be a mother's helper and has been trained as well in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). She hopes to soon get an after-school job working with children.

Rebecca is also musically inclined. She not only plays the flute in the school band, but also takes bass guitar lessons outside of school.

"My brother and father play bass, too," she said. "We do it as a hobby. We like music."

Also sports-minded, she plays lacrosse on Millstone's recreational lacrosse team.

"I started last year in the fifth grade," Rebecca said. "I usually play goalie or defense."

She continued, "Lacrosse is really fun to play. There's a lot of running. I really love my team."

On Saturday mornings, Rebecca goes to RPS to participate in the morning gymnastics program, which she has been involved in since third grade.

This year, she will graduate from RPS.

"I like [RPS}," she said, "[and] it's going to be hard for me to switch from that little school to Kreps."

Next year, Rebecca will attend Melvin H. Kreps Middle School, located in the East Windsor Regional School District in Hightstown.

Once she gets to the high school level of her education, she hopes to attend a vocational school where she can learn more about the culinary arts. Her father, who once owned a restaurant, started teaching her how to cook at the age of 5. According to Rebecca, her favorite meal to prepare is chicken and rice.

If she decides against becoming a chef, Rebecca said she is also interested in studying to become a nurse.

In the meantime, in her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends Kim Ng, Ellen Rothfuss, Becca Cordo, Jessenia Banegas and Nicole Gerling, among others, and also likes to watch "Gilmore Girls" on television.

In addition, Rebecca loves to travel and has visited Jamaica, Mexico, Cancun and Florida with her family.

With regard to winning the award, she thanked all of her teachers at RPS along with her parents and brother for all of their help.

Rebecca's mother said that having her daughter win the award gave her a nice feeling.

"I get a lot of compliments about what a great kid she is and how nice it is that she does so much for other people," her mother said.