Family, friends, faculty, staff, and alumni came together to celebrate and honor Pace students at Monsignor Edward Pace High School’s 2015 Academic Awards held in the Spartan Center on April 28.
For the primary Academic Awards, around 150 students were honored for their excellent performance in each subject area. Two students from each grade were also presented with trophies for Service to School & Community, Best All-Around, and the Spartan Pride Award. In addition, each Signature Academy Class presented an award to an exceptional student, with 30 students in total being honored by the Academies.
For Athletic Awards, senior basketball player Charles “CJ” Fisher was named Spartan of the Year, senior flag football and soccer player Sabrina Cabrera was named Lady Spartan of the Year, and senior Alejandro Hernandez received the George Cunningham Award.
This year’s ceremony featured the inaugural presentation of the Margie Wessel Scott Award. Formerly the Lady Grace Award, it was renamed to honor the Class of 1977 alumna, member of the Pace Hall of Fame and FSU Athletics Hall of Fame, and former Pace Athletic Director. Scott was selected as the award’s namesake as she epitomized the excellence in academics, community service, and athletics honored by the award. After giving a speech in gratitude, Scott presented the award to Miami Lakes resident, senior Brianna Martinez.
Scott was selected as the award’s namesake as she epitomized the excellence in academics, community service, and athletics honored by the award. After giving a speech in gratitude, Scott presented the award to Miami Lakes resident, senior Brianna Martinez.
Students were also honored with AP Scholars awards and scholarship awards from FIU, the Kevin Garcia Foundation, the National Honor Society, the Independent Schools of South Florida, and other organizations.
The ceremony was not without its surprises. The entire Lady Spartans flag football team went on stage after winning the District 32 Championship to support their quarterback Sabrina Cabrera as she was presented with the Lady Spartan of the Year award.
Finally, near the very end of the ceremony, principal Ana Garcia received a surprise of her own – a week-long cruise to Alaska gifted by the Pace family in gratitude for her hard work and in recognition of receiving the NCEA Educational Excellence Award.