Members of the Charles Town Kiwanis Club gathered at Harpers Ferry Middle School Thursday, May 22, to recognize the achievements of the top eighth grade students in Jefferson County.

According to Kiwanian Pete Dougherty, the group initially began recognizing students at Charles Town Middle School but expanded over time to include all four middle schools in the county.

Students selected as recipients of recognition by the Kiwanis were chosen by their school administrators based upon their academic achievements, their leadership and participation in extracurricular activities. Each student was presented with a certificate and a special keepsake coin to commemorate the evening.

Students selected and honored from Shepherdstown Middle School included Tayah Hawley, Clara Lo, Keegan Marken, Max Ober, Madeline Pitcher, Grace Valentine, Sarah Wabnitz, Laura Wolfe and Benjamin Yost. Principal Bill Kerlina was on hand to congratulate each.

Students from Charles Town Middle who received congratulations from Principal Tim Sites, included Jackie Arnold, Zachary Bauer, Matteo Cerasoli, Lucas Costello, Emma Espinosa, Austyn Ford, Parker Jackson, Holly Kidwiler, Anthony Marmorella, Cameron Mattei, Hayden Morrison, Abigail Scherer, Ashleigh Sigler, Michael Spuria, Kelly Starliper, Jesus Torres, Allison Wharton and Matthew Wogan.

Karla Gunnoe, with Wildwood Middle helped present to Rebecca Kendall, Madeline Puppos, Eva Smith, Nicholas Chaapman, Hunter Bowers, Emma Damm, Isabella Sager, Kira Baldau, Isaac Hylton, Olivia Black, Monoita Khan, Robert Gianniny, Kaitlyn Reaves, Dutch Miller, Alexander Hine and Hannah Seaman.

Host principal Joe Spurgas welcomed his students, Jordan Dixon-Gross, Rowan Gilbert, Matthew Grant, Matthew Holmes, Richardo Henriquez, Dalton Jackson, Victoria Librizzi, Samantha Milbourne, Sabrina Szemborski and Haley Wilt.

Each school was further honored with individual cakes sporting all the names of the recipients of the evening’s honor at a reception following the ceremony.

Dougherty commented that the students selected comprise the top 10 percent or less of the entire eighth grade student body in the county.