Seniors Tamara Crespo and Christian Guyre are the first ever to receive Becton Regional High School’s student Superintendent Leadership Award at the board meeting last month.

When the neighboring Alfred S. Faust Intermediate School experienced a reported fire on March 25, over 300 students were relocated to the town’s high school, and according to Acting Superintendent/Principal Dr. Sforza, “Tamara and Christian showed tremendous bravery and courage by helping the kids feel safe.”

The two upperclassmen immediately stepped into action and assisted in various ways to make sure the students, who ranged from Pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade, felt comfortable. During the course of their arrival, Tamara and Christian, along with teachers, staff members, and administrators, assisted with directing visitors into the JW-PAC. They then used their private Netflix account to set up a light-hearted movie to calm students and keep them entertained.

Continuing to assist for five hours, the student leaders also served as runners while performing tasks such as making the visitors feel at ease, accompanying students to the cafeteria and helping organize their lunch, and relocating and uniting the children with their parents.

“These seniors showed tremendous leadership, courage, poise, and patience under pressure. They did everything without anyone asking, and the leadership came from their heart,” said Dr. Sforza.

“I love children, and I wanted to help people in need because it’s the right thing to do,” explained Tamara.

“Growing up around firefighters and first responders, I’ve always just helped out when I could and knew I could be of help,” stated Christian. He then went on to mention that he believes his internship through Becton played a role in motivating him to assist because even though he volunteers for an animal hospital, it is his duty to not only help the animals but the owners and people that bring them in. “You have to know how to handle each individual situation,” he commented.

Tamara is also a member of Becton’s Career Exploration Program and is gaining experience in social work.

“It takes a lot to step up, and because both seniors are in a professional internship setting, I feel that has prepared them for these type of real-world situations,” Dr. Sforza said.

He added that one of the reasons for this award is to recognize students’ respectful and kind deeds because it creates a domino effect for those who have never been recognized and acts as a confidence and school culture booster.

“It is important to recognize all student talents, not just those who are athletically or academically gifted,” said the acting superintendent/principal.

“I feel appreciated and honored because no student before me and Tamara has ever received this type of award, so it is a great honor,” Christian said. “I feel appreciated because they recognized my good deed,” added Tamara.

By awarding thoughtful actions, the Becton Administration hopes to boost morale and continue to make the high school a pleasurable and safe environment for everyone in the building.