The Pennington School

Julia Peters '20 is the recipient of the 2020 Plum Cares Academic Scholarship (PCAS). This one-time scholarship, totaling $5,000, will support her academic studies at The George Washington University in the Fall of 2020 where she will pursue physics and will be competing on the varsity gymnastics team.

Erin Penders, class of 2022, held a food drive to help those struggling during these difficult times. With help from her family and Pennington School friends, she was able to donate $1,500 worth of food to The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. The items were delivered on April 10. The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen is a non-profit organization that feeds the hungry in the Trenton area and offers programs to encourage self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of its patrons. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, the organization continues to provide meals for those in need.

Pennington School student Alexander Huang-Menders '21 and his siblings, Celeste Huang-Menders, and Christian Huang created the Share Some Care project, which is an online database that allows people throughout to country to locate fire stations, food banks, hospitals and police stations near them that are accepting donations. In an article with NJ.com, Huang-Menders, said "It's amazing that this project has taken off so quickly. Ideally, we want to get traffic from around the world. People that have seen it have been very encouraging and supportive. I hope that continues and grows even more. In times like these, I think it can really do some good."

Over Spring Break, Collin Penders '22 planned and organized the first annual skate-a-thon to support the Mercer Bulldogs Special Hockey team. With the help of junior coaches from Notre Dame, Robbinsville High School, and The Hun School, Penders and Andreas Oskiper from Princeton High School raised over $3,700 for the organization. 

USTA Middle States selected tennis player Theo Sardain ’22 as a recipient of the 2019 Middle States Boys' 16s Sportsmanship Award. Each year, USTA Middle States and its six districts honor excellence on and off the court by highlighting tennis accomplishments and service. 

Shivant Krishnan '21, a drummer in the New Jersey Youth Symphony Jazz Orchestra, participated in the Twelfth Annual Charles Mingus Festival and High School Competition on Saturday and Sunday, February 15 and 16, 2020, at The New School of Jazz and Jazz Standard in New York City. The NJYS Jazz Orchestra was one of only three groups in the nation to be named finalists in their division. 

Two Pennington students are participating in this year's TEDxYouth@Newtown on November 9. The theme for the event is "Inspire." The goal is to support student's creativity, intellect and visions for the future. 

Competing on an international level, current students Yat Fei Chan '23, Meng Lu '20, Cihan Sahin '21, and Yiwei Zhu '22 are reaping the benefits of over a decade of study and thousands of hours of practice from the age of six or younger by winning spots at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where they study piano and classical music with world-class college faculty for up to six hours every Saturday.

Pennington student Andrew D. '20 of Holland, Pa. has attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. Drew completed his Eagle Scout project by building a patio and firepit at the School. Great job, Andrew!