Howell Student-Athletes Honored with Breakfast

As a way to honor those student-athletes who will be moving on to play in college, Howell High School held a special breakfast on Friday morning for them and their parents.

Sixteen student-athletes attended the event. All of the students, along with their parents, were treated to a breakfast in the faculty dining room.

The breakfast began with a quick speech from Howell High School Principal Zina Duerbig, who said the entire school was proud of all of the scholar- athletes."We have so many student-athletes, so this is a nice way to celebrate all of their accomplishments," she said.

Peter Bruno, the high school's Supervisor of Extracurricular Activities, followed Duerbig. He noted that the more publicized National Signing Day is held in November for student-athletes, but this event was put together to show appreciation for all of the other scholar-athletes at the high school who have since been accepted to various college and universities.

“It’s not just about Division I. More kids actually play Division III sports,” he said. “There is a whole facet of kids playing sports in college," adding that before all of the students leave Howell High School, he wanted the school administration to have the opportunity to congratulate them.

He also said that choosing a school where an athlete can continue to play was probably the toughest decision the students had to make besides, “Who they wanted to take to prom.”

 One of the students being honored was Mike Shaughnessy, who will be going to The College of New Jersey next year to wrestle.  He explained the choice to go to TCNJ was an easy one for him to make, and it was a school he was very much looking forward to going to.

“They are one of the top 10 wrestling schools in the nation, the school is close to home and it’s a good academic school,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going.”

Along with TCNJ, other Howell High School student-athletes will soon be going to Ramapo, New Jersey Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts and Wagner College, among many others.

Lauren Kolacki, who will be going to Montclair State University next year to play basketball, said she too was very excited to start playing basketball at the school next year.

“I’ve met some girls on the team, so it’s good that I know some of the players already,” she said. She added she has other friends from Howell High School who will be going to the school as well, so is she not as nervous to be going to the college.

Lauren’s mother, Colleen Kolacki, said she is quite proud of her daughter and is looking forward to her playing in college. 

Mrs. Kolacki added she was also appreciative of Howell High School for putting the breakfast together as a way to show appreciation to all of the school’s scholar-athletes.

“This is great that all of the students get the opportunity to be honored,” she said. “This is the first time the school has done it, and we are proud of all of the students who will be playing sports at school next year.”