The William J. Sacco Critical Thinking Foundation held their 14th annual awards ceremony on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at The John Carroll School. One of the largest attended ceremonies in the history of the foundation, the John Carroll gymnasium was filled with students, educators, school administrators, and foundation supporters to celebrate the honorees.
This year, the foundation honored 15 students and 11 educators from 13 eligible schools and programs in Harford County. In total, the foundation will give out more than $14,000 in scholarships and grants.
Travis Kelley was named the 2025 Educator of the Year out of the ten nominees. Kelley is the second Sacco Foundation Educator of the Year (first since 2016) and will receive a $1,000 grant to use towards educational materials/activities and other classroom needs.
The Student of the Year was Frank Howell from Havre de Grace High School, the 2nd Sacco Foundation Student of the Year from Havre de Grace. Howell will receive a $3,000 scholarship.
See below for the complete list of winners. Student and Educator of the Year are in bold.
MATHEMATICS STUDENTS:
- Sarah Carven (C. Milton Wright High School)
- Kenny Chen (Bel Air High School)
- Frank De Lucia (North Harford High School)
- Frank Howell (Havre de Grace High School)
- Alyssa Hughes (The John Carroll School)
- Yumnah Khan (Patterson Mill High School)
- Chase Lineberry (Aberdeen High School)
- Alexzander McCoy (Harford Tech High School)
- Darnae Nash (Joppatowne High School)
- Olivia Nerad (Edgewood High School)
- Siddharth Ranjan (Aberdeen Science and Math Academy)
- Wyatt Soueth-Auer (Swan Creek School)
- Jacob Williams (Fallston High School)
COMMUNITY AWARD:
- Alexandra Carven (C. Milton Wright High School)
MIKE FRANKLIN COMPUTING AWARD:
- Frederick Hinder (Aberdeen Science and Math Academy) … student
- Justin Rush (Bel Air High School) … educator
MATHEMATICS EDUCATORS:
- Kimberly Evelyn (North Harford High School)
- Travis Kelley (Aberdeen High School)
- Trudell Knox (Edgewood High School)
- Linda Mitchell (Harford Tech High School)
- Diana Pinargotte (The John Carroll School)
- Malcolm Purvis (Fallston High School)
- Bob Reider (Havre de Grace High School)
- Katie Roppelt (Bel Air High School)
- Allison Salvi (C. Milton Wright High School)
- Bridget Stimax (Patterson Mill High School)
The William J. Sacco Critical Thinking Foundation would like to thank all of their sponsors and those who support the foundation. The community support received is the reason this event and these scholarships are possible.
Harrison Swartz
Director of PR/Communications and Events