Liberty’s Departmental Excellence Awards were held in the auditorium during the afternoon of Thursday, May 19. The ceremony saw parents, families and fellow students coming together to recognize the seniors who went above and beyond in their respective academic areas of proficiency.

There were a total of 20 departmental awards were formally accorded to the seniors. These students were informed of the award they received via email a couple of weeks before the official commemoration on Thursday.

Teachers from every department at Liberty presented virtual recorded messages to their chosen senior and the reasons why they were selected, all in heartfelt and cordial manners.

Each recipient was handed a certificate as well as a graduation honors cord, both signifying their departmental merit.

Jaden Zelidon exceptionally earned two separate awards at the event: one for instrumental performing arts and another for science.

“When I found out I won two departmental awards, I was very surprised and touched by what my teachers said,” Zelidon expressed. “I’ve worked really closely with many science teachers and my band directors over the past few years, and it meant a lot to me that they would nominate me for this huge honor.”

Regarding what has led him to his success, Zelidon stated, “I was able to connect with my teachers in the last few years and made a conscious effort to get to know most of them as teachers and also as people, and I think this definitely played a factor in their decisions as they got to know me as more than just a student as well.” Zelidon said that he is very much looking forward to new experiences, challenges and opportunities at college.

The recipients of the Departmental Excellence Awards:

Makenzie Keiling – Business

Jackson Martin – English

Athena Widlacki – Family and Consumer Science

Anthony Scachitti – Industrial Technology

Sarah Dickson – Marketing

Cleopatra Mozolewski – Mathematics

Jaden Zelidon – Performing Arts (Instrumental)

Bee Boyer – Performing Arts (Vocal)

Rylee Gobble – Physical Education

Sanjana Anand – PLTW Biomedical Science

Keaton Roof – PLTW Engineering/Computer Science

Jaden Zelidon – Science

Bella Bahr – Social Studies

Sruthi Ramesh – Student Publications

Sean Bruce – Theater Arts

Brennan Myers – Visual Arts

Erick Ascencio – World Language (French)

Paige Bostic – World Language (German)

Brynn Bartram – World Language (Spanish)

Allison Kruger – Scholar Athlete Award (given by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)