Millstone girl earns honor helping peers
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

Jessica Parisi

MILLSTONE - Seventh-grader Jessica Parisi has earned the respect of her school district.

Each year, one student from every public middle and high school in Monmouth County is given the Dr. Norman J. Field Student Recognition Award and spotlighted at a ceremony organized by the Monmouth County School Boards Association. The award recognizes students for their academic achievements, participation in extracurricular activities, unique contributions to the

community and overall citizenship. Middle School teachers collectively nominated Jessica for the award because "she is a perfectionist in her academic work and is always on the high honor roll."

The nomination form also notes that Jessica is respected and well liked by her peers because she is always willing to help other students.

As a member of the Student Council, Jessica shows leadership skills, shares creative ideas and works hard for the benefit of the group. She is also the Student Council homeroom representatives' liaison.

According to the nomination form, Jessica demonstrates sportsmanship and has played on the school's field hockey team for the past two years.

This is not the first award that Jessica has received. In the second grade she received the Dana Christmas Scholarship for Heroism, which was established to honor a Seton Hall student who was killed trying to help many students avoid serious injury and saving lives during a dormitory fire at the university on Jan. 19, 2001.

Jessica earned the honor for her heroism when her father Robert, a diabetic, had a seizure while swimming in the family's pool. Jessica pulled him out, saving his life.

The Dana Christmas award came with a $10,000 scholarship that Jessica intends to use for college.