According to senior Daphne Carmona, the senior awards night is important for students, no matter how small their impact may seem.

“I think it’s a very good thing that students get recognized for the effort that they put in, whether it’s something very big or very small, in the future that’s what makes the difference,” Carmona said.

Principal Scott Meyers said the night benefits a number of people, not just the students.

“The evening itself is very important for students, to acknowledge their accomplishments; families, to get some of the recognition (for) their child,” Meyers said. “And for the donors to be able to see and hear about the students that are actually receiving their scholarships, I think there’s an important connection there.”

According to Meyers the event is about celebrating the community and Park’s seniors.

“It’s a way to honor the history of our school,” Meyers said. “We have important community members or past teachers who’ve passed away and wanted to leave a legacy. It’s part of the St Louis Park story, especially through the dollars for scholars scholarships, so I think it’s important to honor that and to honor the support that people want to give.”

Senior Jamison Christopher said he received the Brian’s Award because of his optimistic outlook.

“I think being able to overcome challenges that come my way and having a positive attitude about it and being able to say ‘yeah this is hard but not everything is going to be easy’ (is how I got it),” Christopher said. “Just making sure that I have a positive attitude about everything.”

According to Carmona, she received the Rose Rees Peace award for her work for her community.

“The Rose-Rees peace award is given to somebody who is active and wants social justice for their community. I do a lot of outside work with the hispanic community, I’m involved with my church,” Carmona said. “I’m also volunteering at other programs to encourage youth to keep up with their education and stay off the streets and (out of) gangs.”

Meyers said the night is representative of the values at St Louis Park.

“It’s a wonderful night. I am always humbled by the generosity,” Meyers said. “It’s really an interesting evening because, although it’s individual recognition, the amazing feel of community in the room really reminds me that it’s a huge strength of Saint Louis Park and it’s a beautiful part of who we are as a city and as a school.”