Junior Emily Szmurlo was named the “Student of the Year” by the Westmoreland Kiwanis Club at the annual Senior High School Awards Ceremony on May 30.
The prestigious award is given to one of ten juniors annually who are selected as a student of the month by the Westmoreland Kiwanis Club during the school year. As part of the award, Emily will receive a $500 scholarship. 
Emily is a member of National Honor Society, Student Council, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Select Chorus, NYSSMA, Drama Club, Broadway Voices and Mathletics. During her sophomore year, she was selected to represent Westmoreland Jr./Sr. High School as an ambassador at the New York State Hugh O’Brien Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar. At the seminar, several hundred sophomore ambassadors from high schools across the state interact with community leaders about real-world issues, participate in hands-on activities and volunteer in a community service project. In June of this year, Emily returned to the conference to serve in a leadership role.
Outside of school, Emily is very active. She volunteers at the Country Pantry, her church and a local cemetery, where she assists with clean-up. She also helps out with the annual Senior Citizen Prom and Senior Citizen Bingo events held at the Jr./Sr. High School. Another example of her benevolence is her effort to raise and donate $250 to Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse.
“All of her teachers and advisors agree that she always takes her responsibilities seriously and is an active participant in each organization she belongs to," Mrs. Macrina, Jr./Sr. High School Key Club advisor, said of Emily. “Even though she is involved in many clubs and organizations, it is very obvious to all of her teachers that she still puts academics first, as she is an exceptional student. She definitely is a positive role model for her peers.”
Emily is the daughter of Richard and Laurie Szmurlo. Her future plans include attending a four-year college to major in music theory and composition.
The ten juniors selected as a student of the month by the Westmoreland Kiwanis Club during the 2018-19 school year were:
September – Emily Szmurlo
October – Olivia Carmody
November – Alexis Rocco
December – Joyce Pilbeam
January – Emma Riesel
February – Isabella West
March – Jordan Carroll
April – Mariana Foppes
May – TBA
June – TBA
Kiwanis of Westmoreland is a local branch of Kiwanis International. The mission of the nonprofit service organization is to “empower communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children.” Local clubs look out for our communities and the international organization takes on large-scale challenges, such as fighting disease and poverty.