[ot-caption title=”Pine Crest School’s 2015 Silver Knight Award nominees include (from left) Drew Siegel ’15, Lindsay Sack ’15, Alexandra Oshinsky ’15, Brianna Blais-Billy ’15, Julia Sabra ’15, and Ismail Ercan ’15 (via, Pine Crest website)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/zoom_news755944_693047-e1429414711342.jpg”]

In addition to being one of the nation’s most prestigious awards programs, The Miami Herald Silver Knight awards are a major highlight of the academic year. In 1959, The Miami Herald created the Silver Knight Award progam to honor students from both Miami- Dade and Broward County who have displayed compassion and dedication to service. The award is given to an outstanding high school senior who selflessly serves their community by incorporating their special talents. The award is given out in fifteen categories: Art, Athletics, Business, Drama, English & Literature, General Scholarship, Journalism, Mathematics, Music and Dance, New Media, Science, Social Science, Speech, Vocational-Technical and World Languages. Students must have a minimum of a 3.2 unweighted GPA and only one student per category per school can be nominated. This year, six Pine Crest students were nominated: Brianna Blais-Billy (Speech), Ismail Ercan (Social Science), Alexandra Oshinsky (Journalism), Julia Sabra (Music and Dance), Lindsay Sack (Art), and Drew Siegel (English and Literature).

The process to get nominated for the award is very rigorous.  First, applicants were instructed to write a letter to the head of the Pine Crest’s Institute for Civil Involvement (ICI) about why the applicant thinks he or she deserves the award.  The chosen nominees are then required to write an application and attend an interview with a panel of judges.  Nominees are primarily judged on service, achievement, character, leadership, and interview skills.  Community service does not have to be achieved in the category that a student is nominated for, but the student must have other achievements in the specific category.

Senior Izzy Ercan, nominated in the social science category, teaches underprivileged children how to play the violin every week.  He shared with us what it means to him to be nominated for this award, “Being nominated means a whole lot to me as my teachers have recognized the commitment I have for enriching the lives of others around me. Regardless, whether I win the award or not, I am extremely honored and humbled to be nominated.”

Award winners will be announced on May 20th at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.  One winner in each category will win $2,000, a Silver Knight statute, and a medallion.  Three honorable mentions per category will receive five hundred dollars and an engraved plaque. A Silver Knight is one whose record of service to the school and community best exemplifies an unselfish and continuous use of one’s talents in helping others. A Silver Knight is best defined as a selfless individual who gives back to both the school and community and it is truly an honor for Pine Crest to have six individuals in the running for this award. Good luck to all Pine Crest Silver Knight nominees!