Two students, Junior Abdallah Makanast and Senior Amanda Fortemps, were chosen for the Student of the Month award in May for being outstanding peers and students.

Makanast has proven to be an extremely respectful and diligent student who always goes above and beyond to help others. Although he has voiced that one of the things he likes most about Hills is helping and talking to his friends, his generosity and concern for others doesn’t end there.

“I like being with my friends and helping others too,” he states.

Recently, during PARCC testing, he went out of his way to make a visiting student feel welcomed and at home in the stressful testing environment. The fact that his helpful, selfless nature extends even into uncomfortable or tense situations is what makes him such a good role model and star student.

Amanda Fortemps was chosen for similar reasons. She feels that growing up as a diabetic has helped her develop a proactive and motivated character.

“It comes across to many people that diabetics can’t be functioning students and athletes, but I prove that statement wrong!” she proudly states. “I’m the captain of the field hockey team and continue to go above and beyond at Hills by writing and photographing for the Lantern club and also painting a mural outside of the art room.”

This strong, persistent character has also shown through via her work ethic, which is mainly why she has been chosen as a student of the month.

After joining her art class late, Amanda volunteered to paint a mural outside the art room. Using her lunches and every spare ounce of free time she had, she encouraged her peers and welcomed other students to join in and help make the hallways look more attractive. By encouraging others to not only work collaboratively, but to also make a difference, they were able to create a beautifully colored piece of artwork together for all to see.

The Patriot Press congratulates both students of the month for their achievement.